In court-decided eviction outcomes for La Homa, TX, tenants prevail in roughly 15.7% of contested cases. A higher number means landlords face stronger tenant defenses, longer calendars, and more required documentation, and landlord-friendliness drops as this rises.
Timeline
25d
filing → judgment
From the moment an unlawful-detainer notice is filed in La Homa, TX until a money judgment is entered, a contested eviction takes about 25 days on average. Longer timelines mean more lost rent and higher carry costs for landlords.
Cost range
$1.1–3.6k
legal + lost rent
A typical eviction in La Homa, TX costs landlords $1,133 to $3,586 all-in, covering court filing fees, process-server costs, attorney time, and lost rent during the calendar between filing and possession.
Average rent
$740
33% stretched on rent
Average gross rent in La Homa, TX is $740 per month per the U.S. Census American Community Survey (5-year 2023). 33% of renter households here spend more than 30% of pre-tax income on rent, the federal cost-burden threshold.
Renters
21.3%
of households
21.3% of occupied housing units in La Homa, TX are renter-occupied (vs owner-occupied). A higher renter share usually correlates with more eviction filings, more turnover, and a more active rental market.
Poverty
31.5%
13.1% unemp.
31.5% of La Homa, TX residents live below the federal poverty line, and unemployment runs at 13.1%. Both feed into the economic-stress sub-score in our Eviction Risk Score model because rent payment problems track poverty + joblessness more reliably than any other single signal.
Time machine
Scrub 50 years
197619861996200620162026
2026
● LIVE · today◀ REPLAY · historical
Nine-axis profile
9-axis profile · today
Shape of the risk surface
1 landlord · 10 tenant
Sub-scores · with sparkline
Where the score comes from
1 → 10 scale
Local political climate
GOP margin +2.9% (2024)
6.3
Regional political climate
County-weighted neighbor mix
6.3
State political climate
Texas legislature & governorship
1.5
Economic stress
31.5% poverty · 13.1% unemp.
9.3
Supply constraint
$740 average · 21.3% renters
3.5
Rent Control risk
32.6% of income on rent
6.2
Eviction process difficulty
25 days filing → judgment
1.5
Tenant organizing strength
21.3% renters
4.0
Housing court bias
County bench composition
7.7
Geographic context
Risk heat across La Homa and the region
Click any city to see its score
How La Homa compares
Risk score vs. peers, county, state, and the U.S.
Rank in Hidalgo County
High
#7of 57 cities
#7 of 57 cities in Hidalgo County for landlord eviction risk.
Rank in Texas
Very High
#60of 1,841 cities
#60 of 1,841 cities in Texas for landlord eviction risk.
vs. county · state · U.S.
Score story
Six-stop tour of the risk profile
2.9
/ 10 · LOW
The verdict
A Low-tier market.
Composite 2.9/10. Mid-range market; standard documentation usually wins. The 50-year curve shows a slow, steady climb.
50-yr trend+0.5 over 50 yr
197620012026
Steady ratchet · no large swings
25d
Typical timeline
The money
What renting (and evicting) looks like.
Rent published at $740/mo. A contested eviction takes 25 days and costs $1,133–$3,586 per case.
50-yr trendCalendar drag rising since '15
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
21.3%
Renters
The renters
Who you'll be renting to.
Out of 11,285 residents, 21.3% rent. 33% are spending 30%+ income on rent, 31.5% below the poverty line.
50-yr trendRenter share rising
197620012026
ACS 1970-present · once the migration overlay is in.
6.3
Local + regional
The politics
Mid-range climate. Not a coastal market.
Local & regional political climate score 6.3 and 6.3 (GOP margin +2.9% (2024)). State climate at 1.5, a mid-range statehouse.
50-yr trendTracks county vote margin
197620012026
Built on 50-yr presidential margins back to 1976.
1.5
State politics
The process
Moderate calendar, moderate friction.
State political climate 1.5/10 sets the legislative ceiling for landlord remedies, and it shows up in the process. Eviction process difficulty reads 1.5, housing court bias 7.7, rent-control risk 6.2. Standard process speed for the state.
50-yr trendProcess difficulty +-3.5 since '00
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
9.3
Economic stress
The stress
Economic pressure is the real risk.
Economic stress: 9.3. Supply constraint: 3.5. The numbers behind those: 31.5% poverty, 13.1% unemployment, 33% of income on rent.
50-yr trendTwo visible dips · '08 + COVID
197620012026
Mirrors BLS unemployment series.
US eviction landscape · timeline × all-in cost
La Homa sits in the quick & cheap quadrant
Bubble size = population · color = risk score
La Homa · 25d · ~$2.4k all-in ($94/day) · score 2.9National average: 58d · $4.6k all-inHover any bubble for stats · click to openColor: 0–4 4–7 7–10
Landlording in La Homa, Texas, presents a manageable operating environment for documented landlords. The Eviction Risk Score is 2.9/10 (LOW tier), drawn from the nine sub-axes shown above, covering rent-control exposure, eviction-process difficulty, housing-court bias, tenant-organizing strength, supply constraint, economic stress, and local, regional, and state political climate. This is not a quick-fix market: it's a Mid-tier market where lease drafting, screening discipline, and well-documented notices materially change outcomes.
La Homa is a city of 11,285 residents where 21.3% of occupied units are renter-occupied, and the typical renter spends 32.6% of income on rent. At an average rent of $740/month, the typical renter household here spends more than the federal 30% threshold on housing, a leading indicator of payment volatility and a precondition for the kinds of tenant defenses that show up most often in housing court.
01Process
How La Homa eviction process actually works
Eviction process difficulty here reads 1.5/10, a number that combines statutory complexity (notice categories, just-cause rules, mandatory pre-filing disclosures) with operational realities (court calendar length and clerk responsiveness). The typical contested filing in La Homa closes 25 days after the initial notice. For non-payment of rent the first step is a properly-formatted, properly-served pay-or-quit notice; for material lease breaches it's a cure-or-quit; for tenancies under just-cause protection an at-fault grounds notice (or a no-fault notice with statutory relocation assistance) is required.
The slow part of La Homa's timeline is usually the calendar, not the motion practice. Housing court bias scores 7.7/10 here, meaning judges read borderline procedural defects in the tenant's favor more often than the national norm. The practical implication: every notice and every proof of service needs to be airtight before it gets filed.
02Cost
What it costs (and how long it takes)
An all-in eviction in La Homa runs $1,133 to $3,586 per case once you account for filing fees, attorney time, lost rent during pendency, sheriff lockout, and unit turnover. That range is wide because the upper bound assumes a tenant answer plus motion practice, common when housing court bias is high. The lower bound assumes a default judgment after proper service.
For landlords running the numbers on holding costs vs. cash-for-keys: if your projected timeline times your monthly rent already exceeds the high-end cost number, cash-for-keys at 1–2 months' rent is typically the economically rational choice. With 25 days of typical timeline and $740/month in lost rent, that crossover happens fast here.
03Operations
Security deposits, screening, and lease terms
Tenant organizing strength scores 4/10 in La Homa, and the city carries meaningful rent control exposure (6.2/10). Operations practice that survives audit in this environment looks like:
Screening discipline. Document income (verified at 2.5 to 3x rent), credit (with a clear minimum), and prior-tenancy reference checks, but do not screen on protected categories or source-of-income where banned. Keep a written, consistent screening criteria document for every applicant.
Lease specificity. Use a state-specific lease that names every term clearly: rent due date, late fees within statutory caps, deposit handling, smoke and CO disclosure, lead paint disclosure (pre-1978 stock), and a clean attorney's-fees clause.
Security deposit handling. Itemize deductions within the statutory window. Photograph move-in/move-out condition. In Texas, deposit cap and refund window are statute, so exceed them at your own risk.
Mid-tenancy documentation. Keep date-stamped records of every rent receipt, every habitability request, every notice served. The day you need them in court is too late to start.
04Strategy
What an everyday landlord should actually do here
If you own one to four units in La Homa: hire a property manager who knows the local court. The pricing differential between self-managing and hiring out is small relative to the cost of one botched eviction in a LOW tier market. If you own five or more: build relationships with a local landlord-side attorney before you need one, since retainer fees are negligible compared to emergency-rate billing when an eviction is already moving.
The avoidable mistakes here are all upstream of the filing: weak screening, an informal lease, sloppy rent receipts, and notice templates pulled off the internet that don't match Texas's statutory language. Fix those four, and most cases settle or default. Skip them, and a $3,586 all-in fight is the realistic worst case.
04bPractical traps
Local traps to avoid in La Homa
Trap · 17.1 POINTS
Politically, Hidalgo County voted Democratic by 17.1 points in 2020, a baseline that correlates with tenant-protective legislative pressure. Combined with 32.6% rent-to-income ratio, expect baseline enforcement of Property Code Chapter 24.
05FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Q1
What if my tenant claims a maintenance issue as a reason not to pay rent?
In Texas, tenants cannot generally withhold rent for maintenance issues. They must follow specific procedures under Tex. Prop. Code § 92.056, including providing written notice and giving you reasonable time to make repairs. If they haven't followed this, their claim won't excuse non-payment in an eviction case. However, if they have followed the rules and you haven't made repairs, that could be a defense for them. Address legitimate repair requests promptly and in writing.
Q2
Can I evict a tenant in La Homa for having unauthorized pets?
Yes, if your lease explicitly prohibits pets or requires prior approval, and the tenant has violated that clause, you can issue a notice to cure or quit. Texas does not have statewide just-cause eviction, so for a material breach of the lease, you can proceed with an eviction. Ensure your lease clearly defines what constitutes a pet violation and the consequences.
Q3
How long do I have to wait before I can re-rent the unit after an eviction?
Once the Writ of Possession has been executed and the tenant (and their belongings) are out, you can immediately begin preparing the unit for re-rental. There's no waiting period. Your priority should be cleaning, making any necessary repairs, and getting it back on the market to minimize vacancy loss.
Q4
Is it worth offering "cash for keys" in La Homa?
Often, yes. While it might feel like you're rewarding a bad tenant, "cash for keys" can save you significant time and money. An eviction that goes through the courts costs between $1,133, $3,586 and takes 25 days. If you can get the tenant to leave voluntarily, quickly, and without damaging the property, paying them a few hundred dollars is often the more economical choice. Get it in writing: they leave by X date, property is clean, keys are returned, and then they get the cash.
Q5
Do I need an attorney for every eviction in La Homa?
While you can represent yourself in Justice Court, it's highly recommended to use an attorney, especially if it's your first eviction or if the tenant is contesting the eviction. An attorney ensures all notices are correct, paperwork is filed on time, and you present your case effectively. One small procedural error can lead to dismissal, forcing you to start over and costing you more time and money. Given the eviction-process-difficulty sub-score of 1.5, Texas is relatively straightforward, but mistakes are still common for landlords unfamiliar with the process.
A 2.9/10 places La Homa in the 99th percentile of Texas cities on the Eviction Risk Score index. The score is the average of the nine sub-axes, all calibrated on a national 1 to 10 scale where 1 is most landlord-friendly and 10 is most tenant-protective. The 50-year reconstruction shows this score has climbed steadily since 1976, a structural drift driven by court-calendar growth, rent-control adoption, and the rise of tenant-side legal aid. The trajectory matters more than the snapshot: the score is the climate, not the weather.
Cities with similar eviction risk to La Homa (2.9/10)
Same risk band nationally · click any city for its full breakdown.
