Estimated values: The U.S. Census suppresses field-level data for small places. Estimated from constituent census tracts, pop-weighted from real underlying ACS data.
Tenant beats landlord
20.2%
/ 100 outcomes
In court-decided eviction outcomes for Millston, WI, tenants prevail in roughly 20.2% 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
48d
filing → judgment
From the moment an unlawful-detainer notice is filed in Millston, WI until a money judgment is entered, a contested eviction takes about 48 days on average. Longer timelines mean more lost rent and higher carry costs for landlords.
Cost range
$2.3–5.5k
legal + lost rent
A typical eviction in Millston, WI costs landlords $2,290 to $5,483 all-in, covering court filing fees, process-server costs, attorney time, and lost rent during the calendar between filing and possession.
Average rent
$808
33% stretched on rent
Average gross rent in Millston, WI is $808 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
12.1%
of households
12.1% of occupied housing units in Millston, WI 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
9.3%
11.3% unemp.
9.3% of Millston, WI residents live below the federal poverty line, and unemployment runs at 11.3%. 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 +19.5% (2024)
4.8
Regional political climate
County-weighted neighbor mix
4.8
State political climate
Wisconsin legislature & governorship
2.9
Economic stress
9.3% poverty · 11.3% unemp.
7.0
Supply constraint
$808 average · 12.1% renters
3.0
Rent Control risk
32.7% of income on rent
1.7
Eviction process difficulty
48 days filing → judgment
2.8
Tenant organizing strength
12.1% renters
3.0
Housing court bias
County bench composition
2.5
Geographic context
Risk heat across Millston and the region
Click any city to see its score
How Millston compares
Risk score vs. peers, county, state, and the U.S.
Rank in Jackson County
High
#2of 10 cities
#2 of 10 cities in Jackson County for landlord eviction risk.
Rank in Wisconsin
Very High
#20of 803 cities
#20 of 803 cities in Wisconsin for landlord eviction risk.
vs. county · state · U.S.
Score story
Six-stop tour of the risk profile
3.4
/ 10 · LOW
The verdict
A Low-tier market.
Composite 3.4/10. Mid-range market; standard documentation usually wins. The 50-year curve shows a slow, steady climb.
50-yr trend+1.4 over 50 yr
197620012026
Steady ratchet · no large swings
48d
Typical timeline
The money
What renting (and evicting) looks like.
Rent published at $808/mo. A contested eviction takes 48 days and costs $2,290–$5,483 per case.
50-yr trendCalendar drag rising since '15
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
12.1%
Renters
The renters
Who you'll be renting to.
Out of 114 residents, 12.1% rent. 33% are spending 30%+ income on rent, 9.3% below the poverty line.
50-yr trendRenter share rising
197620012026
ACS 1970-present · once the migration overlay is in.
4.8
Local + regional
The politics
Mid-range climate. Not a coastal market.
Local & regional political climate score 4.8 and 4.8 (GOP margin +19.5% (2024)). State climate at 2.9, a mid-range statehouse.
50-yr trendTracks county vote margin
197620012026
Built on 50-yr presidential margins back to 1976.
2.9
State politics
The process
Moderate calendar, moderate friction.
State political climate 2.9/10 sets the legislative ceiling for landlord remedies, and it shows up in the process. Eviction process difficulty reads 2.8, housing court bias 2.5, rent-control risk 1.7. Standard process speed for the state.
50-yr trendProcess difficulty +-2.2 since '00
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
7
Economic stress
The stress
Economic pressure is the background risk.
Economic stress: 7. Supply constraint: 3. The numbers behind those: 9.3% poverty, 11.3% 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
Millston sits in the quick & cheap quadrant
Bubble size = population · color = risk score
Millston · 48d · ~$3.9k all-in ($81/day) · score 3.4National average: 58d · $4.6k all-inHover any bubble for stats · click to openColor: 0–4 4–7 7–10
Landlording in Millston, Wisconsin, presents a manageable operating environment for documented landlords. The Eviction Risk Score is 3.4/10 (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.
Millston is a city of 114 residents where 12.1% of occupied units are renter-occupied, and the typical renter spends 32.7% of income on rent. At an average rent of $808/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 Millston eviction process actually works
Eviction process difficulty here reads 2.8/10, 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 Millston closes 48 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 Millston's timeline is usually the calendar, not the motion practice. Housing court bias scores 2.5/10 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 Millston runs $2,290 to $5,483 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 48 days of typical timeline and $808/month in lost rent, that crossover happens fast here.
03Operations
Security deposits, screening, and lease terms
Tenant organizing strength scores 3/10 in Millston, and the city has limited rent control exposure (1.7/10). 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 Wisconsin, 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 Millston: 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 Wisconsin's statutory language. Fix those four, and most cases settle or default. Skip them, and a $5,483 all-in fight is the realistic worst case.
04bPractical traps
Local traps to avoid in Millston
Trap · WISCONSIN
Jackson County court applies Wisconsin statute uniformly. Filing fee, notice period, and trial-to-writ timeline are set at the state level. At 3.5/10 local risk, default judgment frequency is typical.
04Eviction filings
Live filings tracking · Eviction Lab
Princeton Eviction Lab Tracking System, state-level (no county tracker available). Last update 2026-05-01.
In the most recent month, 1,980 eviction cases were filed across the tracker's coverage area, 0.90× the historical baseline (below baseline). Past 12 months: 25,794 filings. Pandemic-era cumulative: 145,103.
1,980Past month
25,794Past 12 months
0.90×vs baseline (past mo)
15.2%Repeat-tenant filings
Notice requirement: at least five days notice (in some cases more). Filing fee: $94.50 filing fee.
Last 36 months of filings2023-05-01 – 2026-04-01
Filings dropped 7% over the past 12 months.
Source: Eviction Lab Tracking System, Princeton University. Open Data Commons Attribution license.
05FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Q1
Can I evict a tenant in Millston without a reason?
Wisconsin does not have a statewide just-cause eviction requirement. For month-to-month tenancies, you can typically terminate the lease with a proper 28-day notice without stating a specific reason, as long as it's not discriminatory or retaliatory. For tenants on a fixed-term lease, you generally need a lease violation (like non-payment of rent) to evict before the lease ends.
Q2
How much notice do I need to give for non-payment of rent?
In Millston, and throughout Wisconsin, you must provide a 5-day pay-or-quit notice for non-payment of rent. This means the tenant has five calendar days to pay the full amount due or move out before you can file for eviction in court.
Q3
Is there a limit to how much security deposit I can charge?
No, Wisconsin law does not set a statutory cap on the amount of security deposit a landlord can charge. However, it's generally advisable to keep it reasonable, typically one to two months' rent, to attract good tenants and make your property competitive.
Q4
What if my tenant damages the property? Can I use their security deposit?
Yes, you can use the security deposit to cover damages beyond normal wear and tear. You must provide the tenant with an itemized statement of deductions within 21 days of their move-out. Keep detailed records, including photos, of the property's condition before and after the tenancy.
Q5
Do I need a lawyer for an eviction in Millston?
While you can represent yourself in court, it's highly recommended to consult with or hire an attorney specializing in landlord-tenant law. They can ensure all notices are properly served, court filings are correct, and represent your interests effectively, saving you time and potential costly mistakes. Especially if the tenant contests the eviction, legal counsel is invaluable.
A 3.4/10 places Millston in the 99th percentile of Wisconsin 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 Millston (3.4/10)
Same risk band nationally · click any city for its full breakdown.
