ItemChicagoWard 33
NumberPercentNumberRankPercentRank

How Many Evictions Are There?

Eviction Filings
Eviction Filings20,439-18436th--
Eviction Filing Rate
Eviction Filing Rate3.3%-1.5%42nd--
Sealed Cases (% of eviction filings)
Not Sealed17,17384%15136th82.1%31st
Sealed3,26616%3335th17.9%20th

Why Do Evictions Happen?

Eviction with Back Rent Cases
Eviction Only2,61815.4%2733rd18%18th
Eviction with Back Rent14,41484.6%12334th82%33rd
Median Back Rent Sought
Median Back Rent Sought$2,027-$2,7008th--

What Happens In Eviction Court?

Eviction Orders (% of completed cases)
Eviction Order10,14959.6%7939th52.7%42nd
Other Outcome (primarily dismissals)6,88340.4%7129th47.3%9th
Eviction Orders by Default (% of completed cases)
Eviction Order by Default2,43614.3%2134th14%26th
Not a Default 14,59685.7%12935th86%25th
Eviction Orders at First Time Up (% of completed cases)
Eviction Order at First Time Up5,20930.6%3742nd24.7%44th
Other Outcome at First Time Up2,66915.7%2730th18%15th
Not a First Time Up Outcome9,15453.8%8633rd57.3%8th

Does Having An Attorney Matter?

Landlord Representation (% of completed cases)
Represented Landlord14,17483.2%12435th82.7%28th
Landlord without an Attorney2,85816.8%2632nd17.3%23rd
Tenant Representation (% of completed cases)
Represented Tenant2,03912%2132nd14%17th
Tenant without an Attorney14,99388%12935th86%34th
Eviction Orders by Representation - likelihood of an eviction order (and/or a money judgment against a tenant) with or without an attorney.
No Attorney (% of completed cases where tenants did not have an attorney)
Eviction Order9,17261.2%7037th54.3%42nd
Other Outcome (primarily dismissals)5,82138.8%5930th45.7%9th
With an Attorney (% of completed cases where tenants had attorney representation)
Eviction Order97747.9%938th42.9%38th
Other Outcome (primarily dismissals)1,06252.1%1229th57.1%13th
Eviction Orders by Default by Representation
No Attorney (% of completed cases where tenants did not have an attorney)
Eviction Order by Default2,34915.7%2133rd16.3%20th
Not a Default 12,64484.3%10837th83.7%31st
With an Attorney (% of completed cases where tenants had attorney representation)
Eviction Order by Default874.3%037th0%37th
Not a Default 1,95295.7%2132nd100%1st
Eviction Orders at First Time Up by Representation
No Attorney (% of completed cases where tenants did not have an attorney)
Eviction Order at First Time Up5,10134%3640th27.9%45th
Other Outcome at First Time Up2,63117.6%2730th20.9%15th
Not a First Time Up Outcome7,26148.4%6632nd51.2%14th
With an Attorney (% of completed cases where tenants had attorney representation)
Eviction Order at First Time Up1085.3%131st4.8%24th
Other Outcome at First Time Up381.9%027th0%27th
Not a First Time Up Outcome1,89392.8%2031st95.2%18th

What About Legal Aid Attorneys?

Tenant Attorney Type (% of completed cases)
No Attorney14,99388%12935th86%34th
Private Attorney1,79910.6%1837th12%17th
Legal Aid Attorney2401.4%321st2%10th
Eviction Orders by Attorney Type - likelihood of an eviction order (and/or a money judgment against a tenant) based on type of representation.
No Attorney (% of completed cases where tenants did not have an attorney)
Eviction Order9,17261.2%7037th54.3%42nd
Other Outcome (primarily dismissals)5,82138.8%5930th45.7%9th
Private Attorney (% of completed cases where tenants had a private attorney)
Eviction Order91650.9%838th44.4%41st
Other Outcome (primarily dismissals)88349.1%1028th55.6%10th
Legal Aid Attorney (% of completed cases where tenants had a legal aid attorney)
Eviction Order6125.4%119th33.3%16th
Other Outcome (primarily dismissals)17974.6%223rd66.7%28th

Census Data

Data from US Census Bureau’s American Community Survey 5-year estimates were chosen for analysis as they provide the most current data at the census tract level. With 8 years of eviction data, we felt it warranted using more than one set of 5-year estimates, and as comparing non-overlapping 5-year estimates is the recommended approach, we chose to use the 2006-2010 estimates as a proxy for 2010 (our first year of eviction data) and the 2013-2017 estimates as our proxy for 2017 in overtime comparisons. Both sets of data are presented here for your use.

Poverty (% of Population)
2010 Poverty (% of Population) from American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2006-2010)
At or above poverty level2,138,44279.1%46,62814th84.4%17th
Below poverty level565,02420.9%8,59734th15.6%34th
2018 Poverty (% of Population) from American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2014-2018)
At or above poverty level2,188,43780.5%46,25821st83.6%19th
Below poverty level530,11819.5%9,04831st16.4%32nd
Race (% of Population)
2010 Race (% of Population) from American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2006-2010)
White859,28231.8%18,02120th32.6%20th
Black909,84233.7%1,91738th3.5%38th
Latinx753,37527.9%29,41214th53.3%14th
Asian143,6545.3%4,9159th8.9%9th
Other37,3131.4%95815th1.7%14th
2018 Race (% of Population) from American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2014-2018)
White892,32332.8%20,76318th37.5%18th
Black808,16529.7%2,29535th4.2%33rd
Latinx788,14029%25,40314th45.9%14th
Asian172,9916.4%5,31111th9.6%11th
Other56,9362.1%1,53516th2.8%16th
Rental Units (% of Housing)
2010 Rental Units (% of Housing) from American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2006-2010)
Rental Units (% of Housing)592,75249.5%11,62425th53.3%20th
2018 Rental Units (% of Housing) from American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2014-2018)
Rental Units (% of Housing)626,92951.9%12,71321st57%17th
Median Rent
2010 Median Rent from American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2006-2010)
Median Rent$885-$806 - $1,070---
2018 Median Rent from American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2014-2018)
Median Rent$1,077-$990 - $1,331---