ItemChicagoNear South Side
NumberPercentNumberRankPercentRank

How Many Evictions Are There?

Eviction Filings
Eviction Filings18,345-24929th--
Eviction Filing Rate
Eviction Filing Rate2.9%-3.9%31st--
Sealed Cases (% of eviction filings)
Not Sealed16,14588%23326th93.6%12th
Sealed2,20012%1640th6.4%66th

Why Do Evictions Happen?

Eviction with Back Rent Cases
Eviction Only2,31014.5%1542nd6.5%73rd
Eviction with Back Rent13,68185.6%21724th93.5%5th
Median Back Rent Sought
Median Back Rent Sought$2,229-$3,16512th--

What Happens In Eviction Court?

Eviction Orders (% of completed cases)
Eviction Order9,57159.9%11631st50%66th
Other Outcome (primarily dismissals)6,42040.2%11620th50%10th
Eviction Orders by Default (% of completed cases)
Eviction Order by Default3,03719%2835th12.1%69th
Not a Default 12,95481%20423rd87.9%9th
Eviction Orders at First Time Up (% of completed cases)
Eviction Order at First Time Up4,04525.3%5431st23.3%58th
Other Outcome at First Time Up2,50015.6%4817th20.7%21st
Not a First Time Up Outcome9,44659.1%13027th56%48th

Does Having An Attorney Matter?

Landlord Representation (% of completed cases)
Represented Landlord13,80486.3%22923rd98.7%5th
Landlord without an Attorney2,18713.7%364th1.3%73rd
Tenant Representation (% of completed cases)
Represented Tenant1,94412.2%3322nd14.2%22nd
Tenant without an Attorney14,04787.8%19927th85.8%56th
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 Order8,55560.9%9533rd47.7%70th
Other Outcome (primarily dismissals)5,49239.1%10419th52.3%8th
With an Attorney (% of completed cases where tenants had attorney representation)
Eviction Order1,01652.3%2115th63.6%14th
Other Outcome (primarily dismissals)92847.7%1230th36.4%63rd
Eviction Orders by Default by Representation
No Attorney (% of completed cases where tenants did not have an attorney)
Eviction Order by Default2,92920.9%2636th13.1%68th
Not a Default 11,11879.2%17323rd86.9%10th
With an Attorney (% of completed cases where tenants had attorney representation)
Eviction Order by Default1085.6%217th6.1%24th
Not a Default 1,83694.4%3123rd93.9%54th
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 Up3,95228.1%5032nd25.1%62nd
Other Outcome at First Time Up2,46917.6%4717th23.6%20th
Not a First Time Up Outcome7,62654.3%10226th51.3%44th
With an Attorney (% of completed cases where tenants had attorney representation)
Eviction Order at First Time Up934.8%44th12.1%6th
Other Outcome at First Time Up311.6%19th3%11th
Not a First Time Up Outcome1,82093.6%2823rd84.9%70th

What About Legal Aid Attorneys?

Tenant Attorney Type (% of completed cases)
No Attorney14,04787.8%19927th85.8%56th
Private Attorney1,68910.6%3119th13.4%19th
Legal Aid Attorney2551.6%233rd0.9%50th
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 Order8,55560.9%9533rd47.7%70th
Other Outcome (primarily dismissals)5,49239.1%10419th52.3%8th
Private Attorney (% of completed cases where tenants had a private attorney)
Eviction Order94956.2%2014th64.5%21st
Other Outcome (primarily dismissals)74043.8%1126th35.5%57th
Legal Aid Attorney (% of completed cases where tenants had a legal aid attorney)
Eviction Order6726.3%118th50%9th
Other Outcome (primarily dismissals)18873.7%136th50%40th

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%15,77555th88.2%18th
Below poverty level565,02420.9%2,10362nd11.8%59th
2018 Poverty (% of Population) from American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2014-2018)
At or above poverty level2,188,43780.5%21,87939th89.9%14th
Below poverty level530,11819.5%2,46459th10.1%64th
Race (% of Population)
2010 Race (% of Population) from American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2006-2010)
White859,28231.8%7,78632nd43.6%23rd
Black909,84233.7%6,34339th35.5%32nd
Latinx753,37527.9%93850th5.3%50th
Asian143,6545.3%2,42520th13.6%8th
Other37,3131.4%38634th2.2%12th
2018 Race (% of Population) from American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2014-2018)
White892,32332.8%11,56126th47.5%22nd
Black808,16529.7%5,97939th24.6%36th
Latinx788,14029%99156th4.1%59th
Asian172,9916.4%5,00712th20.6%6th
Other56,9362.1%80524th3.3%12th
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%5,22041st44.3%49th
2018 Rental Units (% of Housing) from American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2014-2018)
Rental Units (% of Housing)626,92951.9%6,42340th42.8%52nd
Median Rent
2010 Median Rent from American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2006-2010)
Median Rent$885-$329 - $1,268---
2018 Median Rent from American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2014-2018)
Median Rent$1,077-$722 - $2,037---