What Hemlane’s Data Says About Tenant Risk, State-by-State 

Powered by Hemlane’s nationwide screening and application analytics

As the regulatory landscape around rentals continues to tighten, property owners are relying less on gut instinct and more on standardized, predictive tools that help distinguish high-quality renters from those more likely to default or face eviction. One of the most powerful of these tools is the Resident Score 2.0, a TransUnion-produced score that functions similarly to a credit score but is specifically engineered for rental risk assessment.

At Hemlane, we screen thousands of renters across all 50 states every year, and that volume provides a unique vantage point into national applicant quality, payment behavior, and risk trends. This year’s data (January to September 2025) reveals meaningful shifts in renter characteristics, shifts that matter for landlords making decisions about screening requirements, rent-to-income thresholds, and risk mitigation strategies.

Across all applications screened on Hemlane in 2025, the average Resident Score reached 680, with an estimated eviction risk of just under 6%. To put that into perspective, that performance is slightly stronger than our comparable benchmark group of property management platforms that also rely on TransUnion screening.

In this report, we break down what those numbers really mean, why certain states outperform others, and how landlords in every market can use Resident Score insights to attract and retain better renters. Note that Resident Score and credit score may be used interchangeably in this article

Understanding the Resident Credit Score

Before we dive into the data, a quick refresher:Resident Score 2.0 is a scoring model produced by TransUnion, designed specifically to predict rental outcomes. While it shares DNA with credit scoring, it is not a credit score. Instead, it weighs more relevant rental behaviors, including:

• Payment history (rent, utilities, credit)
• Active tradelines and debt obligations
• Collection history
• Prior evictions
• Public records
• Length of credit history
• Behavioral signals associated with rental default

Scores generally range from 350 to 850, with higher scores indicating lower predicted risk.

TransUnion also provides an estimated eviction risk percentage associated with each score band. This allows landlords to align their policies with objective, data-driven thresholds rather than arbitrary cutoffs or inconsistent judgment calls.

The Shape of Today’s Renter Population

Our 2025 credit score distribution shows a bell-shaped curve, with most applicants falling between the mid-500s and the mid-700s. But looking closely at the score bins reveals some powerful insights into eviction risk and applicant quality.

High-Risk Score Bands (Below 600)

A small percentage of applicants fall below 600, but they carry significantly elevated risk:

• Applicants under 520 represent only 3.3% of total applications, but carry an estimated 25% eviction risk.
• Scores between 520 and 539 make up 4.1% of applicants with a 19% estimated risk.
• Scores between 540 and 559 carry 18% estimated risk, while 560–579 applicants show about 12% risk.

For landlords and managers, this means the small percentage of low-score applicants disproportionately contribute to missed rent, defaults, and forced turnover. Many owners who adopt a minimum credit score requirement often anchor it around 600, because risk drops sharply above that threshold.

Moderate-Risk Bands (600–679)

A large share of applicants fall in this middle corridor:

• 600–619: 5.7% of applicants, 7% estimated risk
• 620–639: 5.3% of applicants, 6% estimated risk
• 640–659: 4.8% of applicants, 4% estimated risk660–679: 4.8% of applicants, 3% estimated risk

These applicants are fundamentally stable. They may not be perfect on paper, but they typically make consistent payments and exhibit lower turnover. Many Hemlane landlords and managers report that renters in this range often become long-term tenants, especially when they value the rental price point or location.

Low-Risk, High-Quality Bands (680 and Above)

This is where Hemlane’s applicant pool stands out compared to national benchmarks. In 2025 YTD, a large proportion of applicants screened on Hemlane fell above 680:

• 680–699: 4.5% of applicants, 3% estimated risk
• 700–719: 4.4% of applicants, 3% estimated risk
• 720–739: 5.1% of applicants, 2% estimated risk
• 740–759: 6.9% of applicants, 1% estimated risk
• 760–779: 9.4% of applicants, 1% estimated risk
• 780–799: 12% of applicants, 1% estimated risk
• 800+: 9.7% of applicants, 1% estimated risk

This distribution reveals something many landlords find counterintuitive:The highest concentration of applications in Hemlane’s ecosystem comes from renters with extremely low eviction risk.

For property owners, this creates a competitive advantage:

• Higher-quality applicants mean fewer delinquencies.
• Lower eviction probabilities reduce legal costs and downtime.
• Stronger scores often correlate with tenants who stay longer and take better care of the property.

In other words, landlords and property managers on Hemlane are not only sourcing more renters, they’re sourcing better renters.

Hemlane vs. Other Platforms - A Quality Advantage

The below chart compares Hemlane’s average credit score to a group of comparable screening platforms over three years (2022–2025). Across every year analyzed, Hemlane’s applicant pool outperforms the benchmark:

Average credit scores

• 2022: Hemlane 679 vs. Comparables 673
• 2023: Hemlane 678 vs. Comparables 676
• 2024: Hemlane 678 vs. Comparables 675
• 2025 YTD: Hemlane 680 vs. Comparables 677

The margin isn’t enormous—but it’s consistent. And consistency matters with predictive scoring: a few points translate into noticeable differences in payment reliability across thousands of renters.

Why is Hemlane’s applicant pool stronger?

There are several likely explanations:

1. Hemlane is disproportionately used by owners and managers who are more on top of it:

Hemlane’s managers and owners tend to:

• Maintain more personalized relationships with prospective tenants
• Attract renters who seek better communication
• Keep their rental clean, using maintenance and repair tracking and repair coordination
• Set screening standards that reflect long-term stewardship rather than rapid occupancy

These factors intrinsically attract higher-performing applicants.

2. Geographic distribution plays a role

States with larger Hemlane footprints (CA, CO, UT, NY) typically have higher average credit scores.

3. Owners who adopt software early are often more organized

Sophisticated or tech-forward landlords often price their properties accurately, maintain them well, and communicate clearly—all factors that appeal to stronger renters.

Risk Comparison

Eviction risk percentages across the platforms reinforce this trend:

• Hemlane’s estimated eviction risk ranges 5.8%–6.0%
• Comparables range 6.0%–6.3%

While the difference may look small, a 0.3–0.5% improvement at scale represents:

• Fewer delinquent accounts
• Less turnover
• Higher net operating income (NOI)
• Reduced need for staff time on collections

In short, Hemlane landlords and managers are benefiting from a more stable applicant base.

State-by-State Differences in Credit Score

The below diagram highlights one of the most fascinating insights in the dataset: Resident Scores vary meaningfully across states—and not necessarily in ways that align with stereotypes about affordability or economic strength.

Highest-Performing States

Some of the strongest average credit scores in 2025 YTD include:

• Massachusetts (MA): 717
• Colorado (CO): 718
• Utah (UT): 710
• Hawaii (HI): 711
• Alaska (AK): 708
• Montana (MT): 732 (one of the highest in the country)

These states share something important: relatively tight rental markets, where high demand requires renters to present cleaner financial profiles. When competition increases, low-score applicants self-filter into less competitive sub-markets or alternative housing solutions.

California and Colorado Stand Out for a Different Reason

Both states show:

• Slower application growth (from the earlier slides)
• Higher-than-average credit scores

California’s average score is 714, while Colorado’s is 718, both well above the national average of 680.

This suggests:

• Tenants in these states tend to be higher quality, even if movement between rentals is slower.
• Landlords benefit from stronger applicant pools, reducing risk and turnover.
• Screening standards can be set slightly higher without shrinking the applicant pool.

In other words, slower growth does not mean lower quality—it’s the opposite.

Mid-Range States

States like:

• Florida (663)
• Georgia (663)
• Texas (642)
• Ohio (628)

have healthy, mixed applicant profiles that match their rapidly growing populations. These states show robust rental activity, more movement, and more varied credit histories.

For landlords in these states, nuanced screening criteria—rather than hard cutoffs—often produce the best outcomes.

Lower-Scoring States

A few states exhibit noticeably lower average credit scores:

• North Dakota (552)
• Iowa (596)
• Kansas (635)

This doesn’t mean “bad renters”—it means:

• Economic factors influence credit behavior
• Rural applicants may have thinner credit files
• Lower-cost markets attract more renters rebuilding their financial profile

For landlords and managers in these states, pairing credit score with other data points, like rent-to-income ratios, prior rental history, and employment stability, creates a more complete risk picture.

What This Means for Landlords - Practical Takeaways

Understanding credit score trends isn’t just interesting, it can materially improve your bottom line. Here are practical ways landlords can use these insights in 2025.

1. Align Your Minimum Score with State Norms

A flat nationwide minimum score (e.g., 600) fails to capture state-level differences. In high-scoring states like CO, UT, or MA, raising your minimum credit score could help you attract top-tier renters without reducing applicant volume.

In lower-scoring states, rigid cutoffs could artificially shrink your applicant pool and increase vacancy.

A better strategy:

• Compare your applicants’ scores to your state average
• Set a floating threshold based on local applicant quality
• Adjust minimum scores seasonally during peak leasing months

2. Use Risk Percentages, Not Just Score Bands

Credit score is best interpreted alongside estimated eviction risk. For example:

• A 640 score with 4% risk is not much different from a 680 score with 3% risk.
• A 560 score with 12% risk, however, may require stronger mitigation:
  • Higher security deposit (if allowed by the state)
  • Co-signer
  • A month-to-month lease

Eviction risk percentages give landlords confidence in consistent policy decisions.

3. In Mid-Score Ranges, Look at Rent-to-Income Ratio

Many renters in the 600–680 band have stable financial habits but may have older credit blemishes. Their rent-to-income ratio is often a better predictor of future payment behavior than the score alone.

If a tenant has:

• Credit score of 625
• Rent-to-income ratio under 25%
• Strong rental history
• Stable employment

They may outperform a renter with a 700 score who is rent-burdened.

4. High-Score Renters May Justify Stronger Renewal Incentives

Renters with scores over 740 carry almost no eviction risk, making them highly desirable long-term tenants.

For these applicants, landlords and managers should consider:

• Renewal incentives
• Lease-term adjustments
• Responsive maintenance
• Communication perks (autopay, online portal setup, etc.)

Keeping a low-risk renter is always cheaper than finding a new one.

5. Use State-Level Data When Expanding into New Markets

Investors acquiring properties in new states often apply the same screening standards they use at home. Our data shows that this approach may unintentionally exclude qualified local applicants or attract the wrong applicant segment.

For example:

• A 680 minimum might be appropriate in Denver
• But overly restrictive in Cleveland
• And too lenient in Honolulu or Boston

Understanding credit score geography helps reduce vacancy and turnover when scaling across state lines.

The Broader Meaning Behind the Data

The 2025 credit score trends tell a larger story about the evolving American renter:

1. Today’s renters are financially stronger than many assume.

Scores are rising, risk is falling, and Hemlane’s pool, dominated by small landlords, reflects some of the strongest rental applicants in the country.

2. Economic and geographic mobility are shaping applicant profiles.

States with in-migration, housing shortages, or competitive rental markets see higher scores as renters must compete more aggressively.

3. Landlords who use data win.

When owners anchor screening decisions in credit score and risk modeling, they reduce turnover and delinquencies .. two of the biggest threats to profitability.

4. Hemlane landlords benefit from a higher-quality applicant pool.

Across four years, our applicant scores consistently exceed comparable platforms, which translates directly to:

• Fewer missed payments
• Lower eviction risk
• More stable revenue
• Reduced administrative burden

This stability is a meaningful differentiator for small landlords who operate with tighter margins.

Final Thoughts

Credit score, using Resident Score as our benchmark, isn’t just another screening tool; it’s a window into the financial reliability of the modern renter. And as the rental market becomes more competitive, understanding these score patterns can help landlords and property managers make smarter, more confident leasing decisions.

In 2025, Hemlane landlords are seeing a stronger renter population than ever:

• Higher average scores
• Lower eviction risk
• State-level advantages in top markets
• Consistent outperformance versus comparable platforms

This data empowers landlords and property managers to refine their screening policies, tailor their renewal strategies, and protect their long-term cash flow.