Brown County, Illinois Eviction Risk: Low

Brown County, Illinois scores 2.8/10 (Low risk) as a county average across 6 cities, placing it at rank 91 of 102 Illinois eviction laws counties -- meaning 90 counties in the state carry higher eviction risk and only 11 are more landlord-friendly. For investors and landlords sizing up a rural Illinois eviction laws market, that standing signals a relatively favorable operating environment: lower tenant financial stress, more stable rent collections, and fewer court filings than most of Illinois eviction laws. The county's average rent sits at $637 per month, with an average rent burden of 22.9% of income, both figures pointing to a tenant base that is not, on average, stretched to the breaking point.

That said, conditions inside Brown County are not uniform. Individual city scores range from 2.4 to 3.1, a spread wide enough to matter when selecting a specific submarket. The population of the county totals roughly 3,466, making this a small, rural market where vacancy and tenant quality can swing outcomes more than macro risk scores alone. Landlords operating here should treat the county average as a baseline, not a guarantee, and zero in on the city-level data before committing capital.

The cities inside Brown County

At the higher end of the risk range, Ripley leads the county at 3.1/10 with a population of 87, followed by Perry at 3/10 (population 206). Neither is a high-risk market by Illinois standards, but their scores are meaningfully above the county floor. Mount Sterling, the county's largest city at 1,980 residents, sits at 2.9/10, making it the most active rental submarket and a reasonable proxy for overall county conditions. Clayton (population 602, score 2.8/10) and Mound Station (population 150, score 2.8/10) cluster near the county average.

Versailles is the standout for landlord-friendly conditions, registering the lowest risk score in the county at 2.4/10 with a population of 441. For investors who want the most favorable tenant dynamics within Brown County, Versailles and Clayton represent the lower end of the risk spectrum, while Ripley and Perry warrant closer due diligence on tenant screening and lease structuring. Risk is genuinely hyper-local here: a few miles separates the county's best and most challenging submarkets.

State-level laws that apply here

Every landlord operating in Brown County is subject to Illinois state law under 735 ILCS 5/9 (Forcible Entry and Detainer). Notice requirements are straightforward: nonpayment of rent triggers a 5-day notice, a material lease violation requires 10 days, and a month-to-month holdover requires 30 days. End-of-fixed-term tenancies require no advance notice under 735 ILCS 5/9-205. Understanding the Illinois eviction process before your first filing is essential, because uncontested cases typically resolve in 30 to 60 days while contested matters can run 60 to 150 days, and the financial exposure is real. Court filing fees range from $200 to $400, sheriff lockout fees add $60 to $200, and attorney fees typically run $750 to $3,500 -- costs that can easily exceed a month's rent on a $637 unit even in an uncontested case.

Illinois does not require just cause for non-renewal, and the state preempts local rent control, so Brown County landlords face no local rent cap exposure. Illinois security deposit limits are governed by state statute rather than local ordinance, which keeps the regulatory environment predictable across the county. Landlords should also note that source of income is a protected class under Illinois law, administered by the Illinois Department of Human Rights, and retaliation against tenants is prohibited under 765 ILCS 720/1. Reviewing Illinois tenant protections and the full scope of Illinois eviction costs before acquiring rental property here will keep you clear of the most common compliance pitfalls.

With an average poverty rate of 13.5% and a renter share of 37.1% of households, Brown County's rental base is modest in size but carries meaningful economic vulnerability -- use the city grid above to identify which of the 6 cities align best with your risk tolerance before investing.