Bureau County, Illinois Eviction Risk: Low

Bureau County, Illinois scores 3.7/10 (Low risk) across its 16 incorporated places, landing at rank 44 of 102 Illinois eviction laws counties, meaning 43 counties carry higher eviction risk and 58 are more landlord-friendly. That places Bureau County squarely in the middle third of the state, a position that reflects workable operating conditions rather than either a red-flag market or a pristine low-risk haven. At an average rent of $825 and a rent-burden rate of 25.4%, most renters here are not severely stretched, which tends to keep default rates contained.

That said, a county average tells only part of the story. Scores across Bureau County's cities range from 3 to 4.1, a gap wide enough to meaningfully separate manageable markets from more challenging ones. Investors sourcing deals in this county should think at the city level, not the county level, before committing capital.

The cities inside Bureau County

The highest-risk location in the county is Spring Valley, which scores 4.1/10 with a population of 5,476. Landlords there face a combination of factors that push the score above the county average and should budget accordingly for potential carrying costs during any eviction proceeding. Ladd and Sheffield both score 3.9/10, making them the second-tier concern, while Princeton, the county seat and largest city at 7,975 residents, comes in at 3.8/10, a moderate figure consistent with the county's overall profile.

On the lower-risk end, Walnut scores 3/10, the most landlord-favorable reading in the county, and Wyanet follows at 3.2/10. De Pue and Tiskilwa both sit at 3.4/10. The contrast between Walnut at 3 and Spring Valley at 4.1 makes clear that risk is hyper-local here: two properties 15 miles apart can carry materially different operating profiles, and due diligence at the city level is non-negotiable.

State-level laws that apply here

Every landlord in Bureau County operates under Illinois state law, specifically the Forcible Entry and Detainer statute at 735 ILCS 5/9. For nonpayment of rent, the required notice period is 5 days; a material lease violation triggers a 10-day notice; and a month-to-month holdover requires 30 days. End of a fixed-term lease requires no additional notice period under the statute. Once filed, an uncontested eviction typically resolves in 30 to 60 days, while a contested case can run 60 to 150 days. Understanding the full Illinois eviction process before your first filing is essential, particularly because contested timelines can stretch cash flow significantly.

On the cost side, court filing fees range from $200 to $400, sheriff lockout fees from $60 to $200, and attorney fees from $750 to $3,500, depending on complexity. Illinois eviction costs at the high end of a contested case can therefore approach the upper bounds of all three components combined. Illinois does not require just cause for non-renewal, and state law preempts local rent-control ordinances, so Bureau County landlords face no local rent caps or just-cause requirements layered on top of state statute.

With a poverty rate of 13.8% and a renter share of 26.8% across the county, the rental pool is relatively small but carries meaningful economic stress in pockets, making city-level score differences in the grid above the most actionable data point for any investor evaluating Bureau County.