Jasper County, Illinois Eviction Risk: Low

Jasper County earns an average eviction-risk score of 2.7/10 (Low) across its 7 cities, placing it 100th out of 102 Illinois counties, meaning 99 counties carry more risk and only 2 are lower. For landlords, that ranking translates to a market where tenants broadly pay rent, courts process evictions efficiently when needed, and the regulatory environment stacks up well compared with most of the state. Average rent sits at $740 per month, and the average rent burden is 26.4% of income, both figures indicating renters here are not particularly stretched.

The county's intra-market score range runs from 2.6 to 3.2, a spread of 0.6 points. That gap is meaningful in a small-population county of roughly 3,827 people: the same Illinois eviction laws landlord-tenant law applies everywhere, but local economic conditions in individual communities produce noticeably different risk profiles. Investors who target the specific lower-scoring communities can capture even better fundamentals than the already-low county average suggests.

The cities inside Jasper County

Hidalgo carries the highest risk in the county at 3.2/10, a full half-point above most of its neighbors. With a population of only 60, the rental pool is tiny, meaning a handful of problem tenancies can meaningfully move local statistics. Wheeler comes in next at 2.8/10 with a population of 130. Both communities warrant tighter screening and larger cash reserves relative to elsewhere in the county.

Newton, the county seat and by far the largest community at 2,932 residents, scores 2.7/10, matching the county average exactly. Willow Hill, Yale, and Rose Hill also score 2.7/10. At the favorable end, Ste. Marie posts the county's lowest score at 2.6/10 with a population of 281. The clear lesson is that risk is hyper-local: Hidalgo and Ste. Marie sit in the same county yet differ by 0.6 points, enough to materially affect underwriting assumptions on vacancy reserves and collections.

State-level laws that apply here

Every landlord operating in Jasper County works under the Illinois eviction laws Forcible Entry and Detainer Act, 735 ILCS 5/9. For nonpayment of rent, Illinois eviction laws law requires a 5-day notice before filing suit (735 ILCS 5/9-209). A material lease violation triggers a 10-day cure-or-quit notice (735 ILCS 5/9-210), and a month-to-month holdover requires 30 days notice (735 ILCS 5/9-207). A fixed-term lease that simply expires requires no additional notice under 735 ILCS 5/9-205. Uncontested cases typically resolve in 30 to 60 days; contested matters can run 60 to 150 days. Understanding the full Illinois eviction laws eviction process before placing a tenant, not after a default, is the most practical cost-control step available.

On the cost side, court filing fees run $200 to $400, sheriff lockout fees add $60 to $200, and attorney fees for an eviction matter typically range from $750 to $3,500, depending on complexity and whether the case is contested. Those components make Illinois eviction costs a real line item in any acquisition pro forma. Importantly, Illinois eviction laws state law does not require just cause to terminate a tenancy, and the state preempts local rent-control ordinances, so no Jasper County municipality can impose rent caps, leaving landlords with straightforward renewal pricing authority.

With an average poverty rate of 17% and only 20% of households renting, Jasper County's renter pool is small and concentrated mainly in Newton; review the city-level scores in the grid above to see exactly where within the county your investment dollars face more or less exposure.