Johnson County, Illinois Eviction Risk: Moderate

Johnson County scores 4.2/10 (Low risk) across its 7 cities, placing it at rank 75 of 102 Illinois eviction laws counties, meaning 74 counties carry more eviction risk and only 27 are more landlord-friendly. With a total population of roughly 4,007 and an average rent of $811, this is a small rural market where operating conditions are generally stable. The intra-county spread is tight, running from 3 to 4.2/10, so landlords face a consistently low-friction environment regardless of which community they choose.

That said, "low risk" does not mean zero exposure. A 22.1% poverty rate and a rent burden averaging 24.2% of income signal that a meaningful share of tenants are financially stretched. Cash-flow disruptions, while less frequent here than in higher-risk Illinois eviction laws markets, do occur, and the county's rural character means professional tenant screening options and local legal resources may be thinner than in metropolitan areas.

The cities inside Johnson County

At the top of the county's risk range, Belknap scores 4.1/10, the highest in the county. Vienna, the county's largest city at 1,873 residents, scores 4.5/10, as do New Burnside and Simpson. These communities carry the most relative landlord exposure within Johnson County, though all four remain well within the moderate tier statewide.

At the lower end, Goreville (population 1,236) and Cypress both score 3.4/10, the floor for the county. Buncombe sits at the county average of 4.2/10. The narrow spread means location choice within Johnson County is unlikely to dramatically shift your risk profile, but investors comparing individual cities should consult each city's detail page for granular data. Risk remains hyper-local even within a tight-banded county like this one.

State-level laws that apply here

All landlords operating in Johnson County are governed by 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 a fixed-term lease requires no additional notice under 735 ILCS 5/9-205. Understanding the full Illinois eviction laws eviction process is essential before filing, because even an uncontested case runs 30 to 60 days and a contested one can stretch to 60 to 150 days.

On costs, court filing fees run $200 to $400, sheriff lockout fees add $60 to $200, and attorney fees typically range from $750 to $3,500, so total out-of-pocket exposure on a contested eviction can be substantial. Illinois eviction costs are worth budgeting for before acquiring rental property here. Illinois eviction laws does not require just cause for eviction and state law preempts any local rent control ordinance, both landlord-friendly features. Source-of-income is a protected class under Illinois state law, administered through the Illinois Department of Human Rights, so screening policies must account for that protection.

With 33.8% of Johnson County households renting and a poverty rate of 22.1%, demand for affordable rentals is real, but so is income volatility, making thorough tenant screening the single most important risk-management tool available to landlords here. The city grid above breaks down scores for all 7 communities in the county.