Macoupin County, Illinois Eviction Risk: Moderate

Macoupin County, Illinois eviction laws carries an average eviction-risk score of 4.1/10, placing it in the Low risk tier across its 25 cities. That figure puts the county squarely in the middle third of the state, with 41 Illinois counties scoring higher (riskier) and 60 scoring lower. For landlords weighing where to put capital, that position reflects a market that is neither a standout safe haven nor a high-stress operating environment, but one where the fundamentals, an average rent of $770 and a rent burden of 26.9%, keep most tenants in a serviceable range.

Intra-county scores range from 3.4 to 4.5/10, a spread that matters when evaluating individual acquisitions. A property in the county's lower-risk pockets faces meaningfully different tenant-market dynamics than one in its highest-scoring city, so the county average is a starting point, not a final answer.

The cities inside Macoupin County

The highest-risk city in the county is Virden at 4.5/10, the county's ceiling score. With a population of 1,743, it is a smaller market, but its score reflects relative stress in tenant economics. Close behind are Carlinville (3.9/10, population 5,480), the county seat and its most populous city, along with Staunton (4.1/10, population 4,298) and Virden (4.5/10, population 3,171). Investors concentrating on larger-market liquidity will find Carlinville the primary trade-off: the most residents but also the highest risk tier within the county.

At the lower end, Gillespie scores 3.9/10, the most landlord-favorable reading among the county's larger cities. Risk is genuinely hyper-local here, with a full 0.7-point spread between Gillespie and Girard, so comparing individual cities before committing is essential.

State-level laws that apply here

Illinois eviction laws statute governs every eviction in Macoupin County under 735 ILCS 5/9 (Forcible Entry and Detainer). For nonpayment of rent, the required notice is 5 days; a material lease violation triggers a 10-day notice; a month-to-month holdover requires 30 days. Illinois eviction laws does not require just cause for most evictions, and state law preempts any local rent control ordinance, so landlords here face a uniform statewide framework with no patchwork of municipal caps. Reviewing the full Illinois eviction laws eviction process before filing is advisable because uncontested cases still run 30 to 60 days and contested matters can extend to 150 days.

On Illinois eviction costs, landlords should budget for court filing fees of $200 to $400, a sheriff lockout fee of $60 to $200, and attorney fees ranging from $750 to $3,500 depending on complexity and whether the tenant contests. Those figures underline why qualifying tenants carefully upfront costs far less than a contested proceeding.

With an average poverty rate of 18.1% and a renter share of 28.8% across the county, the tenant pool is modest in size but carries real income pressure, making screening discipline the most reliable lever landlords have before reviewing individual city scores in the grid above.