McLean County, Illinois Eviction Risk: Moderate

McLean County carries an average eviction-risk score of 4.5/10 (Moderate) across its 20 cities, placing it at rank 20 of 102 Illinois counties, meaning 19 counties are riskier and 82 are less risky, putting McLean County firmly in the higher-risk third of the state. For landlords evaluating Illinois markets, that positioning matters: the county is not a worst-case scenario, but it is not a low-stress operating environment either. Average rent runs $1,011 per month, the average rent burden is 29.2% of income, and 37.3% of residents rent rather than own, all of which keep eviction pressure real and recurrent.

The intra-county spread, from a low of 3.9/10 to a high of 4.6/10, tells landlords that where exactly they own a unit in McLean County shapes their exposure considerably. The two poles of the range sit only a few miles apart in some cases, so investors who assume the county average applies uniformly to every address will be working with an incomplete picture. Underwriting decisions are stronger when they are anchored to city-level data rather than the county headline.

The cities inside McLean County

The highest-risk cities in the county are Bloomington (score 4.6/10, population 78,907) and Normal (score 4.6/10, population 53,569), which together account for the large majority of the county's total population of 153,459. Both cities score at the top of the county range, meaning landlords operating in those markets face a higher combined probability of eviction filings, longer vacancy periods from problem tenancies, and a denser renter pool that demands active lease management. Cooksville comes in next at 4.5/10, while Gridley sits at 4.4/10.

At the lower end of the risk scale, Heyworth and Chenoa each score 3.9/10, the county minimum, and Hudson comes in at 4.1/10. Le Roy and Lexington both register 4.2/10. These smaller communities offer meaningfully lower eviction pressure, though their smaller renter pools also mean thinner deal flow for investors who need volume. Risk is genuinely hyper-local inside McLean County, and the city-level grid below is the right starting point for any asset-level analysis.

State-level laws that apply here

Every landlord in McLean 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 under 735 ILCS 5/9-209. A material lease violation triggers a 10-day notice under 735 ILCS 5/9-210, while a month-to-month holdover requires 30 days under 735 ILCS 5/9-207. Fixed-term lease expirations require no notice period under 735 ILCS 5/9-205. Understanding the full Illinois eviction process is essential before filing, because the timeline from notice to lockout on an uncontested case runs 30 to 60 days, and a contested matter can stretch 60 to 150 days.

Illinois eviction costs add up quickly. 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 and whether the tenant contests. Illinois does not require just cause to terminate a tenancy, and state law preempts local rent control, so no McLean County municipality can impose a rent cap independently. Illinois security deposit limits are governed at the state level and landlords should confirm compliance before each new lease. The Illinois Department of Human Rights enforces fair housing, and source of income is a protected class under state law, a compliance point that catches some landlords off guard.

With a poverty rate of 14.4% and more than a third of residents renting, McLean County carries a baseline of financial fragility that keeps eviction risk steady even in stable economic conditions; the city-level grid above breaks that risk down address by address so investors can size it precisely before committing capital.