Mercer County, Illinois Eviction Risk: Moderate

Mercer County, Illinois scores 3/10 (Low) on the eviction-risk index, placing it among the calmer rental markets in the state. With 85 of Illinois's 102 counties ranking as riskier, Mercer County sits comfortably in the lower-risk third statewide, ranking 86 of 102. For landlords weighing where to deploy capital, that standing signals a tenant pool and local conditions that are less prone to the volatility that drives eviction frequency in denser urban markets.

The county average rent of $782 per month comes alongside a 23% average rent burden, meaning renters here spend a manageable share of income on housing. That affordability cushion tends to support on-time payment and longer tenancies. Across the county's 16 cities, individual risk scores run from 2.7 to 3.2, a narrow band that confirms this is a consistently low-risk operating environment rather than one where a bad ZIP code can upend a portfolio.

The cities inside Mercer County

The highest-risk locations within Mercer County are Matherville, New Boston, Edgington, and Joy, each scoring 3.2/10. Among those, Matherville (population 657), New Boston (648), and Edgington (390) are the larger ones by resident count. Viola, with a population of 899 and a score of 3.1/10, is the largest community in this mid-tier cluster. Even at their peaks, these scores represent a genuinely low-risk profile by any statewide comparison.

On the lower end of the range, Windsor (population 877), Sherrard (691), and Keithsburg (490) each score 2.7/10, the most landlord-favorable readings in the county. Aledo, the county's most populous city at 3,668 residents, sits at 2.9/10, squarely in the middle of the local range. The lesson for investors is that risk in Mercer County is hyper-local: two cities separated by a few miles can carry a half-point spread, which matters when screening acquisition targets or setting reserve assumptions.

State-level laws that apply here

Illinois state law governs the eviction process for every landlord in Mercer County. Under the Illinois eviction process (735 ILCS 5/9, Forcible Entry and Detainer), notice periods are tied to the cause: a 5-day notice applies for nonpayment of rent, a 10-day notice for a material lease violation, and a 30-day notice for month-to-month holdovers. An uncontested case typically resolves in 30 to 60 days; a contested one can stretch to 60 to 150 days. Illinois does not require just cause for most evictions, and the state preempts local rent-control ordinances, so no Mercer County municipality can impose rent caps.

Understanding Illinois eviction costs is essential before acquiring rental property here. Court filing fees run $200 to $400, sheriff lockout fees add $60 to $200, and attorney fees range from $750 to $3,500 depending on case complexity. Landlords should budget for those ranges even in a low-risk county, since a single contested case can wipe out several months of net rent at a $782 average. Source-of-income is a protected class under the Illinois Department of Human Rights, and retaliation protections are codified at 765 ILCS 720/1.

With an average poverty rate of 10.2% and a renter share of 21.4% across a total population of roughly 9,475, the Mercer County rental pool is relatively small and stable; see the city grid above for individual scores across all 16 communities in the county.