Monroe County, Illinois Eviction Risk: Low

Monroe County carries an average eviction-risk score of 3.2/10 (Low), placing it at rank 72 of 102 Illinois eviction laws counties, where rank 1 represents the highest-risk, least landlord-friendly market. That means 71 Illinois counties are riskier than Monroe County, and only 30 sit at lower risk, putting this county firmly in the lower-risk third of the state. For landlords and investors, that translates to a market where tenant turnover stress and eviction friction are comparatively contained.

Across the county's 10 cities, scores range from a low of 2.7/10 to a high of 3.7/10, a full point of spread that matters when selecting specific submarkets. The average rent of $1,009 and a rent-burden rate of 28.6% suggest most renters here can cover housing costs without being stretched dangerously thin, a signal that income-driven evictions are less likely than in higher-burden markets. Only 20.1% of Monroe County households rent, which keeps the tenant pool relatively smaller and competition among landlords modest.

The cities inside Monroe County

The county seat of Waterloo anchors the high end of the risk spectrum at 3.7/10. With a population of 11,129, it is the largest city in Monroe County and the one where vacancy exposure and tenant-mix variability are most pronounced. Maeystown follows at 3.3/10 and East Carondelet at 3.1/10, both above the county average. Landlords drawn to portfolio scale through Waterloo should price the slightly elevated risk into their underwriting.

On the lower-risk end, Columbia scores 2.7/10, which is the county floor. With a population of 11,127, Columbia is nearly as large as Waterloo and offers a landlord operating environment that is the most favorable in the county. Hecker and Floraville both come in at 2.9/10. The one-point spread from Columbia to Waterloo illustrates that eviction risk in Monroe County is genuinely hyper-local; two cities of nearly identical size sit at opposite ends of the county range.

State-level laws that apply here

Illinois governs evictions under 735 ILCS 5/9 (Forcible Entry and Detainer). Notice periods are tied to the eviction reason: 5 days for nonpayment of rent, 10 days for a material lease violation, and 30 days for a holdover on a month-to-month tenancy. No notice beyond the lease end date is required to terminate a fixed-term lease. Once filed, an uncontested case typically resolves in 30 to 60 days; a contested matter can run 60 to 150 days. Landlords weighing the Illinois eviction process should factor that timeline into their cash-flow planning, especially for contested scenarios.

The direct cost to remove a non-paying tenant in Illinois spans a meaningful range. Court filing fees run $200 to $400, sheriff lockout fees add $60 to $200, and attorney fees commonly fall between $750 and $3,500, depending on complexity. Illinois imposes no statewide rent control, and state law preempts any local rent-control ordinance, so Monroe County landlords face no rent caps at either level. Just cause is not required to end a tenancy, which preserves standard lease-nonrenewal flexibility. For a full breakdown of what removal actually costs, see the Illinois eviction costs guide. Source-of-income is a protected class under Illinois state law, administered by the Illinois Department of Human Rights.

With a poverty rate of 5.3% and only 20.1% of households renting, Monroe County's tenant base is comparatively stable; review the city grid above to identify the specific markets within these bounds that match your risk tolerance.