Randolph County, Illinois Eviction Risk: Low

Randolph County, Illinois eviction laws carries an average eviction-risk score of 3.7/10 (Low), placing it squarely in the middle third of the state: 49 Illinois counties score higher and 52 score lower. For landlords, that positioning signals a market that is neither a clear safe harbor nor a genuine pressure cooker. Renters make up 30.2% of occupied housing, average rents run $779 per month, and rent burden sits at 26.9%, all of which point to a tenant base that is modestly cost-pressured but not severely so. Across the county's 13 cities, scores span from 3 to 4.2, so where you own matters as much as the county average.

Total county population is about 20,922, making this a smaller rural market with thinner tenant pools than downstate metros. That dynamic can suppress vacancy risk in some towns while concentrating it in others. Investors sizing up a rental here should treat the county-level 3.7/10 figure as a starting point, then drill into city-by-city scores before committing capital.

The cities inside Randolph County

The two highest-risk cities are Sparta (4.2/10, population 4,068) and Chester (4.1/10, population 6,797), which together account for a large share of the county's rental inventory. Both sit noticeably above the county average and above the Low tier threshold, suggesting more eviction pressure, tighter rent collection conditions, and greater tenant-side financial stress than the headline county number implies. Landlords already operating in Sparta or Chester should maintain tighter screening standards and build a larger reserve for potential collection gaps.

At the opposite end, Red Bud scores 3/10 with a population of 3,782, making it the most landlord-favorable community in the county. Evansville (3.1/10) and Ruma (3.2/10) also come in well below the county average. Mid-tier cities including Coulterville (3.6/10), Tilden (3.5/10), Steeleville (3.4/10), and Percy (3.4/10) cluster close to one another but still hold a meaningful gap below the Sparta and Chester readings. Risk is hyper-local here: a single county line covers a full 1.2-point spread, which is large enough to shift portfolio strategy.

State-level laws that apply here

Every landlord in Randolph County operates under the Illinois eviction process governed by 735 ILCS 5/9 (Forcible Entry and Detainer). For nonpayment of rent, the required notice period is 5 days (735 ILCS 5/9-209); a material lease violation triggers a 10-day notice (735 ILCS 5/9-210); and ending a month-to-month tenancy requires 30 days (735 ILCS 5/9-207). Fixed-term leases that simply expire require no additional notice under 735 ILCS 5/9-205. An uncontested case typically resolves in 30 to 60 days; a contested case can stretch to 60 to 150 days. Court filing fees range from $200 to $400, sheriff lockout fees from $60 to $200, and attorney fees typically run $750 to $3,500, meaning total out-of-pocket costs can reach into the low thousands even on a routine case. Understanding Illinois eviction costs before the first filing prevents sticker shock and helps landlords price that risk into rents and reserves.

Illinois state law does not require just cause for nonrenewal, and the state preempts local rent control, so no municipality in Illinois, including those in Randolph County, can impose rent caps. Source-of-income is a protected class under the Illinois Department of Human Rights, which affects tenant-screening practices statewide. Landlords should review Illinois tenant protections in full, particularly the anti-retaliation statute at 765 ILCS 720/1 and the habitability code at 765 ILCS 742, both of which impose real liability if ignored.

With a poverty rate of 15.3% across the county, tenant financial fragility is a real underwriting variable, and the city-by-city grid above is the most direct tool for isolating where that risk is concentrated versus where operating conditions are relatively stable.