Scott County, Illinois Eviction Risk: Low

Scott County, Illinois eviction laws carries an average eviction-risk score of 2.8/10 (Low), placing it among the more landlord-favorable markets in the state. With 89 of Illinois's 102 counties scoring higher, Scott County sits in the lower-risk third statewide, ranked 90 of 102. For investors sizing up a small, rural footprint, that translates to a tenant population with an average rent burden of just 18.8% and an average rent of $776, both signs of a relatively stable rental base across the county's 16 cities and a total population of roughly 3,989.

That said, "low risk" is not uniform. Scores across the county range from 2.4 to 3.4, a full point of spread that matters when you are choosing between specific submarkets. Investors who treat the county average as a single operating reality risk misjudging the higher-stress pockets tucked into the smaller villages.

The cities inside Scott County

The highest-risk location in the county is Merritt, at 3.4/10, followed by Oxville and Florence, each at 3.2/10. Alsey and Milton both score 3.1/10, with populations of 258 and 217 respectively. These five communities skew measurably above the county average and warrant tighter tenant screening and lease documentation from anyone acquiring rentals there.

On the other end of the spectrum, Bluffs scores the county's lowest at 2.4/10, with a population of 531. Winchester, the county seat and largest city at 1,498 residents, lands right at the county average of 2.8/10. Chapin (2.9/10, pop. 668) sits just a shade above average. Risk is genuinely hyper-local here: a landlord operating in Bluffs faces a materially different profile than one in Merritt, even though both addresses share the same county line.

State-level laws that apply here

Every Scott County landlord operates under Illinois eviction laws state law, specifically 735 ILCS 5/9 (Forcible Entry and Detainer). For nonpayment of rent, the required notice period is 5 days. A material lease violation triggers a 10-day notice, and ending a month-to-month tenancy requires 30 days. An uncontested case typically resolves in 30 to 60 days; a contested filing can stretch to 60 to 150 days. Understanding the full Illinois eviction laws eviction process before your first filing is essential, because the timeline and procedural steps are fixed by statute regardless of how small the county is.

On the cost side, court filing fees run $200 to $400, sheriff lockout fees add $60 to $200, and attorney fees typically range from $750 to $3,500. Illinois eviction laws has no statewide rent control and does not require just cause for non-renewal, giving landlords meaningful flexibility at lease end. Illinois eviction costs can climb quickly in contested situations, so building those expense ranges into your underwriting from the start protects your returns. Illinois eviction laws also preempts local rent control ordinances, and source-of-income status is a protected class under state law, so landlords should verify their screening criteria comply with Illinois eviction laws Department of Human Rights guidelines.

With a poverty rate of 14.3% and a renter share of 24.8% across the county, Scott County's rental market is small but measurably varied, and the city-by-city grid above is the most reliable way to compare specific locations before committing capital.