Union County, Illinois Eviction Risk: Moderate

Union County scores 3.9/10 (Low risk) on average across its 6 cities, placing it at rank 36 of 102 Illinois eviction laws counties, meaning 35 counties carry higher eviction risk and 66 are more landlord-friendly. That positions Union County squarely in the middle third of the state, not a standout haven for investors, but a relatively contained operating environment where the structural pressures on tenants, an average rent burden of 29.6% and a poverty rate of 26.4%, are real but not extreme.

The intra-county score range runs from 3 to 4.2, which is a meaningful 1.2-point spread across a small, rural market with a total population of roughly 8,169. Average rents sit at $666, and 33.6% of households are renters. For landlords operating in Illinois, the takeaway is that Union County as a whole offers manageable conditions, but city-level selection still matters.

The cities inside Union County

Jonesboro carries the highest risk in the county at 4.2/10, and with a population of 1,870 it is the second-largest city in the county. Landlords there should underwrite for a tenant base that faces real financial stress. Dongola follows at 4/10 with a population of 553. Anna, the county seat and largest city at 4,196 residents, scores 3.9/10, in line with the county average, and Cobden also lands at 3.9/10 with 1,170 residents. Risk is genuinely hyper-local here: Alto Pass comes in at 3.1/10 and Mill Creek at the county floor of 3/10, both well below the county average.

Investors who want to minimize tenant-side pressure should look hard at Alto Pass and Mill Creek, while those already committed to Jonesboro or Dongola should price vacancy and collection risk into their underwriting accordingly.

State-level laws that apply here

All Union County landlords operate under the Illinois Forcible Entry and Detainer Act, 735 ILCS 5/9. Nonpayment of rent triggers a 5-day notice requirement; a material lease violation requires a 10-day notice; and a month-to-month holdover requires 30 days. Illinois does not require just cause to terminate a tenancy, and a state preemption law bars local governments from enacting rent control, so landlords here face no local rent cap. Understanding the full Illinois eviction process is essential before filing, because uncontested cases typically resolve in 30 to 60 days while contested matters can run 60 to 150 days.

The hard costs add up quickly. Court filing fees range from $200 to $400, sheriff lockout fees run $60 to $200, and attorney fees typically fall between $750 and $3,500. Illinois eviction costs therefore vary widely depending on whether the tenant contests the action, which is one more reason to screen carefully up front. Illinois security deposit limits and Illinois tenant protections, including source-of-income protections administered through the Illinois Department of Human Rights, also apply and should be reviewed before executing any lease.

With a poverty rate of 26.4% and a renter share of 33.6%, Union County carries moderate tenant-side stress; review the city grid above to identify which of the 6 cities fit your risk tolerance before committing capital.