Audubon County, Iowa Eviction Risk: Low

Audubon County, Iowa eviction laws carries a county-wide average eviction-risk score of 2.9/10, placing it in the Low risk tier. Among Iowa's 99 counties, it ranks 36th, meaning 35 counties are riskier and 63 are less risky, putting Audubon County squarely in the middle third of the state. For landlords and investors, that composite number signals a market where the structural conditions, vacancy pressure, poverty rate, and renter turnover are relatively contained compared to Iowa's more challenging metros, but not so favorable as to be a free pass on due diligence.

Across the county's 6 incorporated places, scores run from 2.4/10 to 3.1/10. That 0.7-point spread is narrow in absolute terms, yet it still represents meaningful differences in tenant financial stress and eviction frequency at the local level. Average rent across the county sits at $695 per month, and the average rent burden, the share of renter income going to housing costs, is 32.9%. A renter population that is spending roughly a third of its income on rent is not in crisis territory, but it is close enough to the edge that income disruptions translate into missed payments more quickly than investors sometimes expect.

The cities inside Audubon County

The county's highest-risk city is Audubon at 3.1/10, which is also the county seat and by far the largest community, with a population of 2,130. Most of the county's renter units are concentrated here, so landlords operating in Audubon are working with the heaviest share of the county's risk exposure. The city of Audubon is the single place within the county where tight tenant-side financial conditions are most likely to surface in a lease.

Below Audubon, four cities, Elk Horn (population 728), Exira (population 705), Kimballton, and Brayton, each score 2.6/10. The smallest tracked community, Gray (population 70), posts the county's lowest score at 2.4/10. The hyper-local gap between Gray's 2.4 and Audubon's 3.1 underscores a consistent pattern: even in a low-risk county, the principal urban center draws more risk than the surrounding rural communities. Investors assembling a small-town Iowa portfolio should weight city-level scores, not just county averages, when screening acquisition targets.

State-level laws that apply here

All rental activity in Audubon County is governed by Iowa Code Section 562A, the Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Law. For non-payment of rent, landlords must serve a 3-day notice before filing; lease violations that can be cured require a 7-day notice; and no-cause terminations at end of term require 30 days. Iowa does not require just cause to end a tenancy, and state law preempts any local rent-control ordinance, meaning no municipality in Iowa can cap rents independently. Understanding the full Iowa eviction process, including notice timelines and court procedures, is essential before placing a tenant. Court filing fees run $95 to $200, sheriff lockout fees add another $50 to $150, and attorney fees for a contested case commonly range from $500 to $2,500. An uncontested eviction typically resolves in 21 to 40 days; a contested case can stretch to 45 to 100 days. Iowa eviction costs therefore vary widely depending on tenant cooperation, and budgeting conservatively for the full contested range is prudent. Iowa security deposit limits and Iowa tenant protections under Section 562A.15 (habitability) and Section 562A.36 (retaliation) define additional obligations landlords must satisfy regardless of county.

With an average poverty rate of 17.7% and roughly 27% of residents renting, Audubon County's renter pool is relatively small but carries notable financial fragility; review the city-by-city scores in the grid above to identify which specific communities best align with your risk tolerance before committing capital.