Carroll County, Iowa Eviction Risk: Low

Carroll County, Iowa eviction laws carries an average eviction-risk score of 2.6/10 (Low) across its 14 cities, placing it at rank 71 of 99 Iowa counties, where rank 1 is the highest-risk county. That position means 70 Iowa counties score worse for landlords and only 28 score better, putting Carroll County firmly in the lower-risk third of the state. For an investor surveying rural Iowa markets, that context matters: the county's fundamentals reflect a stable, low-churn rental base rather than a distressed one.

Scores within the county run from 2 to 2.8, a range of nearly a full point against a 10-point scale. Average rent sits at $727 per month, and average rent burden is 23.5% of income, well below the 30% threshold that signals chronic payment stress. A renter share of 25% of households is typical for a small agricultural county and suggests consistent, if modest, rental demand without the volatility that accompanies large renter-majority markets.

The cities inside Carroll County

Lidderdale (population 1,467) posts the highest risk in the county at 2.8/10, still a Low score by any statewide measure, but elevated relative to its neighbors. Carroll, the county seat and by far its largest city at 10,208 residents, scores 2.5/10. Those two communities account for the bulk of the county's rental inventory, so landlords concentrated there face marginally more exposure than the county average would imply. Arcadia (2.1/10) and Lidderdale (2.8/10) sit right at the county average.

On the lower end, Manning (population 1,533) scores 2.3/10, and Breda and Westside each come in at 2/10. These smaller communities represent the most landlord-favorable micro-markets in Carroll County. Risk is genuinely hyper-local here: the gap between Coon Rapids and Manning is a full half-point, enough to affect underwriting assumptions on vacancy reserves and collection risk.

State-level laws that apply here

Every landlord in Carroll County operates under Iowa Code § 562A (Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Law). Iowa gives landlords a 3-day notice for non-payment of rent, a 7-day cure notice for lease violations, and a 30-day no-cause notice at end of term. Uncontested cases typically resolve in 21 to 40 days; contested matters can run 45 to 100 days. Understanding the Iowa eviction process end-to-end before buying is the clearest way to model downside cost. Court filing fees range from $95 to $200, sheriff lockout fees from $50 to $150, and attorney fees from $500 to $2,500, meaning a single eviction can cost anywhere from a few hundred dollars to well over two thousand before counting lost rent. Iowa eviction costs, taken in full, make tenant screening at the front end far more valuable than it might appear in a low-risk county like this one.

Iowa imposes no rent control and does not require just cause to terminate a tenancy at end of term; in fact, the state preempts any local government from imposing rent caps. Landlord entry requires 24 hours notice under Iowa Code § 562A. These are meaningful protections that distinguish Iowa from higher-regulation states and contribute to the county's favorable risk profile.

Carroll County's 9.6% poverty rate and 25% renter share set a relatively stable baseline for collections risk; review the city grid above to identify which of the 14 communities best fits your target return and risk tolerance.