Cherokee County, Iowa Eviction Risk: Low

Cherokee County, Iowa eviction laws carries an average eviction-risk score of 2.8/10 (Low) across its 8 incorporated cities, placing it 37th of 99 Iowa eviction laws counties, meaning 36 counties are riskier and 62 are more landlord-friendly. For investors, that middle-of-the-pack position reflects a rural market with a relatively stable rental base: the average rent sits at $711, rent burden averages 30.8%, and only about 25.3% of households are renters, all of which limits the concentrated tenant-distress dynamics that drive eviction volume in denser urban counties. Taken together, these figures point to an affordable, low-turnover rental environment that rewards patient landlords with consistent, if modest, returns.

That said, the intra-county spread from 2.3 to 3.1 is meaningful at this scale. A landlord operating in the county seat of Cherokee faces a materially different risk profile than one holding property in Larrabee or Cleghorn. Understanding where each city falls on that range, rather than relying on the county average, is the practical starting point for any acquisition or portfolio-management decision here in Iowa.

The cities inside Cherokee County

The highest-risk city in the county is Marcus, scoring 3.1/10 with a population of 1,180. Aurelia follows at 3/10 (population 991), and Washta comes in at 2.9/10. None of these reach a moderate-risk designation, but relative to the rest of the county they carry the most concentrated risk indicators, including higher poverty pressure, and landlords should price their screening and reserve standards accordingly.

On the more landlord-favorable end, Larrabee scores 2.3/10 and Cleghorn scores 2.5/10. The county seat, Cherokee, sits at the county average of 2.8/10 with by far the largest population at 5,154, making it the most liquid rental market in the area. Quimby and Meriden both score 2.7/10. The point for investors is that risk here is hyper-local: the eight cities span a full 0.8 points, so a city-level score check should always precede any acquisition, not just a glance at the county headline.

State-level laws that apply here

All Cherokee County landlords operate under Iowa Code § 562A (the Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Law). For non-payment of rent, Iowa requires only a 3-day notice before filing, one of the shorter cure windows in the Midwest. Lease violations require a 7-day notice, and no-cause terminations at end of term require 30 days. An uncontested eviction typically resolves in 21 to 40 days; a contested case can stretch to 45 to 100 days. Court filing fees run $95 to $200, sheriff lockout fees add $50 to $150, and attorney fees for a litigated case range from $500 to $2,500. Iowa imposes no rent control and does not require just cause for non-renewal, and state law preempts any local jurisdiction from enacting rent caps. For a full breakdown of what an eviction actually costs, see the Iowa eviction costs guide. Landlords new to the state should also review the Iowa eviction process to understand notice sequencing, filing steps, and writ timelines before their first action.

With an average poverty rate of 19.1% across the county, landlords should maintain disciplined income and credit screening even in the lower-risk cities; the city-level scores in the grid above show exactly where that pressure concentrates.