Clarke County, Iowa Eviction Risk: Low

Clarke County, Iowa eviction laws carries an average eviction-risk score of 3.2/10 (Low) across its 4 incorporated cities, but that figure masks real variation. The intra-county range runs from 2.2 to 3.3, meaning the operating environment in the county seat looks noticeably different from conditions in its smaller communities. Despite the Low label, the county ranks 23rd of 99 Iowa counties by risk, placing it in the higher-risk third of the state: 22 counties are riskier, while 76 are less risky. Landlords should treat that Low label as a floor, not a guarantee of smooth operations.

With a total population of roughly 6,390 and an average rent of $930, the rental market here is small and rent-sensitive. Renter households represent about 35% of occupied units, and average rent burden sits at 30% of income. Average poverty runs at 14.9%, a figure that matters for screening and collections decisions. For investors evaluating Clarke County in the context of broader Iowa, those demographic realities deserve as much weight as the headline score.

The cities inside Clarke County

Osceola, the county seat, is the largest community in Clarke County at a population of 5,523 and the highest-risk city with a score of 3.3/10. It represents the vast majority of the county's rental stock, so the county-wide average tracks closely with conditions there. Landlords concentrating holdings in Osceola should expect that city's risk profile to dominate their experience here.

The three smaller communities present lower scores. Murray (population 614) scores 2.6/10, while Weldon (population 88) and Woodburn (population 165) come in at 2.4 and 2.2 respectively. Those numbers reflect genuinely distinct local conditions: smaller tenant pools, tighter social networks, and different vacancy dynamics. Risk in Clarke County is hyper-local, and the gap between Osceola and Woodburn is wider than the county average suggests.

State-level laws that apply here

Every Clarke County landlord operates under Iowa Code § 562A (Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Law). Notice periods are straightforward: 3 days for non-payment of rent, 7 days for a lease violation (cure period), and 30 days for end-of-term or no-cause terminations. Iowa does not require just cause to terminate a tenancy, and the state preempts local rent control ordinances, so there is no county or city-level rent cap to navigate. Landlords researching the full Iowa eviction process will find no local deviations from the statewide framework in Clarke County.

Actual eviction costs in Iowa add up quickly even in favorable cases. Court filing fees run $95 to $200, sheriff lockout fees add another $50 to $150, and attorney fees typically range from $500 to $2,500. An uncontested case resolves in 21 to 40 days; a contested matter can stretch to 45 to 100 days. Landlords weighing Iowa eviction costs should budget for the full range, not just the low end. Iowa security deposit limits and Iowa tenant protections, including the habitability requirements under Iowa Code § 562A.15 and the retaliation protections under Iowa Code § 562A.36, apply uniformly across the county.

With average poverty at 14.9% and renters making up 35% of households, tenant financial fragility is a real factor in Clarke County; the city-by-city scores in the grid above help landlords pinpoint where that risk is most and least concentrated.