Clinton County, Iowa Eviction Risk: Low

Clinton County carries an average eviction-risk score of 2.6/10 (Low) across its 15 cities, which puts it in a more landlord-cautious position than most of Iowa eviction laws: 9 Iowa counties score higher and only 89 score lower, placing Clinton County squarely in the higher-risk third of the state. For landlords, that overall figure masks a meaningful spread, with city-level scores ranging from 2 to 2.7, so where you own a property inside the county matters at least as much as the county average itself.

The economic backdrop reinforces that nuance. An average rent of $819 per month, a rent-burden rate of 29.6%, and a renter share of 27.2% of households all suggest a market where tenants are stretched but present. Iowa eviction laws's broader landlord environment is reasonably structured, and understanding which corner of Clinton County you are operating in is the starting point for setting realistic expectations.

The cities inside Clinton County

The city of Clinton eviction risk is by far the county's largest rental market, home to roughly 24,322 people, and it carries the highest risk score in the county at 4.3/10. That score reflects a concentration of the cost and frequency pressures that drive eviction risk, and any landlord with Clinton eviction risk properties should plan for a more demanding operating environment than the county average suggests.

Grand Mound, Miles, and McCausland each score 2.5/10, while Low Moor comes in at 2.7/10 and Welton at 2.2/10, making the northern and central parts of the county the consistently higher-risk corridor. By contrast, DeWitt (population 5,546, score 2.5/10), Wheatland (2.1/10), and Charlotte (2.5/10) sit at the low end of the county range and represent meaningfully calmer operating conditions. Camanche, at 2.1/10, lands close to the low end as well. Risk in Clinton County is genuinely hyper-local, and a landlord with units in DeWitt faces a very different environment than one operating in the city of Clinton.

State-level laws that apply here

Iowa state law under Iowa Code § 562A (Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Law) sets the procedural framework for every landlord in Clinton County. For nonpayment of rent, Iowa requires a 3-day notice to quit. A lease violation subject to cure triggers a 7-day notice, and a no-cause end-of-term termination requires 30 days. Once a case is filed, an uncontested eviction typically resolves in 21 to 40 days; contested cases can run 45 to 100 days. The Iowa eviction process is clearly defined, but the cost exposure is real: 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. Iowa eviction costs at the upper end of contested cases can therefore reach well into four figures before the unit is recovered.

Iowa does not require just cause for non-renewal, and state law preempts any local rent-control ordinance, so no city in Clinton County can impose its own rent cap. Landlords must provide 24 hours notice before entry under Iowa Code § 562A. Source-of-income discrimination is not a protected class under Iowa state law, though the Iowa Civil Rights Commission enforces other fair-housing protections. For a full breakdown of deposit rules, see Iowa security deposit limits, and review Iowa tenant protections for the habitability and retaliation statutes that apply statewide.

With a poverty rate of 14.7% and 27.2% of households renting, Clinton County's risk profile is driven primarily by economic pressure concentrated in its largest city; the city grid above breaks down scores for all 15 cities so you can pinpoint conditions at the address level.