Estimated values: The U.S. Census suppresses field-level data for small places. Estimated from county average, pop-weighted from real underlying ACS data.
Tenant beats landlord
17.3%
/ 100 outcomes
In court-decided eviction outcomes for Graf, IA, tenants prevail in roughly 17.3% of contested cases. A higher number means landlords face stronger tenant defenses, longer calendars, and more required documentation, and landlord-friendliness drops as this rises.
Timeline
44d
filing → judgment
From the moment an unlawful-detainer notice is filed in Graf, IA until a money judgment is entered, a contested eviction takes about 44 days on average. Longer timelines mean more lost rent and higher carry costs for landlords.
Cost range
$1.4–3.9k
legal + lost rent
A typical eviction in Graf, IA costs landlords $1,439 to $3,945 all-in, covering court filing fees, process-server costs, attorney time, and lost rent during the calendar between filing and possession.
Average rent
$1,000
28% stretched on rent
Average gross rent in Graf, IA is $1,000 per month per the U.S. Census American Community Survey (5-year 2023). 28% of renter households here spend more than 30% of pre-tax income on rent, the federal cost-burden threshold.
Renters
11.1%
of households
11.1% of occupied housing units in Graf, IA are renter-occupied (vs owner-occupied). A higher renter share usually correlates with more eviction filings, more turnover, and a more active rental market.
Poverty
10.4%
4.0% unemp.
10.4% of Graf, IA residents live below the federal poverty line, and unemployment runs at 4.0%. Both feed into the economic-stress sub-score in our Eviction Risk Score model because rent payment problems track poverty + joblessness more reliably than any other single signal.
Time machine
Scrub 50 years
197619861996200620162026
2026
● LIVE · today◀ REPLAY · historical
Nine-axis profile
9-axis profile · today
Shape of the risk surface
1 landlord · 10 tenant
Sub-scores · with sparkline
Where the score comes from
1 → 10 scale
Local political climate
GOP margin +8.6% (2024)
5.4
Regional political climate
County-weighted neighbor mix
5.4
State political climate
Iowa legislature & governorship
2.3
Economic stress
10.4% poverty · 4.0% unemp.
3.4
Supply constraint
$1,000 average · 11.1% renters
4.2
Rent Control risk
28.4% of income on rent
1.5
Eviction process difficulty
44 days filing → judgment
2.2
Tenant organizing strength
11.1% renters
4.2
Housing court bias
County bench composition
1.6
Geographic context
Risk heat across Graf and the region
Click any city to see its score
How Graf compares
Risk score vs. peers, county, state, and the U.S.
Rank in Dubuque County
Elevated
#6of 20 cities
#6 of 20 cities in Dubuque County for landlord eviction risk.
Rank in Iowa
Elevated
#438of 1,026 cities
#438 of 1,026 cities in Iowa for landlord eviction risk.
vs. county · state · U.S.
Score story
Six-stop tour of the risk profile
2.5
/ 10 · LOW
The verdict
A Low-tier market.
Composite 2.5/10. Mid-range market; standard documentation usually wins. The 50-year curve shows a slow, steady climb.
50-yr trend+0.4 over 50 yr
197620012026
Steady ratchet · no large swings
44d
Typical timeline
The money
What renting (and evicting) looks like.
Rent published at $1,000/mo. A contested eviction takes 44 days and costs $1,439–$3,945 per case.
50-yr trendCalendar drag rising since '15
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
11.1%
Renters
The renters
Who you'll be renting to.
Out of 47 residents, 11.1% rent. 28% are spending 30%+ income on rent, 10.4% below the poverty line.
50-yr trendRenter share rising
197620012026
ACS 1970-present · once the migration overlay is in.
5.4
Local + regional
The politics
Mid-range climate. Not a coastal market.
Local & regional political climate score 5.4 and 5.4 (GOP margin +8.6% (2024)). State climate at 2.3, a mid-range statehouse.
50-yr trendTracks county vote margin
197620012026
Built on 50-yr presidential margins back to 1976.
2.3
State politics
The process
Moderate calendar, moderate friction.
State political climate 2.3/10 sets the legislative ceiling for landlord remedies, and it shows up in the process. Eviction process difficulty reads 2.2, housing court bias 1.6, rent-control risk 1.5. Standard process speed for the state.
50-yr trendProcess difficulty +-2.8 since '00
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
3.4
Economic stress
The stress
Economic pressure is the background risk.
Economic stress: 3.4. Supply constraint: 4.2. The numbers behind those: 10.4% poverty, 4.0% unemployment, 28% of income on rent.
50-yr trendTwo visible dips · '08 + COVID
197620012026
Mirrors BLS unemployment series.
US eviction landscape · timeline × all-in cost
Graf sits in the quick & cheap quadrant
Bubble size = population · color = risk score
Graf · 44d · ~$2.7k all-in ($61/day) · score 2.5National average: 58d · $4.6k all-inHover any bubble for stats · click to openColor: 0–4 4–7 7–10
Landlording in Graf, Iowa, presents a manageable operating environment for documented landlords. The Eviction Risk Score is 2.5/10 (LOW tier), drawn from the nine sub-axes shown above, covering rent-control exposure, eviction-process difficulty, housing-court bias, tenant-organizing strength, supply constraint, economic stress, and local, regional, and state political climate. This is not a quick-fix market: it's a Mid-tier market where lease drafting, screening discipline, and well-documented notices materially change outcomes.
Graf is a city of 47 residents where 11.1% of occupied units are renter-occupied, and the typical renter spends 28.4% of income on rent. At an average rent of $1,000/month, the typical renter household here spends more than the federal 30% threshold on housing, a leading indicator of payment volatility and a precondition for the kinds of tenant defenses that show up most often in housing court.
01Process
How Graf eviction process actually works
Eviction process difficulty here reads 2.2/10, a number that combines statutory complexity (notice categories, just-cause rules, mandatory pre-filing disclosures) with operational realities (court calendar length and clerk responsiveness). The typical contested filing in Graf closes 44 days after the initial notice. For non-payment of rent the first step is a properly-formatted, properly-served pay-or-quit notice; for material lease breaches it's a cure-or-quit; for tenancies under just-cause protection an at-fault grounds notice (or a no-fault notice with statutory relocation assistance) is required.
The slow part of Graf's timeline is usually the calendar, not the motion practice. Housing court bias scores 1.6/10 here, meaning judges read borderline procedural defects in the tenant's favor more often than the national norm. The practical implication: every notice and every proof of service needs to be airtight before it gets filed.
02Cost
What it costs (and how long it takes)
An all-in eviction in Graf runs $1,439 to $3,945 per case once you account for filing fees, attorney time, lost rent during pendency, sheriff lockout, and unit turnover. That range is wide because the upper bound assumes a tenant answer plus motion practice, common when housing court bias is high. The lower bound assumes a default judgment after proper service.
For landlords running the numbers on holding costs vs. cash-for-keys: if your projected timeline times your monthly rent already exceeds the high-end cost number, cash-for-keys at 1–2 months' rent is typically the economically rational choice. With 44 days of typical timeline and $1,000/month in lost rent, that crossover happens fast here.
03Operations
Security deposits, screening, and lease terms
Tenant organizing strength scores 4.2/10 in Graf, and the city has limited rent control exposure (1.5/10). Operations practice that survives audit in this environment looks like:
Screening discipline. Document income (verified at 2.5 to 3x rent), credit (with a clear minimum), and prior-tenancy reference checks, but do not screen on protected categories or source-of-income where banned. Keep a written, consistent screening criteria document for every applicant.
Lease specificity. Use a state-specific lease that names every term clearly: rent due date, late fees within statutory caps, deposit handling, smoke and CO disclosure, lead paint disclosure (pre-1978 stock), and a clean attorney's-fees clause.
Security deposit handling. Itemize deductions within the statutory window. Photograph move-in/move-out condition. In Iowa, deposit cap and refund window are statute, so exceed them at your own risk.
Mid-tenancy documentation. Keep date-stamped records of every rent receipt, every habitability request, every notice served. The day you need them in court is too late to start.
04Strategy
What an everyday landlord should actually do here
If you own one to four units in Graf: hire a property manager who knows the local court. The pricing differential between self-managing and hiring out is small relative to the cost of one botched eviction in a LOW tier market. If you own five or more: build relationships with a local landlord-side attorney before you need one, since retainer fees are negligible compared to emergency-rate billing when an eviction is already moving.
The avoidable mistakes here are all upstream of the filing: weak screening, an informal lease, sloppy rent receipts, and notice templates pulled off the internet that don't match Iowa's statutory language. Fix those four, and most cases settle or default. Skip them, and a $3,945 all-in fight is the realistic worst case.
04bPractical traps
Local traps to avoid in Graf
Trap · IOWA
Dubuque County court applies Iowa statute uniformly. Filing fee, notice period, and trial-to-writ timeline are set at the state level. At 3.7/10 local risk, default judgment frequency is typical.
05FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Q1
Is "cash for keys" legal in Graf, IA?
Yes, "cash for keys" is perfectly legal in Iowa. It's a negotiation where you offer a tenant money to vacate the property quickly and peacefully. It can save you time, legal fees, and the stress of a formal eviction process. Always get the agreement in writing, stating the terms, the amount, and that the tenant agrees to surrender possession by a specific date.
Q2
Do I need an attorney for an eviction in Graf?
You are not legally required to have an attorney for an eviction in Iowa. Many landlords handle the process themselves. However, a small mistake in serving notices or filing paperwork can lead to significant delays and costs. Given the typical cost range ($1,439, $3,945) and timeline (44 days), consulting or hiring an attorney for even part of the process, especially for the court filing, can be a wise investment to ensure it's done right the first time. The low eviction-process-difficulty score (2.2) means it's generally manageable for a self-represented landlord, but an attorney reduces risk.
Q3
What if my tenant pays after the 3-day notice but before court?
If your tenant pays all the overdue rent and any applicable late fees within the 3-day notice period, you must accept the payment and cannot proceed with the eviction for non-payment. If they pay after the 3-day notice period has expired but before you've filed in court, it's generally best to accept it, but you're not legally obligated to. If you've already filed in court, accepting partial payment can complicate your case, potentially requiring you to start over. Consult an attorney if you're unsure.
Q4
Are there rent control laws in Graf or Iowa?
No, there are no statewide rent control laws in Iowa, and Graf does not have any local rent control ordinances. The rent-control-risk score for Graf is very low at 1.5. This means you are generally free to set rent prices and increase them with proper notice as outlined in your lease agreement and state law. For more details, see our Iowa rent control rules guide.
Q5
What are common landlord mistakes to avoid in Graf?
The most common mistakes include failing to serve proper notice, serving it incorrectly, accepting partial rent payments after an eviction has started (which can invalidate your case), and attempting "self-help" evictions (like changing locks or shutting off utilities). Always follow the legal process. Document every interaction and every step you take. Don't cut corners; it will cost you more in the long run.
A 2.5/10 places Graf in the 62nd percentile of Iowa cities on the Eviction Risk Score index. The score is the average of the nine sub-axes, all calibrated on a national 1 to 10 scale where 1 is most landlord-friendly and 10 is most tenant-protective. The 50-year reconstruction shows this score has climbed steadily since 1976, a structural drift driven by court-calendar growth, rent-control adoption, and the rise of tenant-side legal aid. The trajectory matters more than the snapshot: the score is the climate, not the weather.
Cities with similar eviction risk to Graf (2.5/10)
Same risk band nationally · click any city for its full breakdown.
