Floyd County, Iowa Eviction Risk: Low

Floyd County, Iowa eviction laws earns an average eviction-risk score of 2.5/10 (Low), placing it squarely in the middle third of all 99 Iowa counties, with 58 counties carrying more risk and 40 presenting a friendlier operating environment. Across 9 cities and a total population of roughly 11,810, landlords will generally find a manageable tenant base, average rent hovering around $776 per month, and a rent-burden rate of 27.5% that suggests most renters are not acutely stretched. That said, the county is not monolithic, and investors should read the city-level variation carefully before committing capital.

The county's intra-market spread runs from 2.3 to 3.4, a full 1.1-point gap that is meaningful at these low-to-moderate score levels. A 28.1% renter share indicates a predominantly owner-occupied market, which tends to keep vacancy competition limited but can also mean thinner rental demand in the smallest towns. At a 11.6% poverty rate, the county sits at a level where operators should underwrite carefully, particularly in communities with concentrations of lower-income households, while still finding conditions generally less stressful than in Iowa's urban cores.

The cities inside Floyd County

Greene is the county's highest-risk market at 3.4/10, with a population of approximately 1,339. Marble Rock follows at 3.2/10 (population 191) and Rudd at 3.1/10 (population 481). These three small communities carry noticeably more exposure than the rest of the county, a pattern that often reflects tighter household finances and limited employment diversity in smaller rural towns. Investors drawn to low acquisition costs in these markets should price in the higher relative risk.

On the other end of the spectrum, Charles City, the county seat and by far the largest community at 7,232 residents, posts the lowest score in the county at 2.3/10. Nora Springs (population 1,363, score 2.7/10) and Rockford (population 839, score 2.6/10) also track below the county average. For buy-and-hold investors, Charles City's combination of scale and low risk makes it the most dependable submarket in Floyd County. Risk is decidedly hyper-local here, and the gap between Greene and Charles City underscores why a county-level score alone is an insufficient guide for site selection.

State-level laws that apply here

All Floyd County landlords operate under Iowa Code § 562A (Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Law). For non-payment of rent, the required notice is 3 days. A lease-violation notice with a cure opportunity requires 7 days, and a no-cause end-of-term termination requires 30 days. Understanding the Iowa eviction process is essential before filing: an uncontested case typically resolves in 21 to 40 days, while a contested matter can stretch to 45 to 100 days. Landlords must give tenants 24 hours notice before entering a unit, per Iowa Code § 562A.15.

On cost, Iowa eviction costs range from a court filing fee of $95 to $200, a sheriff lockout fee of $50 to $150, and attorney fees typically running $500 to $2,500, depending on complexity and whether the matter is contested. Iowa does not impose just-cause eviction requirements and has no rent-control statute. In fact, the state preempts any local jurisdiction from enacting rent control, so Floyd County cities cannot add rent-cap restrictions on top of state law. Iowa security deposit limits and other tenant protections are set at the state level, giving landlords predictable, uniform rules across all nine cities in this county.

With a 11.6% poverty rate and 28.1% of households renting, Floyd County presents a modest risk profile, but the city grid above shows that the safest and riskiest submarkets differ by more than a full score point, making individual city scores the more actionable guide for landlords and investors evaluating specific acquisitions.