Greene County, Iowa Eviction Risk: Low

Greene County, Iowa scores 2.7/10 on the eviction-risk scale, placing it in the Low risk tier across all 9 cities tracked here. At rank 42 of 99 Iowa counties, it sits squarely in the middle third of the state: 41 counties carry higher risk and 57 are less risky, meaning Greene County is neither the safest nor the most hazardous environment for a buy-and-hold landlord in Iowa. The average rent of $765 and an average rent-burden rate of 25% suggest tenants here are not stretched particularly thin, which tends to correlate with lower eviction frequency.

For investors evaluating the county as an operating area, the headline figure is fairly stable across sub-markets. Scores range only from 2.4 to 2.8, a tight band that reflects consistent underlying conditions rather than pockets of dramatically elevated stress. A renter share of 26.2% of households means the rental pool is real but modest, typical of a rural Iowa county with a total population of roughly 6,796.

The cities inside Greene County

The highest-risk locations in the county are Jefferson (2.8/10) and Grand Junction (2.8/10). Jefferson is by far the largest market, with a population of 4,152, meaning most Greene County rental activity concentrates in a city that also carries the county's top risk score. Grand Junction has a population of 603 and shares that same 2.8/10 mark. Scranton (2.7/10, population 542) rounds out the next tier alongside Farnhamville and Rippey, each scoring 2.7/10.

The lowest-risk city in the county is Churdan at 2.4/10, followed by Paton and Dana, both at 2.5/10. The gap between the county floor and ceiling is only four tenths of a point, so landlords should not expect dramatically different operating conditions depending on which town they choose. That said, risk is always hyper-local: tenant demographics, housing stock age, and local court efficiency vary even within a single county, and a single-property portfolio feels every one of those differences.

State-level laws that apply here

All Greene County rentals are governed by the Iowa Code § 562A (Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Law). For non-payment of rent, Iowa requires a 3-day notice before filing; lease violations carry a 7-day cure notice; and no-cause terminations at end of term require 30 days. An uncontested case can resolve in 21 to 40 days from filing, while a contested matter may run 45 to 100 days. Understanding the Iowa eviction process end-to-end matters here because even a low-risk county can generate real cost when a tenant contests. Court filing fees run $95 to $200, sheriff lockout fees add $50 to $150, and attorney fees range from $500 to $2,500, so a contested case can push total out-of-pocket costs toward the top of that combined range.

Iowa does not require just cause to end a tenancy, and state law preempts local rent control, so no city in Greene County can impose a rent cap. Landlords must provide 24 hours notice before entry. Reviewing Iowa eviction costs and Iowa tenant protections in full before drafting leases will help landlords set correct notice timelines and fee expectations from the outset.

With a countywide poverty rate of 10.7% and renters making up 26.2% of households, Greene County presents a stable if modest rental environment; the city-by-city risk grid above shows exactly where within the county that stability holds and where the minor pressure points sit.