Ida County, Iowa Eviction Risk: Very Low

Ida County, Iowa scores 1.9/10 (Low risk) across its 7 cities, placing it at rank 95 of 99 Iowa counties, meaning only 4 counties in the state carry less eviction risk. With an average rent of $711 and a rent burden of 21.7%, renters here are not financially squeezed relative to most Iowa markets, which translates directly into fewer stress-driven delinquencies and a calmer collections environment for landlords.

The intra-county score range of 1.8 to 2.1 is tight, signaling a consistently low-pressure rental market from one end of the county to the other. With a total county population of roughly 5,595 and a renter share of 27.5%, this is a small but stable rental pool, the kind of market where vacancies stay manageable and tenant churn tends to be low.

The cities inside Ida County

The highest-risk city in the county is Holstein (2.1/10), home to approximately 1,600 residents. That score is still firmly in the Low tier, but it is the outlier relative to the rest of the county. Ida Grove, the county seat and largest city at 1,967 residents, scores 1.9/10, as do Battle Creek (803 residents), Arthur, and Cushing.

At the lowest end, Galva and Danbury both score 1.8/10, making them the most landlord-favorable addresses in the county by this measure. The narrow spread across all seven cities confirms that risk here is more a function of Iowa state law than of local market stress, but landlords comparing individual cities should still note that Holstein carries a measurably different profile than Galva or Danbury.

State-level laws that apply here

Iowa state law under Iowa Code § 562A governs every tenancy in Ida County. For non-payment of rent, landlords must issue a 3-day notice before filing. Lease-violation cures require a 7-day notice, and no-cause terminations at the end of a lease term require 30 days. Iowa does not require just cause for non-renewal, and the state preempts local rent control, so no city or county in Iowa, including Ida County, can impose a rent cap. A thorough walkthrough of these procedural steps is available in the Iowa eviction process guide.

On costs, landlords should budget for a court filing fee of $95 to $200, a sheriff lockout fee of $50 to $150, and attorney fees typically ranging from $500 to $2,500 for a contested matter. Uncontested cases resolve in roughly 21 to 40 days; contested cases can stretch to 45 to 100 days. A detailed breakdown is covered in Iowa eviction costs. Iowa does not protect source of income as a fair housing class; the Iowa Civil Rights Commission handles state-level fair housing complaints.

With a poverty rate of 12.3% and a renter share of 27.5%, Ida County's rental population is relatively small and modestly burdened. The city grid above breaks down risk scores, populations, and operating conditions for each of the 7 cities individually, which is the most useful level of resolution for site selection.