Keokuk County, Iowa Eviction Risk: Low

Keokuk County, Iowa eviction laws carries an average eviction-risk score of 2.9/10 (Low) across its 14 cities, a figure that reflects genuinely constrained rental demand, a modest renter share, and relatively stable tenant turnover in a rural agricultural economy. That said, a county-wide average can obscure meaningful variation: scores across Keokuk County span from 2.4 to 3.4, a full point of spread that matters when you are picking specific submarkets. Iowa ranks Keokuk County 33rd of 99 counties by risk, meaning 32 counties are riskier and 66 are more landlord-friendly, placing this county in the higher-risk third of the state even though its absolute score is low.

For landlords weighing small-market Iowa acquisitions, that combination tells a coherent story: low absolute risk, but not the most favorable operating environment in the state. Average rent sits at $853, rent burden averages 25.3% of income, and only about 21.6% of residents rent, limiting the tenant pool. Underwriting should account for longer vacancy periods when units turn over rather than any particular concern about eviction frequency.

The cities inside Keokuk County

Risk within Keokuk County is decidedly hyper-local. At the top of the range, Keswick scores 3.4/10 and is the county's single highest-risk city; just below it, Delta scores 3.3/10 (population 363), and Harper and Webster each also score 3.3/10. South English (3.2/10) and Martinsburg (3.2/10) round out the upper tier. These smaller communities share thin rental markets where a single vacancy or difficult tenant carries outsized financial weight relative to gross rent income.

On the lower end, What Cheer scores 2.4/10 (population 580), the county's most landlord-friendly reading. Hedrick and Keota each come in at 2.7/10, and Sigourney, the county seat and largest city at population 1,954, sits at 3.1/10, slightly above the county average. The takeaway is that a single ZIP code or even a neighboring street can shift your risk exposure by close to a full point on a 10-point scale, so city-level due diligence is essential before committing to any Keokuk County acquisition.

State-level laws that apply here

All Keokuk County rentals fall under Iowa Code SS 562A (Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Law). Iowa gives landlords a 3-day notice period for non-payment of rent, 7 days for a lease violation with opportunity to cure, and 30 days for an end-of-term or no-cause termination. No just-cause requirement applies, and Iowa state law preempts any local rent-control ordinance, so no municipality inside the county can impose a rent cap. Understanding the full Iowa eviction process, from notice through lockout, is worth reviewing before placing a tenant, particularly in the county's smaller cities where contested cases can run 45 to 100 days. Iowa eviction costs range from $95 to $200 in court filing fees, $50 to $150 for a sheriff lockout, and $500 to $2,500 in attorney fees if counsel is retained, so a contested removal can approach the low thousands even in a straightforward case. Iowa security deposit limits and tenant entry-notice rules (landlords must give 24 hours notice before entry) are governed by the same chapter and are worth confirming for any new lease.

With a poverty rate averaging 14.8% and renters making up roughly 21.6% of households, Keokuk County's rental market is small but relatively stable; review the city-by-city grid above to identify which of the county's 14 cities best match your risk tolerance before underwriting any deal.