Lyon County, Iowa Eviction Risk: Low

Lyon County registers a county-wide average eviction-risk score of 1.7/10, earning a Low rating across all 7 incorporated cities tracked here. That ranking places Lyon County at 99 of 99 Iowa counties, meaning 98 counties across Iowa are riskier for landlords, and none are less risky. For investors sizing up northwest Iowa, that context matters: this is as landlord-favorable a market as the state offers, with a compressed score range of 1.4 to 1.8 suggesting consistent conditions from one town to the next.

The rental market here is modest in scale. Average rent runs $833 per month, rent burden sits at 25.1% of renter income on average, and renters make up just 22.1% of households county-wide. That thin renter share limits the size of any portfolio an investor can assemble locally, but it also reflects a stable, owner-occupied community where chronic eviction pressure is rare.

The cities inside Lyon County

Even inside a low-risk county, scores vary and landlords should underwrite at the city level. Rock Rapids, the county seat and largest city with a population of 2,661, carries the highest individual score at 1.8/10, making it the most active eviction-risk watch point in the county. Inwood (1.7/10, population 793) sits just above the county average, while Larchwood (1.6/10, population 1,136) and George (1.6/10, population 1,064) track slightly below it.

At the quieter end of the spectrum, Lester and Alvord both score 1.4/10, the lowest readings in the county. These are very small communities, and low scores reflect both limited renter activity and minimal eviction case volume. The takeaway for any investor: even within a single county, a half-point spread in risk scores is meaningful, and city-level data in the table above provides the sharpest picture available.

State-level laws that apply here

Iowa statute governs every landlord-tenant relationship in Lyon County under Iowa Code § 562A (Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Law). Notice requirements are straightforward: 3 days for nonpayment of rent, 7 days for a lease violation with opportunity to cure, and 30 days for an end-of-term no-cause termination. Iowa does not require just cause for non-renewal, and state law preempts any local rent-control ordinance, so there is no patchwork of municipal caps to navigate here. Landlords should review the Iowa eviction process carefully before filing, as uncontested cases run 21 to 40 days and contested cases stretch to 45 to 100 days.

Cost exposure under Iowa state law runs from a court filing fee of $95 to $200, a sheriff lockout fee of $50 to $150, and attorney fees ranging $500 to $2,500 depending on complexity and whether the matter is contested. Understanding Iowa eviction costs upfront helps landlords factor realistic worst-case scenarios into their underwriting, even in a low-risk county like this one. Iowa requires landlords to provide 24 hours notice before entering a unit, per Iowa Code § 562A.15.

With a poverty rate of 6.6% and renters comprising 22.1% of households, Lyon County's tenant base is relatively stable, and city-by-city scores in the grid above confirm that low-risk conditions hold across all seven communities in the county.