Marshall County, Iowa Eviction Risk: Low

Marshall County carries a county-wide average eviction-risk score of 2.6/10 (Low), placing it 5th of 99 Iowa counties by risk, meaning only 4 counties statewide are considered riskier for landlords. Across the county's 15 cities, individual scores run from 3 at the low end to 4.2 at the high end, a range that matters because the county figure alone can mask meaningfully different operating conditions on the ground. With 28.4% of residents renting and an average rent of $865, the rental market is real but not deep, and a rent burden averaging 23.5% of income leaves modest cushion for tenants facing financial stress.

For investors sizing up Marshall County relative to the rest of Iowa, the placement in the higher-risk third of the state warrants attention, even if the Moderate label sounds benign. The gap between this county and the state average is driven almost entirely by conditions inside Marshalltown, the county seat. Landlords who understand where risk concentrates and where it does not will underwrite more accurately than those relying on the county average alone.

The cities inside Marshall County

Marshalltown is the dominant story here. Home to 27,626 people and scoring 4.2/10, it is both the most populous city in the county and its highest-risk market. That combination matters: Marshalltown accounts for the vast majority of the county's total rental units, so the aggregate county score is essentially anchored to it. Gilman scores 2.9/10, and Liscomb and Ferguson each come in at 3/10, making the corridor of elevated risk clear. Le Grand follows at 2.4/10.

At the other end of the range, State Center and Albion both score 2.5/10, and Melbourne sits at 2.5/10. These smaller communities, each under 1,500 residents, reflect the lower-risk rural profile that is common outside the county seat. The spread from 2.2 to 3.1 within a single county underscores how hyper-local eviction risk is: a landlord operating in Melbourne faces materially different conditions than one operating in Marshalltown, even though both properties fall under the same county courthouse jurisdiction.

State-level laws that apply here

Every landlord in Marshall County operates under Iowa Code SS 562A (Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Law). For nonpayment of rent, Iowa law requires only 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. Iowa does not require just cause for eviction, and the state preempts any local rent-control ordinance, so no city inside Marshall County can impose rent caps. Understanding the Iowa eviction process from notice through lockout is essential reading before placing a tenant, because timeline variance is significant: uncontested cases resolve in 21 to 40 days, while contested matters can run 45 to 100 days.

On the cost side, Iowa eviction costs stack up quickly even in straightforward cases. Court filing fees run $95 to $200, sheriff lockout fees add $50 to $150, and attorney fees range from $500 to $2,500, putting total out-of-pocket exposure anywhere from roughly $645 on the low end to $2,850 at the high end before lost rent is counted. Iowa security deposit limits and Iowa tenant protections round out the statutory picture landlords should know before signing leases here.

With a poverty rate of 13.1% and just under 28.4% of households renting, Marshall County's risk profile is concentrated rather than uniform, review the city-level scores in the grid above to identify where operating conditions align with your investment thesis.