Plymouth County, Iowa Eviction Risk: Very Low

Plymouth County, Iowa eviction laws carries an average eviction-risk score of 2.2/10 (Low), placing it at rank 86 of 99 Iowa counties, where rank 1 is the highest-risk county in the state. That position means 85 Iowa counties score riskier than Plymouth County, and only 13 are calmer. For landlords and investors, the practical read is straightforward: this is a stable, rural northwestern Iowa market with a small renter base, modest rent burden, and a courthouse environment that tends to move cases along without the delays common in urban Iowa markets.

Across the county's 12 cities, scores run from a low of 1.6/10 to a high of 2.3/10, a narrow band that signals consistent operating conditions rather than sharp pockets of distress. The average rent sits at $900 per month, and renters carry an average rent burden of just 18.6% of income, well below thresholds that typically drive late payments and defaults. With a renter share of 32% of households and a poverty rate of 7.8%, the fundamentals support steady tenant quality for landlords who screen carefully.

The cities inside Plymouth County

The highest-risk city in the county is Kingsley at 2.3/10, with a population of 1,472. It edges above the county average but remains firmly in the Low tier. Le Mars, the county seat and by far the largest city at 10,640 residents, scores exactly at the county average of 2.2/10, making it the anchor market for the county's rental stock. Westfield also scores 2.2/10, though its population of 123 means its rental inventory is minimal.

At the lower-risk end, Brunsville scores 1.9/10 and Remsen comes in at 2.0/10 (population 1,823). Akron, Hinton, and Merrill each register 2.1/10. The spread here is modest, but the direction matters to investors: risk is hyper-local even within a uniformly low-risk county, and unit-level due diligence in Kingsley warrants slightly more attention than the same exercise in Remsen or Brunsville.

State-level laws that apply here

Iowa Code § 562A (Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Law) governs all residential tenancies in Plymouth County. For nonpayment of rent, landlords must serve a 3-day notice before filing; lease violations carry a 7-day cure notice; and no-cause terminations at the end of a term require 30 days. Iowa requires landlords to give tenants 24 hours notice before entry. Court filing fees run $95 to $200, sheriff lockout fees add $50 to $150, and attorney fees commonly range from $500 to $2,500. Uncontested cases typically resolve in 21 to 40 days; contested cases can stretch to 45 to 100 days. Reviewing the Iowa eviction process in full before filing helps landlords avoid procedural missteps that extend timelines.

Iowa does not require just cause for eviction, and the state preempts local rent control ordinances, meaning no city in Plymouth County can impose rent caps or stronger just-cause rules than state law provides. Iowa security deposit limits and Iowa tenant protections are both set at the state level under § 562A, with retaliation protections codified separately at Iowa Code § 562A.36. These landlord-favorable statewide rules are a meaningful part of why Plymouth County scores as Low risk.

With a countywide poverty rate of 7.8% and a renter share of 32%, Plymouth County's rental population is relatively small and financially stable by Iowa eviction laws standards; the city grid above breaks down individual scores so investors can compare micro-markets before committing to a specific city.