Warren County, Iowa Eviction Risk: Low

Warren County carries an average eviction-risk score of 2.5/10 (Low) across its 13 incorporated cities, yet that single number masks meaningful variation within the county. Scores range from 2 to 2.9, a full point of spread that makes city selection matter as much as the county average. Ranked 21st of 99 Iowa counties by risk, Warren County sits in the higher-risk third of the state: 20 counties are riskier, while 78 are less risky or more landlord-friendly. For investors used to the Des Moines eviction risk metro's rental dynamics, that positioning deserves attention before committing capital.

Day-to-day operating fundamentals are stable. Average rent runs $933 per month, renters devote an average of 27.5% of income to housing, and only 22.8% of residents are renters, keeping turnover pressure relatively contained. The low renter concentration also means landlords face a smaller pool of distressed households, which supports the Low risk label at the county level even as individual cities skew higher.

The cities inside Warren County

Sandyville carries the highest risk in the county at 2.9/10. With a population of 4,255, it is a growing suburb where demand and turnover dynamics push the score to the county ceiling. Hartford and Martensdale both score 2.7/10, and Norwalk, the county's second-largest city at 14,183 residents, sits at 2.5/10, matching the county average. Indianola, the county seat and largest city at 16,044 residents, comes in at 3.2/10, slightly more favorable than the Carlisle end of the spectrum.

The lowest-risk cities offer a noticeably different operating environment. Milo scores 2.1/10, the county's best mark, followed by New Virginia and Ackworth, both at 2/10. Risk in Warren County is genuinely hyper-local: a landlord with units in Milo faces a materially different risk profile than one invested in Carlisle, even though both properties sit within the same county.

State-level laws that apply here

Iowa eviction laws state law governs all residential landlord-tenant relationships in Warren County under Iowa eviction laws Code § 562A (Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Law). Notice requirements are short and straightforward: non-payment of rent triggers a 3-day notice, a lease violation requiring cure gets a 7-day notice, and no-cause end-of-term terminations require 30 days. Iowa eviction laws does not require just cause to end a tenancy, and the state preempts any local rent control ordinance, so Warren County landlords operate under a single, uniform statewide framework. Understanding the full Iowa eviction laws eviction process, from notice through writ of removal, is essential before filing any action.

Cost exposure when a tenancy does go sideways is meaningful but bounded. Court filing fees run $95 to $200, sheriff lockout fees add $50 to $150, and attorney fees range from $500 to $2,500 depending on complexity. An uncontested case resolves in roughly 21 to 40 days; a contested matter can stretch to 45 to 100 days. Iowa eviction costs scale sharply if a tenant contests, so underwriting deals with a contested-case cushion is prudent. Separately, Iowa security deposit limits and tenant protections worth reviewing before leasing are codified in the same § 562A framework.

With a county poverty rate of just 5.4% and renter share at 22.8%, Warren County's fundamentals lean toward lower default risk, but the city-level grid above shows that where inside the county you invest determines whether you land closer to Milo's 2.1/10 or Carlisle's 2.6/10.