Worth County, Iowa Eviction Risk: Low

Worth County scores 2.3/10 (Low risk) across its 9 cities, placing it at rank 76 of 99 Iowa counties, meaning 75 counties carry higher eviction risk and only 23 are calmer. For landlords eyeing this rural corner of northern Iowa, the headline reading is favorable: a small total population of 4,725, average rent of $731, and a rent burden of just 22% combine to produce a tenant base that is, on aggregate, not financially stretched. That backdrop supports stable tenancy and keeps default pressure low.

The intra-county score range runs from 1.8 to 2.7, a spread of nearly a full point, so conditions are not uniform from one town to the next. Investors should evaluate individual cities rather than treating the county average as a blanket clearance. The 24% average renter share is modest, which limits the rental pool but also reduces the concentration of highly cost-burdened households that often correlate with elevated eviction rates.

The cities inside Worth County

The highest-risk city in the county is Hanlontown, scoring 2.7/10 with a population of 249. That score is still comfortably in the Low tier, but it is the local ceiling. Manly, the county's second-largest city at 1,320 residents, comes in at 2.5/10, making it the largest community with any elevated reading. Northwood, the county seat and largest city at 2,040 residents, scores 2.3/10, matching the county average precisely.

At the lower end, Fertile scores 2/10 and both Kensett and Carpenter each score 2.2/10. Grafton and Joice sit at 2.3/10. The spread confirms that risk is genuinely hyper-local here: a landlord operating in Fertile faces materially different conditions than one holding units in Hanlontown, even though both are within Worth County. Portfolio-level planning should account for that variation rather than relying solely on the county average.

State-level laws that apply here

Worth County landlords operate under Iowa Code § 562A (Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Law). The notice clock moves quickly for non-payment: Iowa requires only a 3-day notice before filing. Lease-violation cures carry a 7-day notice, and no-cause terminations at end of term require 30 days. Iowa does not require just cause for eviction and, importantly, state law preempts local rent control, so no city within Worth County can impose its own rent cap. Understanding the full Iowa eviction process from notice to lockout matters here: uncontested cases typically resolve in 21 to 40 days once filed; contested cases can run 45 to 100 days.

Cost exposure under Iowa eviction costs ranges from a low-end scenario of roughly $95 court filing plus $50 sheriff lockout plus $500 attorney fee to a high-end scenario of $200 filing plus $150 sheriff plus $2,500 in attorney fees. Landlords who need to re-enter a unit for repairs or inspections must give 24 hours notice under Iowa law. The Iowa Civil Rights Commission enforces fair-housing rules statewide; source-of-income is not a protected class under Iowa state law, though landlords should confirm any applicable local ordinances.

Worth County's 6.9% average poverty rate is among the lower readings in the state, reinforcing the Low-risk county score; city-level breakdowns in the grid above show where within the county that baseline shifts and which individual markets deserve closer due diligence.