Clay County, Minnesota Eviction Risk: Moderate

Clay County carries an average eviction-risk score of 5/10 (Moderate), placing it 6th out of 87 Minnesota counties, meaning only 5 counties in the state are riskier for landlords. Across 12 cities and a total population of roughly 57,642, that score reflects a market where a significant renter base, an average rent of $1,006, and a rent-burden rate of 31.8% combine to keep collection risk firmly above the state midpoint. Investors used to quieter rural Minnesota markets will find Clay County operates at a meaningfully different pace.

The county's intra-county range runs from 4.5 to 5.1/10, a spread that tells a practical story: the same county line can enclose cities with quite different operating environments. A 1.5-point gap across a single county averages landlord due diligence needs to go below the county level before committing capital.

The cities inside Clay County

Moorhead anchors the county's risk profile at 5.1/10, the highest score in Clay County, and with a population of 45,036 it accounts for the overwhelming share of the county's rental universe. That concentration matters: most Clay County landlords are effectively Moorhead eviction risk landlords, operating in a city where renter demand is real but so is the eviction exposure that drives the elevated county average. Ulen follows at 4.8/10, and Dilworth, the county's second-largest city at 4,713 residents, sits at 5.5/10.

The lower end of the county is more forgiving. Hawley scores 4.7/10 and Barnesville comes in at 4.5/10, each reflecting smaller, more stable rental pools. For investors specifically seeking lower eviction exposure within Clay County, those smaller cities offer a meaningfully different risk picture than Moorhead. Risk here is genuinely hyper-local, and a county-wide average of 5.8 conceals real variation worth acting on.

State-level laws that apply here

Every landlord in Clay County operates under Minnesota state law, primarily Minn. Stat. § 504B. For nonpayment of rent, state law requires a 14-day notice before filing. Material lease violations and month-to-month terminations each require a 30-day notice. Minnesota does not require just cause for most evictions, and no statewide rent cap formula is currently in effect. Understanding the full Minnesota eviction process is essential before acquiring rental property here, because timeline estimates vary meaningfully depending on whether a case is contested or uncontested.

On the cost side, court filing fees run $310 to $410, sheriff lockout fees add another $55 to $150, and attorney fees range from $750 to $3,000, depending on case complexity. An uncontested case resolves in roughly 30 to 60 days; a contested one can stretch to 60 to 150 days. Minnesota eviction costs can therefore reach several thousand dollars per incident when legal representation is involved, which is one reason experienced investors model at least one eviction cycle per unit per holding period when underwriting here. Minnesota security deposit limits and Minnesota tenant protections carry their own rules under the same chapter and are worth reviewing before drafting any lease.

With a poverty rate of 16% and 37.7% of households renting, Clay County's risk floor is unlikely to drop dramatically in the near term; review the city grid above to identify where within the county that exposure is concentrated.