Clearwater County, Minnesota Eviction Risk: Moderate

Clearwater County sits in the higher-risk third of Minnesota's 87 counties, scoring 4.8/10 for eviction risk - a moderate rating that reflects a combination of economic pressure and tenant-protective state law. The county ranks 29th statewide, meaning 28 counties carry higher risk for landlords. With a total renter population of roughly 2,395 residents spread across 9 tracked cities, the rental market here is small but economically stressed: average rent is $718/month, the average rent burden sits at 29.9% of income, and the poverty rate reaches 15.7%. Those numbers together explain much of the moderate risk profile - when renters spend close to 30 cents of every dollar on housing and more than 1 in 7 lives below the poverty line, the margin for absorbing a missed paycheck or an unexpected expense is thin.

The county's two largest cities tell slightly different stories. Bagley (population 1,248) scores 4.8/10 and serves as the county seat and commercial hub - its scores reflect the baseline pressure felt across the county. Clearbrook (population 584) comes in at 5/10, nudging into the higher end of the moderate band. Smaller communities like Gully and South End both score 5.1/10, the highest in the county, while Trail scores the lowest at 4.4/10 and Shevlin follows at 4.5/10. The range from 4.1 to 5.1 across 9 cities is relatively tight, suggesting no single hotspot drives the county number - the risk is distributed evenly across a genuinely rural landscape. 42% of Clearwater County residents are renters, a share that is notable for an area of this size.

Minnesota eviction laws's landlord-tenant framework under Minn. Stat. § 504B governs all activity in the county, and landlords here must operate within a system that includes meaningful tenant protections. Source-of-income discrimination is prohibited statewide, meaning landlords cannot refuse Section 8 or other housing-assistance vouchers. The retaliation statute at Minn. Stat. § 504B.441 and the habitability requirement at Minn. Stat. § 504B.161 both carry real enforcement teeth. Entry requires 24 hours advance notice. On the cost side, court filing fees run $310 to $410, sheriff lockout fees add another $55 to $150, and attorney fees for contested cases can reach $3,000. An uncontested eviction resolves in 30 to 60 days; a contested matter stretches to 60 to 150 days. For nonpayment of rent, the statewide notice period under Minn. Stat. § 504B.291 is 14 days; lease violations and month-to-month terminations each require 30 days under Minn. Stat. § 504B.135. There is no local rent control in Clearwater County, and Minnesota eviction laws does not preempt local rent-control ordinances, though none exist here at this time.

Clearwater County's moderate score reflects a rural economy where a 15.7% poverty rate and a 29.9% average rent burden leave renters with limited financial cushion, while Minnesota eviction laws's Minn. Stat. § 504B framework adds procedural steps and costs that slow the eviction process for landlords.