Koochiching County, Minnesota Eviction Risk: Moderate

Koochiching County sits in the higher-risk third of Minnesota's 87 counties, carrying a Moderate eviction risk score of 5/10 and ranking 15th statewide - meaning only 14 counties present greater risk to landlords. The county's total population of approximately 7,140 is spread across 6 cities, with renters making up 27.4% of households and an average poverty rate of 11.9%. Those figures, combined with average rents of $632/month and a rent burden sitting at 24.5%, create conditions where payment disruptions - and the evictions that follow - run above the statewide norm for smaller rural counties.

International Falls anchors the county both economically and demographically, holding nearly 5,642 of the county's 7,140 residents and scoring 5.1/10 on its own risk index. Big Falls, though small at 136 residents, posts the highest city-level risk in the county at 5.2/10. On the lower end, Mizpah (population 58) comes in at 4.3/10, and Littlefork (636 residents) sits at 4.4/10. The city-level range of 4.3 to 5.2 is relatively tight, suggesting that risk is distributed fairly evenly across the county rather than concentrated in a single municipality - a pattern landlords with multi-city portfolios should factor into their underwriting.

Minnesota eviction laws's eviction framework, codified under Minn. Stat. § 504B (Landlord and Tenant), sets firm procedural guardrails that directly affect how quickly and expensively a landlord can recover possession. A nonpayment-of-rent action requires a 14-day notice under Minn. Stat. § 504B.291, while material lease violations and month-to-month terminations each require 30 days under Minn. Stat. § 504B.135. Once filed, court fees run $310 to $410, sheriff lockout fees add another $55 to $150, and attorney costs realistically range from $750 to $3,000 depending on whether the case is contested. An uncontested case closes in roughly 30 to 60 days; a contested one can run 60 to 150 days. Minnesota eviction laws also protects source-of-income as a fair housing category - administered through the Minnesota Department of Human Rights - which introduces additional compliance exposure if screening practices are not carefully documented. The state has no rent control preemption statute, meaning no local rent ordinance is currently active in Koochiching County, and no just-cause eviction requirement applies. Landlords operating here should treat the statutory notice timelines as hard minimums and budget for the full cost range on any contested case.

Data covers 6 cities within Koochiching County; scores reflect the current Eviction Risk Map model weighting rent burden, poverty, renter share, and local legal cost factors under Minnesota eviction laws statutes.