Lac qui Parle County, Minnesota Eviction Risk: Moderate

Lac qui Parle County sits in the southwestern corner of Minnesota along the South Dakota border, covering a sparsely settled agricultural landscape with a total population of 3,462. The county receives an eviction risk score of 4.7/10 -- a Moderate rating -- and ranks 65th out of 87 Minnesota counties, placing it firmly in the lower-risk third of the state. That means 64 counties carry higher eviction pressure, while only 22 are calmer for landlords. The score reflects a combination of tenant-protective state law under Minn. Stat. § 504B (Landlord and Tenant), relatively low average rents, and a small but financially stretched renter base.

The two largest communities -- Madison (population 1,550) and Dawson (population 1,513) -- together account for the bulk of the county's rental activity and both carry the county's peak score of 4.7/10. Smaller communities including Marietta, Bellingham, Nassau, Louisburg, and Correll round out the seven tracked cities, with scores ranging from a low of 4.4/10 in Louisburg to 4.7/10 across the county seat and its neighbors. The tight score band (4.4 to 4.7) signals fairly uniform conditions across the county rather than isolated pockets of elevated risk. Average rent across the county runs $709 per month, which is among the lower end of Minnesota county averages, yet the average rent burden still reaches 27.4% of income -- a figure that underscores how modest incomes in this rural area offset the lower nominal rents. Average poverty sits at 11.1%, and renters make up only 24.6% of households, reflecting the heavily owner-occupied character of this farming region.

Minnesota's statewide eviction framework governs landlords here in full. A nonpayment-of-rent case requires a 14-day notice under Minn. Stat. § 504B.291 before filing. Material lease violations and month-to-month terminations both require 30-day notice under Minn. Stat. § 504B.135. Court filing fees run $310 to $410, and sheriff lockout fees add $55 to $150 on top of that. Attorney costs for a contested matter typically fall between $750 and $3,000. Uncontested cases resolve in 30 to 60 days; contested matters can stretch 60 to 150 days. Minnesota also protects source of income as a fair housing category -- administered through the Minnesota Department of Human Rights -- so landlords cannot decline Section 8 or similar vouchers on that basis alone. The state does not require just cause for non-renewal and has no active preemption of local rent control, though Lac qui Parle County has no local rent ordinances in effect. Landlords must provide 24 hours notice before entry under Minn. Stat. § 504B.161, which also establishes the implied warranty of habitability. The anti-retaliation provision at Minn. Stat. § 504B.441 bars eviction in response to a tenant's good-faith complaint about habitability or housing code conditions.

With fewer than 3,500 residents and a renter share of just 24.6%, Lac qui Parle County's rental market is thin -- vacancies in Madison and Dawson can shift local dynamics quickly, and the 27.4% average rent burden suggests that even at $709/month many renters are financially close to the edge.