Pine County, Minnesota Eviction Risk: Moderate

Pine County sits in east-central Minnesota, covering 12 communities and a renter population of 11,162. The county carries a moderate eviction risk score of 4.1/10, placing it 31st of 87 Minnesota counties - meaning 30 counties in the state present higher risk to landlords, and 56 present lower risk. For owners operating here, that middle-of-the-pack standing matters: the legal environment is neither as favorable as the more rural counties to the southwest, nor as tenant-protective as the Twin Cities metro fringe.

The cost side of a Pine County eviction runs predictably to Minnesota norms. Court filing fees fall between $310 and $410, sheriff lockout fees between $55 and $150, and attorney costs between $750 and $3,000 depending on case complexity. An uncontested case resolves in roughly 30 to 60 days; contested matters stretch 60 to 150 days. Nonpayment of rent requires a 14-day notice under Minn. Stat. § 504B.291; material lease violations and month-to-month terminations each require a 30-day notice under Minn. Stat. § 504B.135. Minnesota does not require just cause for non-renewal here, and Pine County has no local rent control preemption issue to navigate. The landlord entry notice requirement is 24 hours. Habitability obligations run under Minn. Stat. § 504B.161, and the anti-retaliation provision is codified at Minn. Stat. § 504B.441 - both carry real enforcement risk if a tenant files a complaint before an eviction proceeding. Source-of-income discrimination is a protected class statewide, meaning a landlord cannot refuse a Section 8 voucher holder without other lawful grounds.

Average rent across Pine County tracks at $855 per month, with a rent burden rate of 31.9% - meaning roughly one in three renter households spends more than 30% of income on housing. The average renter share of households is 34.2% and the average poverty rate is 15.3%, both figures that signal a tenant base with limited financial cushion when income disruptions occur. Scores across the county's 12 cities range from a low of 4.1/10 in Rutledge to a high of 3.2/10 in Askov. The county seat of Pine City (population 3,468) scores 4/10, while Sandstone (2,482 residents) and Hinckley (1,596 residents) each score 4.6/10. Landlords in Askov, Finlayson (4.3/10), and Denham (3.3/10) face the heaviest local risk profile and should budget more conservatively for contested proceedings and potential attorney engagement.

Scores reflect a composite of local rent burden, poverty, renter share, eviction law protections, and filing cost data compiled by the Eviction Risk Map research team under Minn. Stat. § 504B; higher scores indicate a more difficult operating environment for landlords.