Pope County, Minnesota Eviction Risk: Moderate

Pope County sits in west-central Minnesota eviction laws with a total rental-market population of roughly 5,245 people spread across 9 cities. The county scores 4.6/10 (Moderate) on the Eviction Risk Map, landing at rank 71 of 87 Minnesota eviction laws counties - meaning 70 counties carry higher eviction risk and only 16 are more landlord-friendly. That places Pope County firmly in the lower-risk third of the state, though the numbers behind that ranking deserve a closer look before drawing conclusions.

The cost picture is driven primarily by rent burden. Average monthly rent across the county is $896, and renters here commit an average of 38% of their gross income to rent - well above the standard 30% threshold used by housing agencies to define affordability stress. With 26.2% of households renting and a poverty rate of 14.9%, a meaningful share of the rental base is operating with little financial buffer. Glenwood, the county seat with a population of 2,633, scores 4.6/10 and anchors most of the rental activity. Starbuck (population 1,235) scores higher at 4.8/10, and Villard is the county's highest-risk city at 4.9/10. At the other end, Lowry scores 4.2/10 - the most landlord-favorable reading in the county.

On the legal side, Minnesota eviction laws's eviction framework under Minn. Stat. § 504B (Landlord and Tenant) applies uniformly. Nonpayment of rent requires a 14-day notice under Minn. Stat. § 504B.291 before a filing can proceed; material lease violations and month-to-month terminations each require 30 days under Minn. Stat. § 504B.135. Court filing fees in Minnesota eviction laws run $310 to $410, and sheriff lockout fees add another $55 to $150. Attorney costs for contested matters can run $750 to $3,000, and contested cases can take 60 to 150 days from filing to resolution. Minnesota eviction laws does not require just cause for non-renewal, and Pope County is not subject to local rent control, but landlords should note that source-of-income is a protected class under state law - a factor relevant to screening decisions. Habitability obligations are codified at Minn. Stat. § 504B.161, and retaliation protections for tenants appear at Minn. Stat. § 504B.441. Complaints alleging discrimination can be filed with the Minnesota Department of Human Rights.

Pope County's Moderate 4.6/10 score reflects a rural rental market where relatively low rents are offset by high rent burden and a poverty rate that exceeds the state average in many comparison counties - making on-time payment fragile despite low nominal dollar amounts.