Eviction Risk Score
Low
#59
of 87 MN counties
3.9 / 10
#59 of 87 counties in Minnesota for landlord eviction risk.
County brief·Updated October 12, 2026
Pope County, Minnesota Eviction Risk: Low
9 incorporated cities and unincorporated areas. The county Eviction Risk Score is held aloft by the city of Glenwood (4.1) and a small number of dense urban cores. Rent-control coverage varies by city.
In 2026
Risk score
3.9
LOW
Ranked #59 of 87 MN counties
5k residents · 9 cities · 4 tracts
1976–2026 · pop-weighted from cities
Pope County eviction risk score history
Min3.0
Average3.6
Now3.9
Key metrics
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Tenant beats landlord36.2%/ 100 outcomesIn court-decided eviction outcomes for Pope County, MN, tenants prevail in roughly 36.2% of contested cases. A higher number means landlords face stronger tenant defenses and longer calendars.
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Timeline92dfiling → judgmentFrom the moment an unlawful-detainer notice is filed in Pope County, MN until a money judgment is entered, a contested eviction takes about 92 days on average. Longer timelines mean more lost rent for landlords.
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Cost range$4.1–9.9klegal + lost rentA typical eviction in Pope County, MN costs landlords $4,123 to $9,932 all-in, covering court filing fees, process-server costs, attorney time, and lost rent.
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Average rent$89638% stretched on rentAverage gross rent in Pope County, MN is $896 per month per the U.S. Census American Community Survey. 38% of renter households here spend more than 30% of pre-tax income on rent.
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Renters26.2%of households26.2% of occupied housing units in Pope County, MN are renter-occupied. A higher renter share usually correlates with more eviction filings and a more active rental market.
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Poverty14.9%2.3% unemp.14.9% of Pope County, MN residents live below the federal poverty line, and unemployment runs at 2.3%. Both feed the economic-stress sub-score in our Eviction Risk Score model.
Time machine
Scrub 50 years
Pope County's 3.9/10 Moderate score reflects a 38% average rent burden and a 14.9% poverty rate against average monthly rent of $896. Ranked 71st of 87 Minnesota counties - lower-risk third of the state, with 70 counties carrying higher eviction risk.
How Pope County ranks in Minnesota
Cost of living
Elevated
#22
of 51 states (statewide)
98.6 index
Minnesota ranks #22 of 51 states on overall cost of living (1.4% cheaper than the U.S. avg).
Housing services cost
Elevated
#23
of 51 states (statewide)
91.3 index
Minnesota ranks #23 of 51 states on housing services (8.7% cheaper than the U.S. avg).
Income spent on rent
Very High
#7
of 87 MN counties
33.1% of income
#7 of 87 counties in Minnesota on % of income spent on rent.
Landlord guides for Minnesota
Minnesota Eviction Costs →
Filing fees, attorney fees, lost rent, sheriff lockout
Minnesota Eviction Process →
Step-by-step timeline, notices, statute cites
Minnesota Rent Control →
Statewide caps, local ordinances, just-cause
Minnesota Tenant Screening →
Five-point protocol, legal rules, protected classes
Minnesota Tenant Protections →
Just cause, retaliation, habitability, entry
Cities in Pope County
Sorted by Eviction Risk Score · highest first
| City↕ | Population↕ | Risk↕ | % income on rent↕ | Average rent↕ | Lean↕ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 001 | Glenwood | 2,633 | 4.1 | 42.2% | $865 | Rep |
| 002 | Starbuck | 1,235 | 4.0 | 42.5% | $1,000 | Rep |
| 003 | Cyrus | 355 | 3.6 | 18.8% | $679 | Rep |
| 004 | Lowry | 348 | 3.5 | 18.4% | $856 | Rep |
| 005 | Long Beach | 318 | 3.2 | 37.9% | $884 | Rep |
| 006 | Villard | 236 | 4.0 | 24.6% | $1,097 | Rep |
| 007 | Farwell | 43 | 3.1 | 37.9% | $884 | Rep |
| 008 | Sedan | 40 | 3.2 | 37.9% | $884 | Rep |
| 009 | Westport | 37 | 3.2 | 37.9% | $884 | Rep |
County heatmap
Local landlord context
One county, multiple regulatory regimes.
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 3.9/10 (Low) 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 4.1/10 and anchors most of the rental activity. Starbuck (population 1,235) scores higher at 4/10, and Villard is the county's highest-risk city at 4/10. At the other end, Lowry scores 3.5/10 - 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 3.9/10 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.
Eviction filings in Minnesota
The Princeton Eviction Lab Tracking System covers Minnesota statewide (no county-level tracker available for Pope County). In the past month, 2,011 statewide filings were recorded, 1.03× the historical baseline (near baseline).
- 2,011Past month (state)
- 26,070Past 12 months
- 1.07×vs baseline (12 mo)
Minnesota statewide, last 36 months
2023-05-01 – 2026-04-01
Notice requirement: no advance notice (in the case of nonpayment of rent). Filing fee: minimum filing fee of $310.
1 Eviction filings in Pope County
In September 2025, 1 eviction filings were recorded in Pope County, 100.0% of the historical average (near average).2
- 1Sep 2025
- 100.0%of historical avg
- 865Renter households
- 9.8%Poverty rate
Last 24 months of filings
2021-08 – 2025-09
Historical eviction filings in Pope County
From 2009 to 2018, eviction filings in Pope County increased. The peak was 14 filings in 2011.3
- 82009
- 14Peak (2011)
- 82018
Annual filings 2009–2018
No filing data published after 2018
Data covers 2000–2018, the full span of the Princeton Eviction Lab's national county court-records dataset.
How Pope County compares
Pope County's 3.9/10 score is comparable to peer counties like Murray County (3.9/10) and Roseau County (3.9/10), and sits close to Stevens County (3.9/10) and Kanabec County (3.9/10) - a cluster of rural Minnesota eviction laws counties sharing similar rent-burden and poverty profiles, all landing in the low tier.
Peer counties in Minnesota
Peer county
Rock County eviction risk
3.9
/ 10 · Low
Pop. 6.8K
Peer county
Koochiching County eviction risk
3.9
/ 10 · Low
Pop. 7.1K
Peer county
Wilkin County eviction risk
3.8
/ 10 · Low
Pop. 4.4K
Peer county
Norman County eviction risk
3.9
/ 10 · Low
Pop. 4.2K
Where eviction risk concentrates in Pope County
Top cities by population
Frequently asked
Frequently asked questions about Pope County
Q1
How many renters live in Pope County?
Renter share is 26.2%, so approximately 1,376 of Pope County's 5,245 residents are renters.
Q2
What is the lowest-risk city in Pope County?
The lowest score in Pope County is 3.1/10. See the city grid above for the specific municipality.
Q3
What is the highest-risk city in Pope County?
The highest score in Pope County is 4.1/10. See the city grid above for the specific municipality.