Wabasha County, Minnesota Eviction Risk: Moderate

Wabasha County scores 4.7/10 (Moderate) on the EvictionRiskMap eviction-risk index, placing it 55th out of 87 Minnesota eviction laws counties, meaning 54 counties carry higher risk and 32 are more landlord-friendly. For landlords and investors sizing up this rural Mississippi River market, that middle-of-the-pack figure describes a county where conditions are manageable but not frictionless. Average rent sits at $830, rent burden averages 28.8% of income, and only 21.1% of the county's roughly 14,480 residents are renters, which limits portfolio scale but also limits exposure to the highest-stress tenant pools.

Across the county's 10 scored cities, individual scores range from 4.3 to 5, a spread wide enough that city selection matters as much as the county average. Minnesota eviction laws's landlord-tenant legal framework applies uniformly here, but local economic stress and demographic pressure translate differently block by block, making granular due diligence essential before committing capital.

The cities inside Wabasha County

The highest-risk location in the county is Mazeppa at 5/10, followed closely by Zumbro Falls at 4.4/10 and Mazeppa at 5/10 (population 1,004). Kellogg scores 4.6/10 (population 513). These smaller communities carry above-average stress indicators relative to the county norm; investors targeting yield in them should budget for a higher probability of collection issues and vacancy.

On the lower end, Elgin scores 4.6/10 (population 1,116), the most landlord-favorable market in the county. The city of Wabasha scores 4.7/10 (population 2,587), and Frontenac checks in at 4.6/10. Lake City, the county's largest city at 5,034 residents, scores 4.1/10, which is consistent with modest but real collection risk. The takeaway is that risk is genuinely hyper-local here: a landlord operating in Elgin faces a materially different environment than one holding units in Hammond, even though both cities sit inside the same county line.

State-level laws that apply here

Minnesota eviction laws eviction process rules apply county-wide under Minn. Stat. SS 504B (Landlord and Tenant). For nonpayment of rent, landlords must serve a 14-day notice before filing (Minn. Stat. SS 504B.291). Terminating a month-to-month tenancy or addressing a material lease violation each require a 30-day notice (Minn. Stat. SS 504B.135). Uncontested cases typically resolve in 30 to 60 days; contested proceedings can run 60 to 150 days. Court filing fees range from $310 to $410, sheriff lockout fees add $55 to $150, and attorney fees commonly run $750 to $3,000 depending on complexity. Minnesota eviction laws does not require just cause to end a tenancy, and there is no statewide rent cap in force. Full details on Minnesota eviction costs and Minnesota security deposit limits are covered in the statewide guides linked from this site.

With a county poverty rate of 9.1% and renters making up 21.1% of residents, the renter pool is small but economically mixed; see the city grid above to compare scores across all 10 Wabasha County markets before committing to a specific submarket.