Waseca County, Minnesota Eviction Risk: Moderate

Waseca County, Minnesota scores 4.8/10 (Moderate) on the EvictionRiskMap eviction-risk index, placing it in the middle third of the state. With 34 Minnesota counties carrying higher risk and 52 sitting below it, landlords here face conditions that are neither particularly forgiving nor acutely hostile. The county's 24% average renter share and an average rent of $882 per month signal a modest, working-class rental market typical of rural south-central Minnesota.

Across the county's 5 incorporated cities, scores range from 4.5 to 4.8, a spread that is modest in absolute terms but still meaningful when you are picking a submarket. Rent burden averages 27.7% of income, which suggests most renters are managing payments, though not comfortably. For investors weighing Waseca County against peers, nearby Nicollet County (4.71) and Kandiyohi County (4.74) come in slightly higher, while Becker County (4.87) carries the heaviest load in this comparison set.

The cities inside Waseca County

The county seat, Waseca, is the largest city with a population of 9,164 and ties for the highest local risk score at 4.8/10. Janesville, the second-largest community at 2,378 residents, matches that score exactly. Together these two cities account for the bulk of the county's rental units, so portfolio-level risk in Waseca County is effectively anchored by those two markets. Landlords who concentrate there should underwrite accordingly.

The picture shifts noticeably at the other end of the spectrum. New Richland comes in at 4.5/10, the lowest score in the county, while Pemberton (4.7/10, population 223) and Waldorf (4.7/10, population 171) fall in between. These smaller communities carry less risk on paper, though their thin rental markets mean vacancies are harder to fill and tenant selection is more constrained. Risk here is genuinely hyper-local, even across a county with a total population of just 13,120.

State-level laws that apply here

Every landlord in Waseca County operates under Minnesota's landlord-tenant framework, codified at Minn. Stat. § 504B (Landlord and Tenant). For nonpayment of rent, the required notice period is 14 days under Minn. Stat. § 504B.291. A material lease violation or the end of a month-to-month tenancy each require 30 days notice under Minn. Stat. § 504B.135. Minnesota does not require just cause for non-renewal, and no statewide rent cap is in effect. For a full breakdown of the Minnesota eviction process, see the state guide. The Minnesota eviction costs breakdown is equally important for budgeting: court filing fees run $310 to $410, sheriff lockout fees add $55 to $150, and attorney fees, if needed, typically range from $750 to $3,000. Uncontested cases resolve in roughly 30 to 60 days; contested matters can stretch to 60 to 150 days. Landlords should also note that source of income is a protected class under Minnesota state law, administered by the Minnesota Department of Human Rights, and that the state requires 24 hours advance notice before a landlord may enter an occupied unit under Minn. Stat. § 504B.

With a county poverty rate of 8.1% and just 24% of residents renting, Waseca County's rental base is relatively small and financially stable by Minnesota eviction laws standards; review the city-level scores in the grid above to pinpoint where within the county your investment risk actually lands.