Benton County, Missouri Eviction Risk: Low

Benton County sits in central-west Missouri with a total population of 5,898 and an eviction risk score of 3.5/10 - a Low rating that puts it 93rd out of 115 Missouri counties. That ranking means 92 counties across the state carry higher eviction risk, and only 22 are less risky, placing Benton firmly in the lower-risk third of Missouri. The county's rental market is modest in scale: renters make up about 31.1% of households, average rent sits at $706 per month, and the average rent burden lands at 31.4% of household income - a figure that sits above the commonly cited 30% affordability threshold and is worth watching even in a low-risk county. The average poverty rate of 17.2% underlines that financial margin is thin for a meaningful share of renters here.

Warsaw is the county's largest city at a population of 1,980 and carries the highest city-level score in the county at 3.8/10. Lincoln (population 1,787) follows at 3.3/10, and Cole Camp (population 1,436) scores 3.7/10. Smaller communities including Bent Tree Harbor, Ionia, Tightwad, and White Branch round out the seven tracked cities, with scores ranging from 3.1 to 3.8. The narrow spread from 1.8 to 2.3 across all cities reflects consistent low-risk conditions throughout the county rather than a single high-risk pocket pulling up the average.

Missouri landlord-tenant law is governed by RSMo § 441 (Landlord and Tenant), and Benton County landlords operate under the same statutory framework as the rest of the state with no local additions. There is no just-cause requirement for nonrenewal, and the state preempts any local rent control ordinance. For nonpayment of rent, Missouri allows an immediate rent-and-possession filing under RSMo § 535.010 with no prior notice period required. A material lease violation triggers a 10-day notice under RSMo § 441.060, and ending a month-to-month tenancy requires a 30-day notice under the same statute. Court filing fees run $70 to $180, sheriff lockout fees range from $40 to $150, and attorney fees typically fall between $500 and $3,000 depending on whether the case is contested. Uncontested cases generally resolve in 21 to 45 days; contested proceedings can extend from 45 to 120 days. The Missouri Commission on Human Rights administers fair housing complaints, though source-of-income is not a protected class under state law.

Benton County's 3.5/10 Low risk score reflects the combination of a modest rental market, state-level landlord protections under RSMo § 441, and no local rent control - conditions that have kept eviction pressure relatively contained across all seven tracked cities.