Buchanan County, Missouri Eviction Risk: Very Low

Buchanan County carries an average eviction-risk score of 2.2/10 (Very Low) across its 7 incorporated cities, placing it at rank 30 of 115 Missouri counties. That ranking puts 29 counties at higher risk and 85 at lower risk, which means Buchanan County sits in the higher-risk third of the state despite its Low label. For landlords in Missouri, that nuance matters: the county is not a danger zone, but it is not the easiest operating environment in the state either.

The intra-county spread runs from 1.7 to 2.3/10, a full point of range across a county whose total population is roughly 73,436. Average asking rent sits at $900 per month, and the average rent burden of 30.3% of income signals that renters here are stretched but not severely so. Landlords who underwrite carefully and manage proactively can find workable conditions, but the numbers argue against assuming smooth sailing on every lease.

The cities inside Buchanan County

The highest-risk municipality in the county is Rushville at 2.2/10, a small community of 260 residents where a single troubled tenancy can noticeably move local statistics. Close behind are Easton at 1.8/10 (population 336) and De Kalb at 1.7/10 (population 518). These three communities cluster at the top of the county's risk range and warrant tighter screening standards before leasing.

The county's dominant rental market is St. Joseph eviction risk, home to 71,236 residents and scoring 2.2/10, right at the county average. De Kalb, the lowest-risk city in the county, scores 1.7/10 with a population of 871. Risk in Buchanan County is genuinely hyper-local: a landlord operating in Agency faces meaningfully different conditions than one holding units in Rushville, even though both addresses share the same county line.

State-level laws that apply here

All landlords in Buchanan County operate under Missouri state law, primarily RSMo § 441 (Landlord and Tenant). For nonpayment of rent, Missouri gives landlords an immediate right to file a rent-and-possession action under RSMo § 535.010, with no mandatory pre-filing cure notice required. A material lease violation triggers a 10-day notice under RSMo § 441.060, and ending a month-to-month tenancy requires 30 days notice under the same statute. Uncontested cases typically resolve in 21 to 45 days; contested matters can run 45 to 120 days. Understanding the Missouri eviction process from filing through lockout is essential before placing a tenant.

Court filing fees range from $70 to $180, sheriff lockout fees from $40 to $150, and attorney fees from $500 to $3,000 depending on complexity. Missouri has no just-cause eviction requirement and no rent control, and state law preempts any local rent regulation. Reviewing Missouri eviction costs and Missouri security deposit limits before building your pro forma will keep your numbers realistic. The Missouri Commission on Human Rights enforces fair-housing statutes, and source-of-income status is not a protected class under state law.

With an average poverty rate of 17.5% and 36.7% of residents renting, Buchanan County has a renter base large enough to keep vacancy manageable but financially stressed enough to make tenant selection the single most important decision a landlord makes here; the city-level scores in the grid above show exactly where that stress is concentrated.