Butler County, Missouri Eviction Risk: Low

Butler County carries an average eviction-risk score of 2.6/10 (Low), but that headline figure conceals a meaningful spread across the county's 6 incorporated places, where scores run from 2.7 in Harviell up to 3.9 in Poplar Bluff. For landlords sizing up Missouri markets, the county sits at rank 7 of 115 statewide, meaning only 6 Missouri counties score higher risk, placing Butler County firmly in the higher-risk third of the state. Average rents run $746 per month against a rent-burden rate of 32.9%, which points to a tenant base that is already stretched thin and more likely to fall behind during economic disruptions. Investors entering this market should plan around those fundamentals rather than assume the Low label signals an easy operating environment.

The county's 46.2% renter share is notably high for a rural southeast Missouri county, giving landlords a broad tenant pool but also concentrating exposure to a population where 24.5% of residents fall below the poverty line. At an average rent of $746, collections risk is real and the math on carrying vacancies or absorbing eviction costs is tight. Operators who price units carefully, screen rigorously, and maintain properties to state habitability standards tend to fare better in markets like this one than those who treat the Low score as a signal to cut corners on due diligence.

The cities inside Butler County

Poplar Bluff dominates the county by population, with 16,254 residents and a risk score of 2.6/10, matching the county average exactly. Because it accounts for the overwhelming majority of the county's 17,847 total residents, conditions in Poplar Bluff effectively set the tone for the county-wide figure. Qulin (2.4/10, pop. 570), Fisk (2.2/10, pop. 502), and Neelyville (2.9/10, pop. 358) all cluster at the same score, suggesting broadly similar risk profiles across the county's smaller communities.

At the lower end of the range, Harviell scores 2.3/10, the most landlord-favorable reading in the county, and Broseley comes in at 1.9/10. Both are very small communities, so individual properties carry outsized weight in any portfolio decision there. The takeaway for investors is that risk in Butler County is hyper-local: a single-family rental in Harviell and a multi-unit building in Poplar Bluff operate in meaningfully different conditions even though both fall under the same county average.

State-level laws that apply here

Missouri's landlord-tenant framework under RSMo § 441 (Landlord and Tenant) governs all Butler County properties. For nonpayment of rent, Missouri requires no advance notice before filing a rent-and-possession action under RSMo § 535.010, which is among the most landlord-favorable notice rules in the country. Lease violations trigger a 10-day notice under RSMo § 441.060, and terminating a month-to-month tenancy requires 30 days notice under the same statute. An uncontested eviction typically resolves in 21 to 45 days; contested matters can extend to 45 to 120 days. Total out-of-pocket costs, combining a court filing fee of $70 to $180, a sheriff lockout fee of $40 to $150, and attorney fees of $500 to $3,000, can range from roughly $610 on the low end to $3,330 at the high end. Understanding the full Missouri eviction process before a vacancy turns contentious is the most effective way to contain those costs. Missouri imposes no rent control, preempts any local rent ordinances, and does not require just cause for non-renewal, giving landlords considerable flexibility on pricing and portfolio decisions. For a full breakdown of what to budget before filing, the Missouri eviction costs guide lays out each fee tier in detail.

With 24.5% of Butler County residents below the poverty line and a renter share of 46.2%, the risk profile varies meaningfully from city to city, so review each city's individual score in the grid above before committing capital to any specific market within the county.