Cape Girardeau County, Missouri Eviction Risk: Very Low

Cape Girardeau County carries an average eviction-risk score of 2.3/10 (Very Low) across its 13 cities, placing it 13th of 115 Missouri counties, meaning only 12 counties in the state post higher risk. That top-quintile positioning deserves some nuance: the county is not uniformly tame. The intra-county spread runs from 1.8 to 2.8 out of 10, a gap wide enough that two landlords operating in the same county can face very different day-to-day conditions depending on exactly where their properties sit. Average rent of $883 and a rent-burden rate of 28.3% suggest the renter base is stretched but not severely so, which shapes both vacancy risk and the likelihood that a tenant in distress can catch up before a filing becomes necessary.

For investors evaluating Missouri markets, the county's overall Low rating signals manageable operating conditions, but the density of renters, at 40.4% of households, combined with a 17% poverty rate, means credit and income screening remains important. The county is not a set-it-and-forget-it market; it rewards landlords who underwrite carefully and know which sub-markets carry the most exposure.

The cities inside Cape Girardeau County

The highest-risk city is Cape Girardeau itself, scoring 2.3/10 with a population of 40,344 -- by far the county's largest community and the one that sets the county average almost single-handedly. The city's rental market is the most active and the most competitive, which can be a double-edged advantage: higher absorption but also a larger pool of applicants with marginal finances. Jackson, the second-largest city at 15,659 residents, scores 3.3/10, noticeably lower than Cape Girardeau, reflecting a somewhat more stable renter profile. Delta and Gordonville each score 2.1/10, while Oak Ridge sits at 2/10.

The lowest-risk locations in the county are its smallest communities. Dutchtown scores 2.6/10 and Burfordville scores 2.8/10, both well below the county average. Millersville comes in at 2/10. These scores illustrate how hyper-local risk can be: a landlord with a small rural portfolio in Dutchtown operates in a materially different environment than one concentrated in Cape Girardeau, even though both properties fall under the same county umbrella.

State-level laws that apply here

Every eviction in Cape Girardeau County is governed by Missouri state law under RSMo § 441 (Landlord and Tenant). For nonpayment of rent, Missouri allows a landlord to file a rent-and-possession action immediately, with no advance notice period required before filing under RSMo § 535.010. 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. Understanding the Missouri eviction process from notice through judgment is essential because uncontested cases typically resolve in 21 to 45 days, while a contested case can run 45 to 120 days. Missouri eviction costs include a court filing fee of $70 to $180, a sheriff lockout fee of $40 to $150, and attorney fees typically ranging from $500 to $3,000 depending on complexity and whether the case is contested.

On landlord-friendly regulatory factors, Missouri imposes no statewide rent control and preempts any local jurisdiction from enacting it, so there is no rent-cap risk in Cape Girardeau County. Just cause is not required to terminate a tenancy, giving landlords straightforward exit options when leases expire. Source of income is not a protected class under Missouri state law. Anti-retaliation protections for tenants do exist under RSMo § 441.020, and habitability standards are codified at RSMo § 441.500, so landlords should maintain documentation of maintenance response. Missouri security deposit limits and local notice requirements are worth reviewing before signing new leases in any part of the county.

With 17% of residents below the poverty line and renters making up 40.4% of households, Cape Girardeau County's Low overall score reflects manageable but real risk, concentrated most heavily in Cape Girardeau city; see the city grid above to compare scores across all 13 communities before committing capital.