Chariton County, Missouri Eviction Risk: Low

Chariton County sits in the middle third of Missouri eviction laws's 115 counties on the Eviction Risk Map, carrying a Low risk score of 3.3/10. Sixty-six Missouri counties post a higher risk score, and 48 are lower - placing Chariton at rank 67 out of 115 statewide. That positioning reflects a housing market that is rural, affordable, and governed by a landlord-friendly legal framework, but one where a 17.4% average poverty rate keeps financial stress present for a meaningful share of renter households.

Across the county's 8 tracked cities and a total population of 3,259, average rent comes in at $614 per month - one of the lower rent levels in the state. Renters here commit an average of 22.1% of income to rent, a burden rate that falls comfortably below the 30% threshold that housing economists use to flag financial strain. The renter share of occupied units sits at 26%, meaning roughly one in four households rents. Salisbury is the county seat and by far the largest city, with a population of 1,540 and a risk score of 3.2/10. Brunswick (population 859, score 3.4/10) and Keytesville (population 435, score 3.3/10) are the next largest. The highest individual city score in the county belongs to Rothville at 3.1/10 - still firmly in the Low range - while Prairie Hill posts the lowest at 3.1/10.

Missouri eviction laws eviction law under RSMo § 441 (Landlord and Tenant) is uniformly landlord-favorable and applies in full across Chariton County. For nonpayment of rent, the state allows a rent-and-possession action with no prior written notice period required before filing (RSMo § 535.010). A material lease violation triggers a 10-day notice under RSMo § 441.060, and month-to-month terminations require 30 days under the same statute. Missouri eviction laws does not require just cause for eviction, source of income is not a protected class under state fair housing law, and the state's preemption statute bars any local jurisdiction from enacting rent control. Court filing fees run $70 to $180, sheriff lockout fees range from $40 to $150, and attorney fees for a typical eviction case fall between $500 and $3,000. Uncontested cases typically close in 21 to 45 days; a contested hearing extends that range to 45 to 120 days. The Missouri eviction laws Commission on Human Rights handles fair housing complaints at the state level. The practical result is a county where landlords operate under few procedural hurdles, which is one reason the overall risk score stays low despite a poverty rate that would push risk higher in jurisdictions with stronger tenant-protection ordinances.

Chariton County's Low score reflects affordable rents, a moderate rent burden, and a legal environment with no local rent control or just-cause requirements - all factors the Eviction Risk Map model weights toward lower landlord risk.