Clinton County, Missouri Eviction Risk: Low

Clinton County sits in the lower-risk third of Missouri's 115 counties, carrying a 3.3/10 eviction risk score that the Eviction Risk Map research team classifies as Low. Ranked 98th in the state - where rank 1 marks the highest-risk county - 97 Missouri counties score higher than Clinton, and only 17 score lower. That standing reflects a rental market that, by Missouri standards, places relatively modest financial pressure on tenants and gives landlords a straightforward operating environment under RSMo § 441 (Landlord and Tenant).

The county's 7,826 residents spread across eight incorporated places, the largest of which are Lathrop (population 2,560) and Plattsburg (population 2,253), followed by Gower (1,799). Average rent across the county runs $847 per month, and the average rent burden - what renters pay as a share of income - sits at 23.6%, well below the 30% threshold widely used to flag housing cost stress. About 30.4% of households rent, slightly below the statewide norm for rural Missouri counties, and the average poverty rate of 14% means a meaningful minority of residents operate with limited financial cushion if an unexpected expense - a missed shift, a car repair, a medical bill - intersects with rent due. Scores within the county range from a low of 1.9 in Osborn to a high of 2.3 in both Lathrop and Turney, a tight spread that signals consistent conditions rather than isolated hot spots.

Missouri law shapes the eviction calculus here in ways landlords should understand precisely. RSMo § 535.010 allows a rent-and-possession filing the moment rent is unpaid - no grace period beyond what a lease provides. A material lease violation triggers a 10-day notice under RSMo § 441.060, while ending a month-to-month tenancy requires 30 days notice under the same statute. Court filing fees run $70 to $180, sheriff lockout fees add $40 to $150, and attorney costs - if contested - can range from $500 to $3,000. An uncontested case typically closes in 21 to 45 days; a contested one can run 45 to 120 days. Missouri state law preempts any local rent control ordinance, so no Clinton County municipality can impose a rent cap - and there is no just-cause eviction requirement at the state level. Tenant habitability protections exist under RSMo § 441.500, and retaliation against tenants who exercise legal rights is prohibited by RSMo § 441.020. Fair housing complaints route to the Missouri Commission on Human Rights. Source-of-income - such as housing vouchers - is not a protected class under Missouri state law, leaving that screening decision to individual landlords.

With a 3.3/10 score and a rent burden of 23.6%, Clinton County presents a stable low-risk rental environment; the narrow city-level range (1.9 to 2.3) confirms that risk is distributed evenly rather than concentrated in any single community.