Howard County, Missouri Eviction Risk: Very Low

Howard County sits in central Missouri with a total population of 5,571 and an eviction risk score of 2.2/10 - a Low rating that places it 96th of 115 Missouri counties. That rank means 95 counties in the state carry higher risk than Howard, making it one of the more landlord-stable markets in Missouri. The county's 5 tracked cities cluster tightly between 2.1/10 and 2.9/10, a narrow range that reflects consistent market conditions across this rural stretch of the Missouri River valley.

The county seat, Fayette (population 2,801), anchors the local rental market with the lowest individual city score at 2.1/10. New Franklin (population 1,170) and Glasgow (population 1,118) both register near the county average at 2.3/10 and 2.2/10 respectively. The highest-scoring city is Franklin at 2.9/10, though its population of just 66 means it represents a small slice of the overall rental pool. Average rent across the county runs $786 per month, and the average rent burden - the share of household income going to rent - stands at 27.2%. With 32.9% of households renting and a poverty rate of 15.4%, Howard County presents a tenant base that is modestly rent-stressed but not in the acute pressure zone seen in Missouri's urban cores.

Missouri's landlord-tenant framework under RSMo § 441 (Landlord and Tenant) governs all Howard County rentals. The state preempts local rent control, so no city or county ordinance can cap rent increases - what the statute allows is the floor and the ceiling. Nonpayment cases can be filed immediately under RSMo § 535.010 with no prior written notice required, giving landlords one of the faster procedural entry points in the Midwest. Material lease violations require a 10-day notice under RSMo § 441.060, and month-to-month terminations require 30 days under the same section. Uncontested evictions typically resolve in 21 to 45 days; contested cases run 45 to 120 days. Court filing fees range from $70 to $180, sheriff lockout fees from $40 to $150, and attorney costs from $500 to $3,000 depending on case complexity. The habitability obligation under RSMo § 441.500 sets the landlord's maintenance baseline, while RSMo § 441.020 provides retaliation protection for tenants who exercise legal rights. Source-of-income is not a protected class in Missouri, and no just-cause requirement applies at lease termination - both provisions that reduce legal friction for landlords operating in Howard County.

Howard County's Low risk score reflects a rural rental market with moderate rent burden, a straightforward state-law-only legal environment, and no local tenant-protection overlays that would add procedural complexity for landlords.