Jasper County, Missouri Eviction Risk: Very Low

Jasper County carries an average eviction-risk score of 2.4/10 (Very Low) across its 22 cities, placing it fifth out of 115 counties in Missouri, meaning only four counties in the state carry more risk. For landlords and investors, that ranking deserves attention: roughly 90 percent of Missouri counties are less risky to operate in than Jasper County. With an average renter share of 41.4% and an average rent of $994, the rental market here is sizable, but a poverty rate of 19.8% and a rent-burden rate of 29.8% signal that a meaningful share of tenants are financially stretched, which historically tracks with higher eviction frequency.

That county-wide average, however, smooths over a real range. Individual cities score from 1.8 to 2.9 on the 10-point scale, a spread that should matter to anyone assembling or managing a portfolio across the county. A property in a lower-scoring city operates in a meaningfully different environment than one in Joplin or Duenweg, even though both fall under the same county government and Missouri state statutes.

The cities inside Jasper County

Joplin anchors the high-risk end of the spectrum. The county seat and by far the largest city, with a population of 52,593, it scores 4.2.4/10, the highest in the county. Duenweg, a smaller community of 1,918, sits just below at 4.3/10, making it the second-riskiest city in Jasper County despite its modest size. Duquesne scores 2.2/10, and Fidelity also scores 2/10. These four cities should be evaluated with extra scrutiny on tenant screening and lease terms before committing capital.

Lower-risk options exist within the same county boundaries. Webb City, home to 13,221 residents, scores 2.2/10, the lowest of the major population centers. Carl Junction scores 2.1/10, and Oronogo and Carterville each come in at 2.4/10. Carthage, the second-largest city with a population of 15,574, sits at 3.8/10, slightly above mid-range. The variation is hyper-local: two properties a few miles apart can face substantially different eviction environments, which is exactly why city-level scores matter more than county averages when underwriting a specific asset.

State-level laws that apply here

Every landlord operating in Jasper County is subject to Missouri state law under RSMo § 441 (Landlord and Tenant). For nonpayment of rent, Missouri allows a landlord to file for rent-and-possession without any prior notice period under RSMo § 535.010, which is unusually landlord-favorable compared to most states. A material lease violation requires a 10-day notice under RSMo § 441.060, and terminating a month-to-month tenancy requires 30 days notice under the same section. Understanding the Missouri eviction process from notice to writ is essential before your first filing, because timelines are tighter than many landlords expect: uncontested cases typically resolve in 21 to 45 days, while contested cases can run 45 to 120 days.

Missouri eviction costs vary with case complexity. Court filing fees run $70 to $180, sheriff lockout fees add $40 to $150, and attorney fees typically range from $500 to $3,000. Missouri imposes no rent control and no just-cause eviction requirement, and state law preempts any local government from enacting rent-control ordinances. Missouri security deposit limits and tenant protections are set at the state level with no local augmentation permitted, giving landlords consistent rules across all 22 cities in the county.

With 19.8% of residents below the poverty line and 41.4% of households renting, Jasper County's risk exposure is concentrated rather than uniform; see the city grid above to identify which specific communities carry the most weight in your investment decisions.