Laclede County, Missouri Eviction Risk: Low

Laclede County carries an average eviction-risk score of 2.5/10 (Low), placing it in the middle third of Missouri counties, with 44 counties scoring higher and 70 scoring lower. Spread across 4 cities and a combined population of roughly 16,254, the county presents a generally stable operating environment for landlords, with average rent at $811 and a rent-burden rate of 28.2%. Those fundamentals are workable, though a poverty rate of 20.4% is worth keeping in mind when underwriting tenant quality.

The intra-county range is narrow, running from 1.7 to 2.5, which means market conditions do not swing dramatically from one community to the next. Missouri's procedural rules, which favor landlords over tenants on key process timelines, contribute to that relatively benign risk profile. Investors comparing regional options will find Laclede County lands at rank 45 of 115 Missouri counties, a middle-of-the-pack position that reflects low acute risk without being the most landlord-favorable market in the state.

The cities inside Laclede County

The highest-risk city in the county is Lebanon, scoring 2.5/10, though its population of just 88 means the rental market there is extremely small. Lebanon, the county seat and by far the largest community at 15,270 residents, comes in at 2.5/10, which is effectively at the county average. The concentration of the rental inventory in Lebanon means that county-level figures closely track Lebanon's conditions, making that city the most operationally significant market for any landlord active in Laclede County.

Conway and Phillipsburg both score 2.3/10, the lowest in the county, and both are very small communities (populations of 732 and 164, respectively). The point for investors is that even within a narrow overall range, risk is hyper-local: a portfolio mix weighted toward Conway or Phillipsburg carries measurably lower risk than one concentrated in Evergreen, despite all four cities sitting within the Low tier. Knowing each submarket individually matters more than relying on the county average alone.

State-level laws that apply here

Under Missouri state law (RSMo § 441), the eviction notice framework is landlord-favorable by national standards. For nonpayment of rent under RSMo § 535.010, Missouri requires no advance notice before filing a rent-and-possession action, meaning landlords can move to court immediately. A material lease violation triggers a 10-day notice under RSMo § 441.060, and terminating a month-to-month tenancy requires 30 days notice under the same statute. Understanding the Missouri eviction process matters because even these short timelines compound with court schedules: uncontested cases typically resolve in 21 to 45 days, while contested matters can run 45 to 120 days.

On cost, 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 case complexity. Missouri imposes no just-cause requirement for eviction and, critically, state law preempts any local rent-control ordinance, so landlords in Laclede County face no local rent caps. Missouri security deposit limits and Missouri tenant protections are both governed at the state level, with no Laclede County-specific overrides to track.

With a renter share of 47.5% and a poverty rate of 20.4%, nearly half of Laclede County households rent, and income margins are thin, so screening discipline matters even in a low-risk market. Review the city grid above for per-city scores across all 4 communities.