Perry County, Missouri Eviction Risk: Low

Perry County sits in the higher-risk third of Missouri eviction laws's 115 counties, landing at rank 15 with a composite eviction risk score of 2.5/10 - a Low rating overall. That position means only 14 Missouri eviction laws counties present a tougher operating environment for landlords, while 100 are measurably more landlord-friendly. For a county with a total population of 10,494 and a renter share of 33.7%, that concentration of rental households amplifies the practical impact of any cost or compliance misstep.

The county's average rent of $934/month sits against an average rent burden of 33.6% - meaning the typical renter household here commits more than a third of gross income to housing. That financial thinness is the primary driver behind the Low-but-elevated risk score: a single income disruption can push a tenancy toward nonpayment quickly, and with an average poverty rate of 15.4%, that margin is narrower than in wealthier Missouri markets. Perryville, the county seat and by far the largest city with a population of 8,536, scores 2.6/10 and accounts for most of the county's rental stock. Brewer is the riskiest municipality at 2.8/10 despite its smaller size of 413 residents, while smaller villages like Altenburg and Frohna each score a low 1.7/10, reflecting lower renter density and tighter community stability.

Missouri eviction laws's landlord-tenant framework is governed by RSMo § 441 (Landlord and Tenant), which is notably landlord-favorable compared to most states. There is no statewide just-cause requirement for eviction, no rent cap, and Missouri eviction laws state law preempts any local rent control ordinance, so Perry County municipalities have no authority to impose rent stabilization. A nonpayment-of-rent action can be filed with zero days' notice under RSMo § 535.010; a material lease violation requires only a 10-day notice under RSMo § 441.060. Court filing fees run $70-$180, sheriff lockout fees add another $40-$150, and even an uncontested removal takes 21-45 days from filing. If a tenant contests, expect 45-120 days and attorney costs of $500-$3,000 depending on complexity. The Missouri Commission on Human Rights handles fair housing complaints, and source-of-income (housing voucher) status is not a protected class under state law - a detail that affects tenant screening flexibility.

Perry County's Low risk score reflects a combination of a small, stable rental market centered on Perryville, a landlord-favorable state statute with no just-cause or rent-cap requirements, and a preemption clause that blocks any local rent control from taking root in any of the county's 9 cities.