Warren County, Missouri Eviction Risk: Very Low

Warren County, Missouri eviction laws posts a county-wide average eviction-risk score of 2.3/10 (Very Low), placing it in the middle third of the state, ranked 50 of 115 Missouri counties. That ranking means 49 counties carry higher risk and 65 are more landlord-friendly, so Warren County sits in broadly moderate, stable territory for rental operations. With roughly 26.7% of residents renting and an average rent burden of 23.5%, tenants here are not severely cost-strained, which tends to keep eviction filings infrequent and lease relationships relatively stable.

For landlords evaluating the county as a whole, the picture is encouraging. Average rent runs $905 per month, and a poverty rate of 10% suggests a workforce-oriented renter pool rather than a distressed one. The intra-county spread runs from 1.7 to 2.6 across its 9 cities, so operating conditions do vary depending on which market you choose within the county.

The cities inside Warren County

The county seat, Warrenton, is the largest and highest-risk city in Warren County, with a population of 9,066 and a risk score of 2.9/10. While that figure is still squarely in the Low tier, it is the ceiling of local risk and worth monitoring if you hold a large unit count there. Foristell and Truesdale each score 1.7/10, making them the next tier of concern, though their smaller sizes limit overall exposure.

At the other end of the range, Wright City scores 2.2/10 with a population of 5,240, the lowest risk in the county and the second-largest city. Innsbrook scores 2.6/10. Marthasville, Jonesburg, and Berger all land at the county average of 1.8/10. The spread reinforces a common reality in smaller Missouri counties: risk is hyper-local, and a single ZIP code difference can meaningfully shift your operating environment.

State-level laws that apply here

All landlords in Warren County operate under RSMo § 441 (Landlord and Tenant). Missouri gives landlords one of the more direct notice frameworks in the Midwest. For nonpayment of rent, no advance notice period is required before filing a rent-and-possession action under RSMo § 535.010. A material lease violation requires a 10-day notice under RSMo § 441.060, and terminating a month-to-month tenancy requires 30 days under the same section. The Missouri eviction process runs 21 to 45 days for an uncontested case and 45 to 120 days when contested.

Filing fees in Missouri range from $70 to $180, sheriff lockout fees from $40 to $150, and attorney fees from $500 to $3,000 depending on complexity, which means total out-of-pocket costs can vary widely. Missouri eviction costs are a real line item to model before you need them. Missouri does not impose just-cause eviction requirements and, notably, state law preempts any local rent-control ordinances, so no municipality in Missouri can cap rents. Missouri security deposit limits and Missouri tenant protections are set at the state level, giving Warren County landlords uniform rules regardless of which city they operate in.

With a poverty rate of 10% and a renter share of 26.7%, Warren County's rental base is relatively small and economically stable; city-level scores in the grid above show where within the county conditions tighten or ease.