Iron County, Utah Eviction Risk: Very Low

Iron County scores an average of 1.3/10 (Low) across its 11 cities, placing it 28th out of 29 Utah eviction laws counties ranked by eviction risk, meaning 27 counties in the state carry more risk than Iron County does. For landlords and investors, that ranking translates to a market where tenant-mix stability and low eviction pressure define everyday operations. Average rent runs $1,071 per month, and with a rent burden of 31.6% of income, the tenant base is stretched but not unusually so by Utah eviction laws standards.

That said, the countywide average masks meaningful variation. Individual city scores span 1.1 to 2.5, a spread that matters when selecting a specific submarket. Investors treating all of Iron County as a single risk tier leave due diligence on the table.

The cities inside Iron County

The two highest-risk cities are small ones. Paragonah (population 647) leads the county at 2.5/10, followed closely by Kanarraville (population 257) at 2.4/10. These are rural communities where landlord-tenant disputes can surface in thin rental markets with limited comparables and fewer professional tenants. Parowan (population 3,165) sits at 1.7/10, the next step down, still elevated relative to the county average.

At the other end of the spectrum, Newcastle scores the lowest in Iron County at 1.1/10. Cedar City, the county seat and by far the largest city at 38,524 residents, scores 1.2/10, making it both the economic anchor of the county and one of its most landlord-favorable operating environments. Enoch (population 8,144) comes in at 1.6/10, a moderate score that reflects its position as a fast-growing suburb adjacent to Cedar City. Risk is hyper-local here: a Paragonah rental and a Cedar City rental are a short drive apart but represent materially different risk profiles.

State-level laws that apply here

All Iron County landlords operate under Utah state law, which is broadly landlord-friendly. For nonpayment of rent or a curable lease violation, the required notice period is just 3 days. A no-cause termination at the end of a lease term requires 30 days notice. Utah does not require just cause for eviction and state law preempts any local rent control ordinances, so no city in Iron County can impose rent caps. The Utah eviction process runs roughly 21 to 45 days for uncontested cases and 45 to 120 days when a tenant contests. Understanding the Utah eviction costs before filing is equally important: court filing fees range from $360 to $460, sheriff lockout fees from $50 to $175, and attorney fees from $750 to $3,500 depending on case complexity. Landlords should also be aware that Utah requires 24 hours notice before entering an occupied unit.

Statewide guides on Utah security deposit limits and Utah tenant protections apply uniformly across every city and township in the county, regardless of local population or rental market size.

With a countywide poverty rate of 14.1% and renters making up 36.6% of households, Iron County's fundamentals sit in a moderate range, and the city-level grid above shows exactly where within that range each submarket falls.