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Eviction risk map of Buffalo County, Wisconsin showing Low average risk of 2.8/10 across 8 communities
County brief·Updated June 24, 2026

Buffalo County, Wisconsin Eviction Risk: Low

8 incorporated cities and unincorporated areas. The county Eviction Risk Score is held aloft by the city of Mondovi (3) and a small number of dense urban cores. Rent-control coverage varies by city.

In 2026
Risk score
2.8
LOW

Ranked #57 of 72 WI counties

7k residents · 8 cities · 5 tracts

1976–2026 · pop-weighted from cities

Buffalo County eviction risk score history

Min1.9 Average2.6 Now2.8
10 5 1976 · score 1.9 1977 · score 1.9 1978 · score 1.9 1979 · score 1.9 1980 · score 2.3 1981 · score 2.2 1982 · score 2.4 1983 · score 2.3 1984 · score 2.2 1985 · score 2.2 1986 · score 2.2 1987 · score 2.1 1988 · score 2.3 1989 · score 2.3 1990 · score 2.4 1991 · score 2.5 1992 · score 2.5 1993 · score 2.5 1994 · score 2.5 1995 · score 2.1 1996 · score 2.3 1997 · score 2.4 1998 · score 2.4 1999 · score 2.4 2000 · score 2.3 2001 · score 2.4 2002 · score 2.5 2003 · score 2.5 2004 · score 2.5 2005 · score 2.5 2006 · score 2.5 2007 · score 2.6 2008 · score 3.1 2009 · score 3.3 2010 · score 3.4 2011 · score 3.4 2012 · score 3.2 2013 · score 3.2 2014 · score 3.1 2015 · score 3.0 2016 · score 3.0 2017 · score 2.9 2018 · score 2.8 2019 · score 2.8 2020 · score 3.9 2021 · score 4.0 2022 · score 3.2 2023 · score 2.8 2024 · score 2.8 2025 · score 2.8 2026 · score 2.8

Key metrics

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Scrub 50 years

2026
● LIVE · today ◀ REPLAY · historical

Buffalo County's average eviction risk of 2.8/10 (Low) spans a tight 2.5-to-3 range across its 8 communities, all clustering well below the Wisconsin average of 3.1/10. Ranked 57th of 72 Wisconsin counties - 56 counties carry higher risk, 15 carry lower.

How Buffalo County ranks in Wisconsin

Lower number means more extreme, where #1 is the most
Eviction Risk Score
Low
#57 of 72 WI counties 2.8 / 10
Eviction Risk Score, 21st percentileLowHigh
#57 of 72 counties in Wisconsin for landlord eviction risk.
Cost of living
Low
#32 of 51 states (statewide) 94.1 index
Cost of living, 38th percentileLowHigh
Wisconsin ranks #32 of 51 states on overall cost of living (5.9% cheaper than the U.S. avg).
Housing services cost
Low
#32 of 51 states (statewide) 79.3 index
Housing services cost, 38th percentileLowHigh
Wisconsin ranks #32 of 51 states on housing services (20.7% cheaper than the U.S. avg).
Income spent on rent
Elevated
#19 of 72 WI counties 26.9% of income
Income spent on rent, 75th percentileLowHigh
#19 of 72 counties in Wisconsin on % of income spent on rent.

Landlord guides for Wisconsin

State-specific playbooks
Wisconsin Eviction Costs →
Filing fees, attorney fees, lost rent, sheriff lockout
Wisconsin Eviction Process →
Step-by-step timeline, notices, statute cites
Wisconsin Rent Control →
Statewide caps, local ordinances, just-cause
Wisconsin Tenant Screening →
Five-point protocol, legal rules, protected classes
Wisconsin Tenant Protections →
Just cause, retaliation, habitability, entry
Cities in Buffalo County
Sorted by Eviction Risk Score · highest first
Map view
CityPopulationRisk% income on rentAverage rentLean
001 Mondovi Pop 2,872 · 24.4% income · $891 rent · Rep 2,872 2.8 24.4% $891 Rep
002 Buffalo City Pop 902 · 48.3% income · $697 rent · Rep 902 3.0 48.3% $697 Rep
003 Fountain City Pop 835 · 22.4% income · $805 rent · Rep 835 2.8 22.4% $805 Rep
004 Alma Pop 788 · 27.0% income · $725 rent · Rep 788 2.7 27.0% $725 Rep
005 Cochrane Pop 516 · 25.2% income · $731 rent · Rep 516 2.7 25.2% $731 Rep
006 Nelson Pop 381 · 28.3% income · $972 rent · Rep 381 2.6 28.3% $972 Rep
007 Gilmanton Pop 148 · 14.0% income · $675 rent · Rep 148 2.9 14.0% $675 Rep
008 Waumandee Pop 81 · 25.7% income · $774 rent · Rep 81 2.5 25.7% $774 Rep

County heatmap

Geographic distribution
Local landlord context

One county, multiple regulatory regimes.

Buffalo County sits in the lower-risk of Wisconsin eviction laws counties for eviction risk, earning a county average of 2.8/10 (Low) and ranking 57th of 72 statewide - a position that puts it well below most of the state in terms of displacement pressure on renters. With 56 Wisconsin eviction laws counties scoring higher and only 15 scoring lower, Buffalo County's rental market carries notably limited eviction activity relative to Wisconsin eviction laws as a whole, and well below the Wisconsin eviction laws average of 3.1/10.

The county's 8 incorporated communities span a narrow risk band from 2.5 to 3, signaling unusual consistency rather than the sharp local swings common in larger metro-adjacent counties. At the lower end, Waumandee 2.5/10 and Nelson 2.6/10 reflect the quiet, low-density character of the county's smallest villages. Alma 2.7/10 and Cochrane 2.7/10 sit in the middle of that range. The county seat, Mondovi, is also the most populous community at roughly 2,872 residents and scores 2.8/10 - consistent with the county average. Fountain City 2.8/10 is close behind. Gilmanton 2.9/10 edges slightly higher. Buffalo City 3/10 leads the county's risk table, though even at the top of the local range it remains a low-risk score in any statewide context.

The economic picture reinforces the low-risk finding. Average rent across Buffalo County runs $819 per month, and renters allocate an average of 27.8% of income toward rent - a burden rate that, while meaningful, falls short of the 30% threshold typically associated with acute housing stress. Roughly 34.1% of households rent rather than own, a moderate renter share for a rural Wisconsin eviction laws county. The poverty rate of 11.6% is consistent with other agricultural counties along the Mississippi River corridor. Eviction proceedings under Wisconsin eviction laws law (Wis. Stat. § 704) typically cost landlords $95 to $175 in court filing fees and require 5-day notice for non-payment, 14 days for a curable lease violation, and 30 days for a no-cause end-of-term termination. Uncontested cases resolve in 21 to 45 days; contested matters can run 45 to 120 days. Those procedural timelines, combined with the county's small renter population and limited court activity, contribute to a stable low-risk profile that has remained consistent across our research team's multi-year observation of the region.

Buffalo County's Low eviction risk rating (2.8/10, ranked 57th of 72 Wisconsin eviction laws counties) reflects a rural rental market with moderate affordability pressure - $819 average rent and 27.8% rent burden - and a landlord-tenant legal framework under Wis. Stat. § 704 that imposes standard Wisconsin eviction laws notice requirements without any local rent stabilization overlay, since state law preempts municipal rent control ordinances statewide.

Eviction filings in Wisconsin

Eviction Lab Tracking System · statewide · live through 2026-05-01

The Princeton Eviction Lab Tracking System covers Wisconsin statewide (no county-level tracker available for Buffalo County). In the past month, 1,980 statewide filings were recorded, 0.90× the historical baseline (below baseline).

Wisconsin statewide, last 36 months 2023-05-01 – 2026-04-01
Wisconsin statewide eviction filings (Eviction Lab)2023-05-01: 2,410 filings (1.01× hist)2023-06-01: 2,537 filings (1.03× hist)2023-07-01: 2,536 filings (0.99× hist)2023-08-01: 2,743 filings (1.04× hist)2023-09-01: 2,286 filings (1.07× hist)2023-10-01: 2,552 filings (1.07× hist)2023-11-01: 2,151 filings (1.13× hist)2023-12-01: 2,077 filings (1.16× hist)2024-01-01: 2,545 filings (1.00× hist)2024-02-01: 2,259 filings (1.07× hist)2024-03-01: 2,032 filings (0.97× hist)2024-04-01: 2,340 filings (1.06× hist)2024-05-01: 2,378 filings (0.99× hist)2024-06-01: 2,392 filings (0.97× hist)2024-07-01: 2,589 filings (1.01× hist)2024-08-01: 2,514 filings (0.96× hist)2024-09-01: 1,996 filings (0.93× hist)2024-10-01: 2,235 filings (0.93× hist)2024-11-01: 1,659 filings (0.87× hist)2024-12-01: 1,713 filings (0.95× hist)2025-01-01: 2,112 filings (0.83× hist)2025-02-01: 1,680 filings (0.81× hist)2025-03-01: 1,693 filings (0.81× hist)2025-04-01: 2,086 filings (0.95× hist)2025-05-01: 2,137 filings (0.89× hist)2025-06-01: 2,246 filings (0.91× hist)2025-07-01: 2,504 filings (0.98× hist)2025-08-01: 2,486 filings (0.95× hist)2025-09-01: 2,440 filings (1.14× hist)2025-10-01: 2,083 filings (0.87× hist)2025-11-01: 1,776 filings (0.93× hist)2025-12-01: 1,854 filings (1.03× hist)2026-01-01: 2,385 filings (0.93× hist)2026-02-01: 1,958 filings (0.94× hist)2026-03-01: 1,945 filings (0.93× hist)2026-04-01: 1,980 filings (0.90× hist)
Notice requirement: at least five days notice (in some cases more). Filing fee: $94.50 filing fee.
1

Eviction filings in Buffalo County

In December 2023, 1 eviction filings were recorded in Buffalo County, 100.0% of the historical average (near average).2

Last 21 months of filings 2021-01 – 2023-12
Monthly eviction filings in Buffalo County (LSC CCDI)2021-01: 3 filings (0.0% of avg)2021-02: 2 filings (0.0% of avg)2021-05: 1 filings (0.0% of avg)2021-06: 1 filings (0.0% of avg)2021-07: 1 filings (0.0% of avg)2021-08: 1 filings (0.0% of avg)2021-09: 2 filings (0.0% of avg)2021-10: 1 filings (0.0% of avg)2021-11: 1 filings (0.0% of avg)2022-02: 1 filings (0.0% of avg)2022-03: 3 filings (0.0% of avg)2022-07: 2 filings (0.0% of avg)2022-09: 1 filings (0.0% of avg)2022-12: 2 filings (0.0% of avg)2023-02: 4 filings (0.0% of avg)2023-03: 3 filings (0.0% of avg)2023-05: 2 filings (0.0% of avg)2023-07: 1 filings (0.0% of avg)2023-09: 3 filings (0.0% of avg)2023-10: 1 filings (0.0% of avg)2023-12: 1 filings (0.0% of avg)

Historical eviction filings in Buffalo County

From 2000 to 2017, eviction filings in Buffalo County increased 150%. The peak was 26 filings in 2015.3

Annual filings 2000–2017 No filing data published after 2018
Annual eviction filings in Buffalo County 2000-2018 (Eviction Lab)2000: 4 filings2001: 3 filings2002: 5 filings2003: 10 filings2004: 8 filings2005: 18 filings2006: 24 filings2007: 21 filings2008: 24 filings2009: 24 filings2010: 14 filings2011: 14 filings2012: 12 filings2013: 10 filings2014: 25 filings2015: 26 filings2016: 15 filings2017: 10 filings

Data covers 2000–2018, the full span of the Princeton Eviction Lab's national county court-records dataset.

How Buffalo County compares

Buffalo County's 2.8/10 (Low, 57th of 72) tracks closely with a cluster of similarly rural Wisconsin counties - Adams, Price, Richland, Oneida, and Lafayette all fall in a comparable risk band. None of those peers sits dramatically above or below Buffalo County; each reflects the low-density, modest-rent dynamics common to Wisconsin eviction laws's non-metro counties. Buffalo County's score is also well below the Wisconsin eviction laws average of 3.1/10, reinforcing its standing as one of the more landlord-stable environments in the state. The narrow spread between Buffalo County's lowest-scoring community (2.5) and highest (3) further distinguishes it from peer counties that tend to show wider intra-county variation driven by a larger anchor city.

Peer counties in Wisconsin

Same state, closest by population and Eviction Risk Score
Peer county
Adams County eviction risk
2.9
/ 10 · Low
Pop. 6.4K
Peer county
Price County eviction risk
2.8
/ 10 · Low
Pop. 5.5K
Peer county
Oneida County eviction risk
2.8
/ 10 · Low
Pop. 10.0K
Peer county
Richland County eviction risk
2.9
/ 10 · Low
Pop. 7.9K

Where eviction risk concentrates in Buffalo County

Top cities + top neighborhoods · click any card for the full breakdown

Top cities by population

Frequently asked

Frequently asked questions about Buffalo County

Q1

What is the eviction risk range in Buffalo County?

Scores range from 2.5 to 3 across 8 cities in Buffalo County. The 2.8 average masks meaningful intra-county variance.
Q2

What is the renter share in Buffalo County?

34.1% of households in Buffalo County are renter-occupied per ACS 2023 5-year estimates.
Q3

What is the average rent in Buffalo County?

Average gross rent across Buffalo County averages $818/month.