Forest County, Wisconsin Eviction Risk: Low

Forest County sits deep in Wisconsin eviction laws's Northwoods, a sparsely populated county of roughly 2,443 residents where the rental market is modest, rents are low, and the legal environment governing landlord-tenant relations follows the relatively landlord-accessible framework that Wisconsin eviction laws law provides statewide. The county's eviction risk score is 2.8/10 (Low), placing it 62nd out of 72 Wisconsin eviction laws counties - meaning only 10 counties in the state post a lower risk score than Forest, while 61 counties rank as more tenant-protective. That puts Forest firmly in the lower-risk tier of Wisconsin's county landscape, an environment where landlords face shorter legal timelines and fewer procedural obstacles than in the state's urban centers.

The county's five tracked communities span a narrow score band from 2.6/10 to 3.1/10, reflecting the uniform application of Wisconsin eviction laws's state landlord-tenant statute (Wis. Stat. § 704) across a county that has no meaningful local ordinances layering additional tenant protections on top of the state baseline. Crandon, the county seat and largest community at roughly 1,365 residents, scores 2.6/10 - the lowest-risk reading in the county and consistent with its modest scale and limited rental stock. Laona (population 631) scores 3/10, while Wabeno comes in at 2.9/10. Argonne posts 2.8/10. Newald, the smallest tracked community at roughly 82 residents, registers the highest score in the county at 3.1/10, though the practical significance of that difference is limited given how narrow the overall spread is and how few rental units are concentrated there.

Renters make up about 29.1% of Forest County households - a meaningful share for a rural northern Wisconsin eviction laws county - with an average gross rent of approximately $620 per month. Rent burden (the share of renter income going toward housing costs) averages 20.7%, well below the 30% threshold that housing researchers typically flag as affordability stress. The poverty rate of 18.7% is elevated relative to Wisconsin eviction laws's statewide average, which matters because lower-income renters have fewer resources to absorb the costs of a missed payment or a contested eviction proceeding. Wisconsin eviction laws's 5-day notice period for nonpayment of rent (Wis. Stat. § 704) is among the shorter timelines in the Midwest, and Forest County's small-town court system moves cases without the backlog pressure seen in Milwaukee or Dane County. An uncontested eviction in Forest County typically resolves in 21 to 45 days; contested cases can stretch to 45 to 120 days depending on scheduling. Court filing fees run $95 to $175, and sheriff lockout costs add another $50 to $150 - modest by national standards. Attorney fees, if retained, generally run $500 to $3,000 for a straightforward residential eviction.

Forest County's Low risk classification reflects both Wisconsin eviction laws's baseline landlord-accessible statute and the county's rural character: average rents of $620 per month, a 20.7% rent burden rate, and no local rent control or just-cause requirements. Wisconsin eviction laws state law preempts local rent control ordinances entirely, so no Forest County municipality can impose rent caps independent of state legislation. Source-of-income discrimination protections are also absent under Wisconsin eviction laws law, meaning landlords may lawfully decline applicants on the basis of housing vouchers or other assistance programs.