Green Lake County, Wisconsin Eviction Risk: Low

Green Lake County sits in central Wisconsin along the shores of Green Lake, the deepest natural inland lake in the state. With roughly 10,578 residents spread across small lakeside communities and agricultural villages, this is one of Wisconsin eviction laws's quieter rental markets -- but quiet does not mean uniform. The county carries a composite eviction risk score of 2.9/10 (Low), ranking 32nd of 72 Wisconsin eviction laws counties for overall landlord-tenant friction. That puts it squarely in the middle of the state: 31 counties carry higher risk scores and 40 sit lower. Scores across the county's cities span from 2.7 to 3.3, a tighter spread than you find in larger Wisconsin counties, which reflects the relatively consistent regulatory environment across these small communities.

The county seat of Berlin is the largest population center, home to about 5,562 people and carrying a city-level score of 2.9/10. Markesan (population 1,275) comes in at 2.8/10, while Princeton (1,166 residents) registers slightly higher at 3/10. The city of Green Lake, a resort-oriented community of about 1,076 people on the lake's western shore, scores 2.8/10. Smaller villages show even more variation: Fairwater is the lowest-risk community in the county at 2.7/10, while the village of Marquette -- population just 232 -- posts the county's highest score at 3.3/10. Dalton, another small village not included in the biggest-cities list by population, also runs toward the higher end of local risk at 3.2/10. The county-wide average of 2.9/10 is modestly below the Wisconsin statewide average of 3.1/10, reflecting that Green Lake County's landlord-tenant landscape leans somewhat more accessible for property owners than the state norm.

Wisconsin landlord-tenant law under Wis. Stat. § 704 applies uniformly across all Green Lake County municipalities. Non-payment cases begin with a 5-day pay-or-vacate notice; lease violations trigger a 14-day cure notice; month-to-month terminations require 30 days' notice. Court filings in Green Lake County cost between $95 and $175, and uncontested proceedings typically resolve in 21 to 45 days from filing. Contested cases extend to 45-120 days depending on court scheduling and the complexity of the dispute. Landlords must give 12 hours' advance notice before entry under non-emergency circumstances (Wis. Stat. § 704.05). Wisconsin does not require just cause for non-renewal and the state preempts local rent control ordinances, so no municipality in Green Lake County can enact its own rent cap or tenant screening mandate. Renter households make up about 35.7% of the county's occupied units -- well below Wisconsin's urban core averages -- and the average asking rent of $779/month sits well under Madison eviction risk or Milwaukee eviction risk levels, with an average rent burden of 27.5% of renter household income. Poverty affects about 16.5% of county residents, a figure that shapes the economic stress underlying eviction filings even in lower-risk markets.

Green Lake County's 2.9/10 composite score reflects a market where Wisconsin eviction laws's baseline landlord-tenant statute sets the rules without local overlay. The score spread from 2.7 to 3.3 across the county's 10 tracked cities is narrow, meaning risk exposure is broadly predictable regardless of which municipality a rental property sits in. The county ranks 32nd of 72 statewide -- a middle position -- indicating that the regulatory and economic friction here is real but not among the most challenging environments in Wisconsin.