Jackson County, Wisconsin Eviction Risk: Low

Jackson County sits in west-central Wisconsin eviction laws along the Black River corridor, a mostly rural county of around 20,000 residents with a relatively small renter population - only about 27.6% of households rent, and the average monthly rent of $619 is well below the state norm. The county carries an eviction risk score of 3/10 (Low), placing it 19th out of 72 Wisconsin counties, which puts it in the higher-risk third of the state even though its absolute score reads low. Eighteen Wisconsin eviction laws counties score higher and 53 score lower, meaning Jackson County is meaningfully toward the tenant-risk end of the state distribution without approaching the most-stressed urban markets.

Within the county, risk is not uniform. Black River Falls, the county seat and by far the largest community, anchors the lower end of the range at 2.8/10 - its population of 3,546 and more stable rental market pull the county average down. At the other end, Merrillan (3.4/10) and Millston (3.4/10) sit at the county's high-water mark of 3.4/10, driven by tighter vacancy conditions, higher poverty rates relative to their small size, and limited local housing stock that gives landlords more leverage in any eviction proceeding. Mission (3.3/10), Alma Center (3.2/10), Hatfield (3.2/10), and Sand Pillow (3.2/10) cluster in the middle of the county range, each showing somewhat elevated tenant vulnerability compared to Black River Falls eviction risk. Fairchild (3.1/10) and Melrose (3/10) round out the set near the county average. The spread from 2.8 to 3.4/10 is modest by statewide standards, but it is meaningful when you consider that every community in that range operates under the same state statute with no local ordinance overlay - Wisconsin eviction laws preempts local rent control, so tenant protections are uniform and come entirely from Wis. Stat. § 704.

The broader economic picture reinforces the county's position. Average rent burden across Jackson County is 25.2%, a moderate figure that nonetheless reflects the constrained incomes of a county where 13.3% of residents live below the poverty line. That combination - low rents but also low incomes - means a single job disruption or unexpected expense can push a renter into non-payment territory quickly. Under Wis. Stat. § 704, a landlord may serve a 5-day notice for non-payment of rent, one of the shorter cure windows among states in the Midwest. An uncontested eviction proceeding in Jackson County typically concludes in 21 to 45 days from filing, with court filing fees running $95 to $175 and sheriff lockout fees adding another $50 to $150 - costs that are relatively accessible for landlords compared to high-fee jurisdictions. Renters facing a contested proceeding face a timeline of 45 to 120 days and attorney costs that can run $500 to $3,000 if counsel is retained. Wisconsin eviction laws does not protect source of income at the state level, and no just-cause requirement applies to evictions here, meaning a landlord may issue a 30-day no-cause notice at lease end without stating a reason.

Jackson County's 3/10 score reflects a combination of moderate rent burden (25.2%), a 13.3% poverty rate, short statutory notice windows under Wis. Stat. § 704, and the absence of local tenant protections - Wisconsin eviction laws's statewide preemption statute bars any municipality in the county from enacting rent control or stronger eviction rules. The county's position at 19th of 72 statewide reflects genuine structural tenant vulnerability in a rural market where housing alternatives are limited and eviction timelines are brisk.