La Crosse County, Wisconsin Eviction Risk: Low

La Crosse County carries a county-average eviction-risk score of 3/10 (Moderate), placing it 7th out of 72 Wisconsin counties on the risk index, meaning only 6 counties statewide are riskier for landlords. That positioning in the higher-risk third of Wisconsin matters: with 43.8% of residents renting and an average rent burden of 27.8% of income, a meaningful share of tenants are financially stretched in ways that translate to late payments and, eventually, eviction proceedings. Investors underwriting deals here should treat the county average as a starting floor, not a ceiling.

Across the county's 12 cities, the picture is more granular than the aggregate suggests. Individual city scores span from 3.5 to 4.7, a spread wide enough that two properties in different La Crosse County communities can represent meaningfully different risk profiles for a landlord's portfolio. Average rent sits at $1,077, and a poverty rate of 14.8% across the county underscores that affordability pressures are genuine and unevenly distributed across communities.

The cities inside La Crosse County

The highest-risk city in the county is Holmen, scoring 4.7/10, with a population of 11,372. That score at the top of the county range flags it as a market where landlords should stress-test tenant screening and cash-flow assumptions more carefully. Close behind is La Crosse itself, the county seat, scoring 4.5/10 with a population of 51,356, making it by far the largest rental market in the county. A university-adjacent renter base and concentrated poverty in certain neighborhoods drive that score; landlords owning multiple units in La Crosse face the broadest exposure to that risk.

On the lower end of the spectrum, West Salem scores 3.5/10 and Onalaska scores 3.7/10, both representing meaningfully more stable operating conditions within the same county lines. French Island and Bangor both land at 3.8/10. The lesson for investors is straightforward: risk in La Crosse County is hyper-local, and a city-level score should drive due diligence more than the county average alone.

State-level laws that apply here

Every landlord in La Crosse County operates under Wisconsin state law, governed by Wis. Stat. § 704 (Landlord and Tenant). For non-payment of rent, landlords must serve a 5-day notice before filing. Lease violations that can be cured require a 14-day notice, and no-cause terminations at the end of a term require 30 days. Understanding the Wisconsin eviction process is essential before acquiring rental property here: an uncontested case resolves in 21 to 45 days, but a contested filing can run 45 to 120 days, during which a unit generates no rent. Court filing fees range from $95 to $175, sheriff lockout fees run $50 to $150, and attorney fees typically fall between $500 and $3,000, depending on complexity.

Wisconsin eviction costs are only one part of the regulatory picture. On the landlord-favorable side, Wisconsin state law preempts local rent control ordinances, so no La Crosse County municipality can impose rent caps. Just-cause eviction requirements do not apply statewide, giving landlords flexibility on lease non-renewals. Entry notice is set at 12 hours under Wis. Stat. § 704. Retaliation protections are codified under Wis. Stat. § 704.45, so landlords should document all repair requests and rent increases carefully to avoid exposure.

With a poverty rate of 14.8% and renters making up 43.8% of the county population, the economic headwinds facing La Crosse County tenants are real, and that stress shows up unevenly across the 12 cities in the grid above, each carrying its own distinct risk score.