Monroe County, Wisconsin Eviction Risk: Low

Monroe County, Wisconsin eviction laws carries an average eviction-risk score of 2.9/10 (Low), placing it 31st out of 72 Wisconsin counties, meaning 30 counties are riskier for landlords and 41 are less risky. For investors, that middle-of-the-pack position translates into a market where eviction exposure is meaningfully below the state's most troubled areas, yet not negligible enough to ignore. Across the county's 12 cities, scores range from 2.8 to 3.7, signaling that where exactly you buy matters as much as the county-level headline.

Average rent sits at $881 per month, and renters spend an average of 25.6% of income on housing, a burden rate that keeps demand reasonably stable without pushing tenants into chronic default. The county's 36.5% renter share gives landlords a steady tenant pool, though a 14% poverty rate is worth keeping in your underwriting model when selecting submarkets.

The cities inside Monroe County

The two largest cities, Sparta (population 9,950) and Tomah (population 9,532), carry the county's highest risk scores at 3.7/10 and 3.6/10 respectively. Both are service-economy anchors with concentrations of lower-income renters, so landlords operating there should price vacancy risk and eviction cost into their returns from day one. Warrens follows at 2.9/10, matching the county average despite its much smaller size of 438 residents.

On the opposite end, Cashton and Ontario both score 3.0/10, the lowest readings in the county. Norwalk and Wilton each come in at 3.1/10. These smaller communities offer the most stable rental conditions in Monroe County, though thinner tenant pools mean longer re-leasing timelines if a unit turns over. The spread from 2.8 to 3.7 is a real difference in operating conditions, and landlords who treat Monroe County as a single market will misprice risk in one direction or the other.

State-level laws that apply here

Under Wisconsin state law (Wis. Stat. § 704, Landlord and Tenant), landlords serve a 5-day notice for non-payment of rent, a 14-day notice for a curable lease violation, and a 30-day notice for a no-cause end-of-term termination. An uncontested eviction takes 21 to 45 days from filing to resolution; contested cases can stretch to 45 to 120 days. Court filing fees run $95 to $175, sheriff lockout fees add $50 to $150, and attorney fees typically range $500 to $3,000 per case. For a full breakdown of what you will spend, see Wisconsin eviction costs.

Wisconsin state law does not require just cause to terminate a tenancy, and a statewide preemption statute bars municipalities from imposing local rent control, so Monroe County landlords face a uniform, relatively landlord-accessible legal framework. Wisconsin does not extend source-of-income protections under this statute. Landlords must provide at least 12 hours notice before entering an occupied unit under Wis. Stat. § 704.07. To understand how each step works from notice through judgment, the Wisconsin eviction process guide is the most direct resource. Wisconsin security deposit limits and Wisconsin tenant protections round out the key compliance topics to review before placing a tenant.

With a county-wide poverty rate of 14% and a renter share of 36.5%, Monroe County's risk profile is real but manageable; use the city grid above to identify which of the 12 cities aligns with your underwriting thresholds before committing capital.