Pierce County, Wisconsin Eviction Risk: Low

Pierce County, Wisconsin scores 2.9/10 on the eviction-risk index, a Low rating that places it in the middle third of the state, ranked 36 of 72 Wisconsin counties. That means 35 counties carry more risk for landlords, and 36 are calmer markets, putting Pierce County in a genuine middle ground rather than a clear safe harbor. Across all 11 cities tracked, the average rent sits at $1,096 per month and rent burden runs at 25.5% of income, both figures that point to a tenant base that can generally carry its obligations without chronic stress, contributing to that low overall risk reading.

The intra-county spread, from 2.7 to 3.8, is narrow enough that no single city dramatically skews the picture, but it is wide enough to matter when choosing where to acquire or manage property. Landlords operating across the county's 27,952 total residents will find conditions that are broadly manageable under Wisconsin state law, though the specific city of investment still deserves its own due diligence.

The cities inside Pierce County

Prescott carries the highest eviction risk in the county at 3.8/10, and with a population of 4,503 it is one of the larger communities in Pierce County. Ellsworth follows at 3.6/10 with 3,349 residents. Both cities sit above the county average and warrant closer scrutiny on tenant screening and lease enforcement procedures before committing capital. River Falls, the county's largest city at 16,719 people, comes in at 2.9/10, exactly matching the county average, making it the volume market with moderate, well-defined risk.

On the lower end of the range, Hager City scores 2.7/10 and Plum City scores 2.8/10, representing the most landlord-stable conditions in Pierce County. Spring Valley and Bay City each score 3.1/10, offering a step up in population density while still staying well below the county ceiling. Risk is genuinely hyper-local here: the gap between Hager City and Prescott spans more than a full point on a 10-point scale, which can translate directly into differences in eviction frequency, legal costs, and vacancy cycles.

State-level laws that apply here

All landlords in Pierce County operate under Wisconsin eviction process rules set by Wis. Stat. § 704 (Landlord and Tenant). For non-payment of rent, Wisconsin requires a 5-day notice before filing. Lease violations give tenants 14 days to cure, and a no-cause or end-of-term termination requires 30 days notice. Once filed, an uncontested case resolves in 21 to 45 days; a contested case 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 from $500 to $3,000, so a fully litigated eviction can cost meaningfully more than the filing fee alone. Wisconsin eviction costs are therefore a real line item in any operating budget.

On the regulatory side, Wisconsin does not require just cause for non-renewal, and state law preempts any local rent control ordinance, so landlords face no patchwork of city-level caps across Pierce County's municipalities. Entry notice is set at 12 hours under state law. For a full breakdown of tenant rights and lease rules, the Wisconsin tenant protections guide covers the statutory framework in detail. The Wisconsin Equal Rights Division handles fair housing complaints; note that source of income is not a protected class under current state statute.

With an average poverty rate of 13% and roughly 40% of residents renting, Pierce County has a sizable renter base operating with moderate economic pressure, a combination that explains both the manageable risk scores and the importance of reviewing each city's individual rating in the grid above before making investment decisions.