Shawano County, Wisconsin Eviction Risk: Low

Shawano County scores 2.8/10 (Low risk) on the eviction-risk index, averaging across 15 municipalities with a combined tracked population of roughly 15,136. For landlords eyeing this slice of Wisconsin eviction laws, that average translates to a market where tenant-payment stress, regulatory friction, and structural vacancy pressure are each meaningfully below the state norm. Fifty Wisconsin counties carry a higher risk score, and only 21 score lower, placing Shawano County comfortably in the lower-risk third of the state.

The average rent of $831 per month and a rent-burden rate of 27.1% suggest most renters here are not dangerously overextended. The renter share stands at 38.5% of households, a size large enough to support a viable rental market without the tenant-turnover volatility that concentrates in higher-burden metros. The operating picture is genuinely favorable, though the intra-county spread from 2.5 to 3.4 is wide enough that city selection still matters.

The cities inside Shawano County

The county seat of Shawano (population 9,522) is the dominant market, scoring 3.3/10, and Cecil leads the county at 3.4/10 despite a much smaller population of 466. Wittenberg comes in at 2.8/10 with 1,027 residents. These three represent the highest-risk tier within the county, and landlords underwriting deals there should model slightly tighter margins than the county average suggests.

At the lower end of the range, Mattoon scores 2.5/10 and Gresham scores 2.6/10, each small communities where the risk profile is among the mildest in the county. Caroline (2.7/10) and Bowler (2.9/10) occupy the middle-lower band. The spread between Cecil at 3.4 and Mattoon at 2.5 underscores how hyper-local risk can be, even within a single low-risk county. Investors comparing specific properties should drill into city-level scores rather than relying on the county average alone.

State-level laws that apply here

Under Wisconsin state law (Wis. Stat. § 704, Landlord and Tenant), landlords must serve a 5-day notice for non-payment of rent, a 14-day notice for a lease violation with opportunity to cure, and a 30-day notice for a no-cause end-of-term termination. Wisconsin requires at least 12 hours notice before entry. Uncontested evictions resolve in 21 to 45 days on average; contested cases can run 45 to 120 days. Court filing fees range from $95 to $175, sheriff lockout fees from $50 to $150, and attorney fees typically fall between $500 and $3,000 depending on complexity. The full Wisconsin eviction costs picture is relevant to any landlord budgeting worst-case scenarios here.

Wisconsin does not require just cause for non-renewal, and state law preempts local rent-control ordinances, so no municipality in Shawano County can cap rents independently. For a step-by-step walkthrough of the notice and court sequence, see the Wisconsin eviction process guide. Wisconsin's retaliation prohibition is codified at Wis. Stat. § 704.45, and habitability standards fall under Wis. Stat. § 704.07, both of which apply uniformly to Shawano County landlords.

With a poverty rate of 14.9% and renters making up 38.5% of households, Shawano County's fundamentals are moderate rather than extreme, and that balance shows up in the city-level risk grid above, where even the highest-scoring city (Cecil at 3.4/10) remains well below the statewide average risk tier.