Vilas County, Wisconsin Eviction Risk: Low

Vilas County sits in the northernmost reach of Wisconsin eviction laws's lake country, a 868-square-mile jurisdiction of resort towns and tribal lands where the rental market operates on a distinctly seasonal rhythm. The county carries an eviction risk score of 3.2/10 (Low), placing it 6th out of 72 Wisconsin counties - in the higher-risk third of the state, with only 5 counties scoring riskier. Scores across Vilas County's four tracked communities span a range of 2.5 to 3.3, a notably narrow spread that reflects the county's uniformly rural, small-community character.

The county's two largest communities anchor the risk picture in different directions. Lac du Flambeau, with a population of 1,503, holds the county's highest rating at 3.3/10 - a reading shaped in part by its role as a tribal community with concentrated poverty and limited renter protections. Eagle River, the county seat and largest city at 1,528 residents, comes in at 3.2/10, functionally matching the county average. Both sit well below the Wisconsin eviction laws state average of 3.1/10, which puts the county's overall tenant-risk profile in context: even the most exposed renters in Vilas County face a meaningfully more landlord-favorable environment than the typical Wisconsin eviction laws tenant. Sayner (population 213) records the county's lowest score at 2.5/10, while Boulder Junction (population 193) lands at 2.7/10.

What drives Vilas County's position in the higher-risk third of the state despite its low absolute score is a combination of economic vulnerability and Wisconsin eviction laws's uniformly landlord-permissive statute. The county reports an average poverty rate of 24.7% - high by any measure for a Wisconsin county - and an average renter cost burden of 22.8%, with renters making up 50.6% of households across the tracked cities. Average asking rent sits at $735 per month. These factors mean that when an eviction proceeding is initiated under Wis. Stat. § 704, tenants have limited financial runway to respond. A non-payment-of-rent notice carries only a 5-day cure window; courts can move from filing to judgment in as few as 21 days on uncontested cases, and contested proceedings typically conclude within 45 to 120 days. Court filing fees run $95 to $175, with sheriff's lockout fees adding another $50 to $150 on top. Attorney costs for contested matters generally range from $500 to $3,000. Wisconsin does not require just cause for eviction and preempts local rent control ordinances - there is no municipal backstop available in any Vilas County community.

Vilas County's eviction risk score of 3.2/10 reflects a county where the statutory environment is uniformly landlord-favorable and economic vulnerability is above average. The 24.7% poverty rate and seasonal resort economy create conditions where tenant financial stress is real, even as the county's absolute risk score remains in the Low tier. Landlords operating here face a predictable, efficient court process; tenants have limited recourse once a notice is served.