Clarke County, Alabama Eviction Risk: Low

Clarke County, Alabama eviction laws carries an average eviction-risk score of 3.1/10 (Low) across its 8 incorporated places, yet that headline figure masks meaningful variation inside the county. Individual city scores range from 2 to 3.4, a spread that can materially affect operating conditions depending on exactly where a rental portfolio sits. With roughly 34.7% of residents renting and a poverty rate of 21.8%, demand for rental housing is real, but so is the financial pressure on tenants.

At rank 12 of 67 Alabama counties, Clarke County sits in the higher-risk third of the state. Eleven counties carry more risk; fifty-five are comparatively friendlier to landlords. Investors should read that ranking carefully: a Low overall score does not mean uniformly easy conditions, it means the county average is pulled down by several small, low-activity communities, while the two largest cities tell a different story.

The cities inside Clarke County

Jackson, the county seat and its most populous city at 4,589 residents, posts the highest risk score in the county at 3.4/10. Thomasville follows at 3.2/10 with a population of 3,619. Together these two cities account for most of the county's rental activity, and both sit at the upper end of the county's score range. Landlords concentrating holdings in either market should budget for more active tenant management than the county average suggests.

Further down the risk ladder, Grove Hill scores 2.8/10 and Coffeeville comes in at 2.9/10. The smallest communities, Whatley and Carlton, each score 2/10, reflecting sparse rental markets with limited eviction activity. The takeaway is that risk in Clarke County is genuinely hyper-local: the difference between a Jackson rental and a Carlton rental is the difference between a 3.4 and a 2.0 on a 10-point scale.

State-level laws that apply here

Every landlord operating in Clarke County works under the Alabama eviction laws Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act, codified at Ala. Code § 35-9A. Non-payment of rent triggers a 7-day notice; lease violations carrying a cure option require a 14-day notice; ending a month-to-month tenancy requires 30 days. Landlords must give tenants 48 hours notice before entering a unit under non-emergency circumstances. Alabama eviction laws imposes no just-cause requirement for non-renewal and has preempted local rent control, so no Clarke County municipality can cap rents. For a full walkthrough of timing and documentation, the Alabama eviction laws eviction process guide covers each stage from notice through writ of possession.

On the cost side, court filing fees run $200 to $300, sheriff lockout fees add $30 to $150, and attorney fees commonly range from $500 to $2,500 depending on case complexity. Uncontested cases typically conclude in 30 to 45 days; contested matters can stretch to 60 to 120 days. For a complete breakdown of what an eviction actually costs once you factor in all three components, see the Alabama eviction costs guide. Keeping units in good condition also matters: habitability standards under Ala. Code § 35-9A-204 apply statewide, and retaliation protections under Ala. Code § 35-9A-501 limit a landlord's options if a tenant has recently complained about conditions.

With a county-wide poverty rate of 21.8% and 34.7% of households renting, the financial environment varies sharply across Clarke County's 8 cities, and the city grid above is the fastest way to compare risk at the level that actually determines lease outcomes.