Estimated values: The U.S. Census suppresses field-level data for small places. Estimated from county average, pop-weighted from real underlying ACS data.
Tenant beats landlord
16.3%
/ 100 outcomes
In court-decided eviction outcomes for Goldville, AL, tenants prevail in roughly 16.3% of contested cases. A higher number means landlords face stronger tenant defenses, longer calendars, and more required documentation, and landlord-friendliness drops as this rises.
Timeline
32d
filing → judgment
From the moment an unlawful-detainer notice is filed in Goldville, AL until a money judgment is entered, a contested eviction takes about 32 days on average. Longer timelines mean more lost rent and higher carry costs for landlords.
Cost range
$0.9–2.6k
legal + lost rent
A typical eviction in Goldville, AL costs landlords $880 to $2,643 all-in, covering court filing fees, process-server costs, attorney time, and lost rent during the calendar between filing and possession.
Average rent
$599
38% stretched on rent
Average gross rent in Goldville, AL is $599 per month per the U.S. Census American Community Survey (5-year 2023). 38% of renter households here spend more than 30% of pre-tax income on rent, the federal cost-burden threshold.
Renters
50.0%
of households
50.0% of occupied housing units in Goldville, AL are renter-occupied (vs owner-occupied). A higher renter share usually correlates with more eviction filings, more turnover, and a more active rental market.
Poverty
29.7%
5.9% unemp.
29.7% of Goldville, AL residents live below the federal poverty line, and unemployment runs at 5.9%. Both feed into the economic-stress sub-score in our Eviction Risk Score model because rent payment problems track poverty + joblessness more reliably than any other single signal.
Time machine
Scrub 50 years
197619861996200620162026
2026
● LIVE · today◀ REPLAY · historical
Nine-axis profile
9-axis profile · today
Shape of the risk surface
1 landlord · 10 tenant
Sub-scores · with sparkline
Where the score comes from
1 → 10 scale
Local political climate
GOP margin +70.2% (2024)
2.7
Regional political climate
County-weighted neighbor mix
2.7
State political climate
Alabama legislature & governorship
1.8
Economic stress
29.7% poverty · 5.9% unemp.
1.0
Supply constraint
$599 average · 50.0% renters
8.5
Rent Control risk
37.5% of income on rent
1.0
Eviction process difficulty
32 days filing → judgment
2.0
Tenant organizing strength
50.0% renters
8.5
Housing court bias
County bench composition
1.3
Geographic context
Risk heat across Goldville and the region
Click any city to see its score
How Goldville compares
Risk score vs. peers, county, state, and the U.S.
Rank in Clay County
Low
#5of 6 cities
#5 of 6 cities in Clay County for landlord eviction risk.
Rank in Alabama
Very Low
#557of 593 cities
#557 of 593 cities in Alabama for landlord eviction risk.
vs. county · state · U.S.
Score story
Six-stop tour of the risk profile
1.7
/ 10 · VERY LOW
The verdict
A Very low-tier market.
Composite 1.7/10. Mid-range market; standard documentation usually wins. The 50-year curve shows a slow, steady climb.
50-yr trend-1.4 over 50 yr
197620012026
Steady ratchet · no large swings
32d
Typical timeline
The money
What renting (and evicting) looks like.
Rent published at $599/mo. A contested eviction takes 32 days and costs $880–$2,643 per case.
50-yr trendCalendar drag rising since '15
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
50.0%
Renters
The renters
Who you'll be renting to.
Out of 55 residents, 50.0% rent. 38% are spending 30%+ income on rent, 29.7% below the poverty line.
50-yr trendRenter share rising
197620012026
ACS 1970-present · once the migration overlay is in.
2.7
Local + regional
The politics
Light-statute interior market.
Local & regional political climate score 2.7 and 2.7 (GOP margin +70.2% (2024)). State climate at 1.8, a mid-range statehouse.
50-yr trendTracks county vote margin
197620012026
Built on 50-yr presidential margins back to 1976.
1.8
State politics
The process
Moderate calendar, moderate friction.
State political climate 1.8/10 sets the legislative ceiling for landlord remedies, and it shows up in the process. Eviction process difficulty reads 2, housing court bias 1.3, rent-control risk 1. Standard process speed for the state.
50-yr trendProcess difficulty +-3.0 since '00
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
1
Economic stress
The stress
Economic pressure is the background risk.
Economic stress: 1. Supply constraint: 8.5. The numbers behind those: 29.7% poverty, 5.9% unemployment, 38% of income on rent.
50-yr trendTwo visible dips · '08 + COVID
197620012026
Mirrors BLS unemployment series.
US eviction landscape · timeline × all-in cost
Goldville sits in the quick & cheap quadrant
Bubble size = population · color = risk score
Goldville · 32d · ~$1.8k all-in ($55/day) · score 1.7National average: 58d · $4.6k all-inHover any bubble for stats · click to openColor: 0–4 4–7 7–10
Landlording in Goldville, Alabama, presents a manageable operating environment for documented landlords. The Eviction Risk Score is 1.7/10 (VERY LOW tier), drawn from the nine sub-axes shown above, covering rent-control exposure, eviction-process difficulty, housing-court bias, tenant-organizing strength, supply constraint, economic stress, and local, regional, and state political climate. This is not a quick-fix market: it's a Mid-tier market where lease drafting, screening discipline, and well-documented notices materially change outcomes.
Goldville is a city of 55 residents where 50.0% of occupied units are renter-occupied, and the typical renter spends 37.5% of income on rent. At an average rent of $599/month, the typical renter household here spends more than the federal 30% threshold on housing, a leading indicator of payment volatility and a precondition for the kinds of tenant defenses that show up most often in housing court.
01Process
How Goldville eviction process actually works
Eviction process difficulty here reads 2/10, a number that combines statutory complexity (notice categories, just-cause rules, mandatory pre-filing disclosures) with operational realities (court calendar length and clerk responsiveness). The typical contested filing in Goldville closes 32 days after the initial notice. For non-payment of rent the first step is a properly-formatted, properly-served pay-or-quit notice; for material lease breaches it's a cure-or-quit; for tenancies under just-cause protection an at-fault grounds notice (or a no-fault notice with statutory relocation assistance) is required.
The slow part of Goldville's timeline is usually the calendar, not the motion practice. Housing court bias scores 1.3/10 here, meaning judges read borderline procedural defects in the tenant's favor more often than the national norm. The practical implication: every notice and every proof of service needs to be airtight before it gets filed.
02Cost
What it costs (and how long it takes)
An all-in eviction in Goldville runs $880 to $2,643 per case once you account for filing fees, attorney time, lost rent during pendency, sheriff lockout, and unit turnover. That range is wide because the upper bound assumes a tenant answer plus motion practice, common when housing court bias is high. The lower bound assumes a default judgment after proper service.
For landlords running the numbers on holding costs vs. cash-for-keys: if your projected timeline times your monthly rent already exceeds the high-end cost number, cash-for-keys at 1–2 months' rent is typically the economically rational choice. With 32 days of typical timeline and $599/month in lost rent, that crossover happens fast here.
03Operations
Security deposits, screening, and lease terms
Tenant organizing strength scores 8.5/10 in Goldville, and the city has limited rent control exposure (1/10). Operations practice that survives audit in this environment looks like:
Screening discipline. Document income (verified at 2.5 to 3x rent), credit (with a clear minimum), and prior-tenancy reference checks, but do not screen on protected categories or source-of-income where banned. Keep a written, consistent screening criteria document for every applicant.
Lease specificity. Use a state-specific lease that names every term clearly: rent due date, late fees within statutory caps, deposit handling, smoke and CO disclosure, lead paint disclosure (pre-1978 stock), and a clean attorney's-fees clause.
Security deposit handling. Itemize deductions within the statutory window. Photograph move-in/move-out condition. In Alabama, deposit cap and refund window are statute, so exceed them at your own risk.
Mid-tenancy documentation. Keep date-stamped records of every rent receipt, every habitability request, every notice served. The day you need them in court is too late to start.
04Strategy
What an everyday landlord should actually do here
If you own one to four units in Goldville: hire a property manager who knows the local court. The pricing differential between self-managing and hiring out is small relative to the cost of one botched eviction in a VERY LOW tier market. If you own five or more: build relationships with a local landlord-side attorney before you need one, since retainer fees are negligible compared to emergency-rate billing when an eviction is already moving.
The avoidable mistakes here are all upstream of the filing: weak screening, an informal lease, sloppy rent receipts, and notice templates pulled off the internet that don't match Alabama's statutory language. Fix those four, and most cases settle or default. Skip them, and a $2,643 all-in fight is the realistic worst case.
04bPractical traps
Local traps to avoid in Goldville
Trap · R+62.5
Goldville reflects the demographic and political composition of Clay County, with eviction procedure governed at the state level. Clay County 2020 margin: R+62.5.
05FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Q1
What if my tenant claims the property has issues after I serve an eviction notice?
Tenants sometimes raise maintenance issues as a defense after receiving a notice. In Alabama, a tenant generally cannot withhold rent for repairs unless the landlord fails to maintain the premises in a safe and habitable condition and the tenant follows specific statutory procedures. Always address legitimate repair requests promptly and document your response. If they haven't followed the proper procedure to withhold rent, their claim likely won't stop a non-payment eviction.
Q2
Can I turn off utilities if a tenant doesn't pay rent?
Absolutely not. This is an illegal "self-help" eviction and can expose you to significant liability, including fines and damages. Even if the tenant is severely delinquent, you must follow the legal eviction process. Let the court handle the removal, not you.
Q3
How much notice do I need to give to raise the rent?
If you have a month-to-month lease, you generally need to provide at least 30 days' written notice before raising the rent in Alabama. For a fixed-term lease, you cannot raise the rent until the lease term expires, unless the lease agreement itself specifies conditions for rent increases during the term.
Q4
What if the tenant abandons the property during the eviction process?
If a tenant clearly abandons the property (e.g., removes all belongings, stops paying utilities, communicates they've left), you can typically regain possession. However, it's critical to ensure it's a true abandonment and not just a temporary absence. Alabama law provides guidance on what constitutes abandonment. If in doubt, consult an attorney or continue the eviction process to avoid potential claims of illegal lockout. Document everything, including photos of the empty property.
Q5
Are there rent control laws in Goldville?
No, Alabama has no statewide rent control laws, and local jurisdictions like Goldville do not have their own. This means you are free to set rent prices according to market conditions. This is a significant factor in Goldville's low rent-control-risk sub-score (0.8/10). See our Alabama rent control rules for more.
Q6
What are my responsibilities regarding tenant protections in Alabama?
While Alabama is landlord-friendly, you still have responsibilities. You must provide a safe and habitable living environment, make necessary repairs, and comply with all building and housing codes. You cannot discriminate based on protected classes under federal fair housing laws. Goldville does not have additional local tenant protections beyond state and federal law. For more, see Alabama tenant protections.
A 1.7/10 places Goldville in the 9th percentile of Alabama cities on the Eviction Risk Score index. The score is the average of the nine sub-axes, all calibrated on a national 1 to 10 scale where 1 is most landlord-friendly and 10 is most tenant-protective. The 50-year reconstruction shows this score has climbed steadily since 1976, a structural drift driven by court-calendar growth, rent-control adoption, and the rise of tenant-side legal aid. The trajectory matters more than the snapshot: the score is the climate, not the weather.
Cities with similar eviction risk to Goldville (1.7/10)
Same risk band nationally · click any city for its full breakdown.
