Cleburne County, Alabama Eviction Risk: Low

Cleburne County scores 3.4/10 (Low risk) on the EvictionRiskMap scale, placing it at rank 58 of 67 Alabama eviction laws counties, meaning 57 counties carry higher eviction risk. Across the county's 5 tracked cities, scores run from 1.7 to 2.2, a narrow band that reflects a consistently stable landlord environment. With an average rent of $800 and a rent burden of 27.9%, tenants here are not squeezed to the breaking point, which keeps eviction pressure low relative to the rest of the state.

For investors weighing Alabama markets, Cleburne County sits in the lower-risk third of the state. The renter share is modest at 30% of households, meaning the county leans owner-occupied, but the rental stock that does exist operates with the kind of legal predictability that experienced landlords value. The combination of low scores, stable rents, and a compact total population of 5,600 makes this a low-drama, lower-volume market rather than a high-growth play.

The cities inside Cleburne County

Heflin carries the county's highest risk score at 3.6/10 and is also the county seat and largest city, with a population of 3,467. At that score it remains firmly in Low territory, but landlords there should expect slightly more tenant turnover and a modestly higher probability of collection disputes than in smaller communities to the south and east. Fruithurst comes in at 3.2/10, matching the county average, with a population of 554.

The lowest-scoring cities, Hollis Crossroads, Ranburne, and Edwardsville, all land at 3.2/10, the floor of the county's range. Populations there are small (785, 556, and 238 respectively), and rental inventory is limited, but the operational risk is about as low as it gets anywhere in the state. The spread from 1.7 in Edwardsville to 2.2 in Heflin may look narrow on paper, but it still represents a meaningful difference in relative risk when choosing which sub-market to target. Risk in Cleburne County is hyper-local even within a uniformly low-risk county.

State-level laws that apply here

Every rental in Cleburne County is governed by the Alabama eviction laws Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act, Ala. Code § 35-9A. For non-payment of rent, Alabama eviction laws law requires a 7-day notice to quit before filing. Lease violations that can be cured carry a 14-day notice requirement, and terminations at the end of a lease term require 30 days. Once filed, an uncontested eviction typically concludes in 30 to 45 days; a contested case extends to 60 to 120 days. Court filing fees run $200 to $300, sheriff lockout fees $30 to $150, and attorney fees $500 to $2,500 depending on case complexity. Understanding the full Alabama eviction laws eviction process before placing a tenant is the best way to avoid surprises on timeline and cost.

Alabama eviction laws has no rent control and does not require just cause for non-renewal, and state law preempts local governments from enacting rent caps, so landlords operating here face a uniform, landlord-oriented statutory framework statewide. There are no source-of-income protections. Reviewing Alabama eviction costs and Alabama security deposit limits in detail is worthwhile before signing leases, since the statutory ceilings and procedural steps govern every county, including Cleburne, without local variation.

Cleburne County's 13.3% poverty rate provides useful context: it is not negligible, and landlords should screen carefully, but it has not translated into elevated eviction pressure at the county level. The city-by-city grid above shows where within the county that risk concentrates.