Dallas County, Alabama Eviction Risk: Low

Dallas County carries an average eviction-risk score of 2.9/10 (Low), which sounds reassuring until you account for where it sits within Alabama: it ranks 1st of 67 counties statewide, meaning every other Alabama eviction laws county is less risky from a landlord's perspective. No Alabama county scores higher. The score is pulled down in absolute terms by the state's relatively landlord-friendly statutes, but the county's 27.5% poverty rate, an average rent of $701, and a rent-burden rate of 36.9% create a tenant population under real financial pressure. Investors comparing markets across Alabama should read that rank carefully.

Across Dallas County's 4 cities, individual risk scores range from 3 at the low end to 4.2 at the high end, a spread wide enough to matter when choosing a submarket. With 42.7% of residents renting, the county has a substantial tenant base, but thin household margins mean payment disruptions are a recurring operational reality rather than an edge case.

The cities inside Dallas County

Selma, the county seat and by far the largest city at 17,057 residents, carries the highest risk score in the county at 4.2/10. It accounts for the bulk of the county's rental inventory, so its score drives the countywide average upward. Landlords operating in Selma face the most challenging conditions locally, combining elevated poverty with a dense renter concentration. Valley Grande, with a population of 4,047, scores 2.5/10, a more manageable profile that reflects a smaller, somewhat more stable rental base.

On the lower end, Selmont-West Selmont scores 2.7/10 and Orrville scores 2.9/10, the two least-risky cities in the county. Both are small communities, and their scores suggest fewer compounding risk factors, though their limited populations also mean thinner rental markets. The gap between Selma at 4.2 and Selmont-West Selmont at 3 illustrates that risk in Dallas County is hyper-local: a landlord's experience can differ substantially depending on which city a property sits in, even within the same county.

State-level laws that apply here

All Dallas County landlords operate under the Alabama Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act, codified at Ala. Code § 35-9A. For non-payment of rent, Alabama requires a 7-day notice; lease violations with an opportunity to cure require 14 days; and end-of-term or no-cause terminations require 30 days. Understanding the Alabama eviction process matters here because the procedural calendar runs quickly on paper, but an uncontested case still takes 30 to 45 days to resolve, and a contested matter can stretch 60 to 120 days. Total out-of-pocket costs covering court filing fees ($200 to $300), sheriff lockout fees ($30 to $150), and attorney fees ($500 to $2,500) can reach meaningful sums before a unit is recovered. Alabama eviction costs are therefore a real line item in any underwriting model for this market.

On the regulatory side, Alabama does not require just cause to terminate a tenancy, and the state preempts any local rent-control ordinance, so no rent cap applies in Dallas County. Source-of-income is not a protected class under state fair housing enforcement, according to the Alabama Attorney General's Consumer Protection division. Landlords should verify entry-notice requirements: Alabama law mandates 48 hours notice before entering a unit under Ala. Code § 35-9A-204. These statutory defaults are consistent across the county regardless of which city a rental property is located in.

With a poverty rate of 27.5% and 42.7% of residents renting, Dallas County's tenant pool is large relative to its total population of 23,412, but financially stretched; see the city grid above to compare risk scores across Selma, Valley Grande, Selmont-West Selmont, and Orrville before committing capital to any specific submarket.