Marion County, Alabama Eviction Risk: Very Low

Marion County, Alabama eviction laws carries an average eviction-risk score of 2.2/10 (Low), placing it among the more landlord-favorable markets in the state. Ranked 61 of 67 Alabama counties, only 6 counties statewide post lower risk scores, meaning 60 others are riskier operating environments. For investors sizing up this corner of northwest Alabama, that ranking reflects genuinely favorable conditions: a small, stable renter pool (roughly 28.4% of households), an average rent of $637, and a rent-burden rate of 27.4%, all of which combine to keep eviction pressure modest across the county's 8 cities.

Within the county, scores range from a low of 1.4/10 to a high of 2/10, a tight band that signals consistent conditions across communities. That compressed spread is reassuring for portfolio operators: even the county's highest-risk city sits well below the statewide average for comparable rural Alabama markets. Peer counties such as Franklin County (1.96) and Lauderdale County (1.89) land in similar territory, reinforcing that this region as a whole trends toward the lower end of risk.

The cities inside Marion County

Hamilton, the county seat and largest city with a population of 6,922, scores 2/10, sharing that mark with Winfield (pop. 4,999) and Guin (pop. 2,381). These three account for the bulk of the county's rental housing stock and represent the highest-risk tier within Marion County, though a 2/10 in absolute terms still places them firmly in low-risk territory. Landlords concentrating holdings in Hamilton or Winfield should expect occasional tenant turnover, but chronic delinquency patterns that drive risk scores higher elsewhere are not a defining feature here.

On the lower end, Twin scores 2.5/10 and Gu-Win scores 1.9/10, while Brilliant sits at 2.6/10. These smaller communities offer the county's most favorable individual scores, though their limited rental inventory and small populations (Twin at 475 residents, Gu-Win at just 178) make them niche markets. The takeaway for landlords is straightforward: risk is genuinely hyper-local even within a single low-risk county, and the difference between the county's ceiling and floor spans a meaningful 0.6 points.

State-level laws that apply here

Every landlord in Marion County operates under the Alabama Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (Ala. Code § 35-9A). Non-payment of rent triggers a 7-day notice to pay or vacate; a lease violation requiring cure gets a 14-day notice; ending a month-to-month tenancy requires 30 days. Alabama imposes no just-cause requirement for non-renewal, and state law preempts any local rent-control ordinance, so landlords in Marion County face no additional municipal constraints on rent increases. Uncontested evictions typically resolve in 30 to 45 days; contested matters can run 60 to 120 days. Direct costs include a court filing fee of $200 to $300, a sheriff lockout fee of $30 to $150, and attorney fees typically ranging from $500 to $2,500. For a fuller breakdown, see the Alabama eviction costs guide and the Alabama eviction process overview. Alabama security deposit limits and Alabama tenant protections are also governed at the state level, with the retaliation statute at Ala. Code § 35-9A-501 and the habitability standard at Ala. Code § 35-9A-204. Landlords must provide 48 hours notice before entering a unit.

With a poverty rate of 17.3% and renters making up 28.4% of households, Marion County presents a modest but real affordability challenge for tenants, one that landlords should monitor at the city level using the grid above.