In court-decided eviction outcomes for McGehee, AR, tenants prevail in roughly 12.8% 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
25d
filing → judgment
From the moment an unlawful-detainer notice is filed in McGehee, AR until a money judgment is entered, a contested eviction takes about 25 days on average. Longer timelines mean more lost rent and higher carry costs for landlords.
Cost range
$0.9–2.3k
legal + lost rent
A typical eviction in McGehee, AR costs landlords $872 to $2,264 all-in, covering court filing fees, process-server costs, attorney time, and lost rent during the calendar between filing and possession.
Average rent
$784
33% stretched on rent
Average gross rent in McGehee, AR is $784 per month per the U.S. Census American Community Survey (5-year 2023). 33% of renter households here spend more than 30% of pre-tax income on rent, the federal cost-burden threshold.
Renters
53.1%
of households
53.1% of occupied housing units in McGehee, AR 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
36.8%
1.2% unemp.
36.8% of McGehee, AR residents live below the federal poverty line, and unemployment runs at 1.2%. 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 +4.8% (2024)
5.6
Regional political climate
County-weighted neighbor mix
5.6
State political climate
Arkansas legislature & governorship
1.8
Economic stress
36.8% poverty · 1.2% unemp.
6.4
Supply constraint
$784 average · 53.1% renters
5.7
Rent Control risk
32.6% of income on rent
8.0
Eviction process difficulty
25 days filing → judgment
1.6
Tenant organizing strength
53.1% renters
9.1
Housing court bias
County bench composition
8.7
Geographic context
Risk heat across McGehee and the region
Click any city to see its score
How McGehee compares
Risk score vs. peers, county, state, and the U.S.
Rank in Desha County
Elevated
#3of 6 cities
#3 of 6 cities in Desha County for landlord eviction risk.
Rank in Arkansas
Low
#398of 621 cities
#398 of 621 cities in Arkansas for landlord eviction risk.
vs. county · state · U.S.
Score story
Six-stop tour of the risk profile
2.2
/ 10 · VERY LOW
The verdict
A Very low-tier market.
Composite 2.2/10. Mid-range market; standard documentation usually wins. The 50-year curve shows a slow, steady climb.
50-yr trend-2.0 over 50 yr
197620012026
Steady ratchet · no large swings
25d
Typical timeline
The money
What renting (and evicting) looks like.
Rent published at $784/mo. A contested eviction takes 25 days and costs $872–$2,264 per case.
50-yr trendCalendar drag rising since '15
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
53.1%
Renters
The renters
Who you'll be renting to.
Out of 3,666 residents, 53.1% rent. 33% are spending 30%+ income on rent, 36.8% below the poverty line.
50-yr trendRenter share rising
197620012026
ACS 1970-present · once the migration overlay is in.
5.6
Local + regional
The politics
Mid-range climate. Not a coastal market.
Local & regional political climate score 5.6 and 5.6 (GOP margin +4.8% (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 1.6, housing court bias 8.7, rent-control risk 8. Standard process speed for the state.
50-yr trendProcess difficulty +-3.4 since '00
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
6.4
Economic stress
The stress
Economic pressure is the background risk.
Economic stress: 6.4. Supply constraint: 5.7. The numbers behind those: 36.8% poverty, 1.2% unemployment, 33% of income on rent.
50-yr trendTwo visible dips · '08 + COVID
197620012026
Mirrors BLS unemployment series.
US eviction landscape · timeline × all-in cost
McGehee sits in the quick & cheap quadrant
Bubble size = population · color = risk score
McGehee · 25d · ~$1.6k all-in ($63/day) · score 2.2National average: 58d · $4.6k all-inHover any bubble for stats · click to openColor: 0–4 4–7 7–10
Landlording in McGehee, Arkansas, presents a manageable operating environment for documented landlords. The Eviction Risk Score is 2.2/10 (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.
McGehee is a city of 3,666 residents where 53.1% of occupied units are renter-occupied, and the typical renter spends 32.6% of income on rent. At an average rent of $784/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 McGehee eviction process actually works
Eviction process difficulty here reads 1.6/10, 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 McGehee closes 25 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 McGehee's timeline is usually the calendar, not the motion practice. Housing court bias scores 8.7/10 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 McGehee runs $872 to $2,264 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 25 days of typical timeline and $784/month in lost rent, that crossover happens fast here.
03Operations
Security deposits, screening, and lease terms
Tenant organizing strength scores 9.1/10 in McGehee, and the city sits at the top of the rent control risk spectrum (8/10). 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 Arkansas, 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 McGehee: 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 Arkansas's statutory language. Fix those four, and most cases settle or default. Skip them, and a $2,264 all-in fight is the realistic worst case.
04bPractical traps
Local traps to avoid in McGehee
Trap · 8/10
The 5.3/10 score weighs nine sub-factors including political climate, court bias, supply constraint, and tenant organizing strength. McGehee's rent-control-risk sub-score is 8/10, driven by demographic and political pressure for tenant relief.
05FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Q1
Can I raise the rent whenever I want in McGehee?
Arkansas has no statewide rent control, meaning you can generally raise the rent as you see fit. However, you must provide proper notice, typically 30 days for a month-to-month tenancy, or wait until the end of a fixed-term lease. Don't try to raise it mid-lease unless your lease specifically allows it and you follow those terms.
Q2
What if my tenant abandons the property?
If you believe a tenant has abandoned the property, meaning they've moved out without notice and stopped paying rent, you need to follow specific legal procedures before taking possession. Don't just change the locks. Arkansas law requires you to make reasonable efforts to notify the tenant. If you don't, you could be liable for wrongful eviction. Consult an attorney if you suspect abandonment.
Q3
Do I need a specific reason to evict a tenant in McGehee?
For a fixed-term lease, you generally need a reason like non-payment of rent or a lease violation. For a month-to-month tenancy, you can terminate the lease without cause by providing a 30-day notice, as long as it's not for a discriminatory reason or in retaliation for the tenant exercising their legal rights. There is no statewide "just-cause" requirement in Arkansas.
Q4
Can I deduct cleaning fees from the security deposit?
Yes, you can deduct cleaning fees from the security deposit if the property is not returned in the same condition it was received, beyond normal wear and tear. Make sure you have clear documentation (photos, move-in checklist) of the property's condition before the tenant moved in. Remember, you have 60 days to return the deposit and provide an itemized list of deductions.
Q5
What is the biggest mistake landlords make during an eviction?
The biggest mistake is failing to follow the legal process precisely, especially with notices and court filings. Self-help evictions (like changing locks or shutting off utilities) are illegal and can lead to severe penalties. Even a minor error in serving notice or filling out paperwork can cause delays or even force you to restart the entire eviction process.
A 2.2/10 places McGehee in the 43rd percentile of Arkansas 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 McGehee (2.2/10)
Same risk band nationally · click any city for its full breakdown.
