Franklin County, Arkansas Eviction Risk: Low

Franklin County scores 2.2/10 (Low risk) on average across its 7 incorporated places, placing it at rank 19 of 75 Arkansas eviction laws counties, meaning 18 counties carry more risk and 56 are more landlord-friendly. That positions Franklin County in the higher-risk third of Arkansas, a nuance worth understanding before assuming a low absolute score guarantees smooth operations. With an average rent of $723 and an average rent burden of 23.4%, the rental market here is modestly priced and tenants are not, on the whole, severely cost-strained, which tends to limit eviction pressure. Still, a 16.1% average poverty rate across the county averages that income volatility is a real factor landlords should underwrite for.

For investors comparing Arkansas markets, Franklin County's intra-county score range of 1.3 to 2.2 tells a meaningful story on its own: operating conditions vary by roughly a full point depending on which community you choose. Risk here is genuinely hyper-local, and a county-wide average only starts the conversation.

The cities inside Franklin County

The highest-risk municipalities are Ozark (population 3,551, score 2.2/10) and Charleston (population 2,646, score 2.2/10), which together account for the majority of the county's roughly 7,624 total residents. Both sit at the county ceiling, which in absolute terms is still a Low-risk reading, but landlords in these two larger communities should expect the full range of tenant-dispute dynamics that come with denser rental populations. Altus scores 2/10, while Branch and Denning each come in at 1.9/10.

The lowest-risk communities are the county's smallest: Alix scores 1.3/10 (population 20) and Wiederkehr Village scores 1.4/10 (population 18). These are functionally hamlet-scale markets with very limited rental inventory, so their low scores reflect limited activity more than systemic landlord advantage. The practical takeaway is that Ozark and Charleston set the operational baseline for any meaningful-scale rental portfolio in Franklin County.

State-level laws that apply here

Under Ark. Code § 18-17 (Residential Landlord-Tenant Act), Arkansas landlords must serve a 3-day notice for non-payment of rent, a 14-day notice for a lease violation with opportunity to cure, and a 30-day notice to terminate at end of term without cause. These are among the shorter statutory notice windows in the country, which is a structural advantage for landlords. Understanding the full Arkansas eviction process matters here because an uncontested case typically resolves in 30 to 60 days, while a contested matter can run 90 to 150 days. Arkansas eviction costs range from a court filing fee of $165 to $250, a sheriff lockout fee of $40 to $120, and attorney fees of $500 to $2,500 if counsel is retained.

Arkansas state law does not require just cause for non-renewal, and the state preempts local rent control, so no city in Franklin County can impose rent caps. Source-of-income is not a protected class under Arkansas state law. These are meaningful structural advantages for landlords evaluating long-term portfolio flexibility in this market.

With 34.4% of residents renting and a poverty rate of 16.1%, Franklin County carries moderate renter-market depth alongside real income risk; the city-level grid above breaks down how that translates to specific scores across all 7 communities.