Estimated values: The U.S. Census suppresses field-level data for small places. Estimated from county average, pop-weighted from real underlying ACS data.
Tenant beats landlord
9.9%
/ 100 outcomes
In court-decided eviction outcomes for Humphrey, AR, tenants prevail in roughly 9.9% 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
30d
filing → judgment
From the moment an unlawful-detainer notice is filed in Humphrey, AR until a money judgment is entered, a contested eviction takes about 30 days on average. Longer timelines mean more lost rent and higher carry costs for landlords.
Cost range
$0.8-2.8k
legal + lost rent
A typical eviction in Humphrey, AR costs landlords $777 to $2,848 all-in, covering court filing fees, process-server costs, attorney time, and lost rent during the calendar between filing and possession.
Average rent
$540
39% stretched on rent
Average gross rent in Humphrey, AR is $540 per month per the U.S. Census American Community Survey (5-year 2023). 39% of renter households here spend more than 30% of pre-tax income on rent, the federal cost-burden threshold.
Renters
46.0%
of households
46.0% of occupied housing units in Humphrey, 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
25.5%
8.7% unemp.
25.5% of Humphrey, AR residents live below the federal poverty line, and unemployment runs at 8.7%. 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
Dem margin +20.1% (2024)
6.5
Regional political climate
County-weighted neighbor mix
6.5
State political climate
Arkansas legislature & governorship
1.8
Economic stress
25.5% poverty · 8.7% unemp.
4.9
Supply constraint
$540 average · 46.0% renters
4.9
Rent Control risk
38.8% of income on rent
8.8
Eviction process difficulty
30 days filing → judgment
1.3
Tenant organizing strength
46.0% renters
8.6
Housing court bias
County bench composition
8.8
Geographic context
Risk heat across Humphrey and the region
Click any city to see its score
How Humphrey compares
Risk score vs. peers, county, state, and the U.S.
Rank in Jefferson County
Very High
#1of 9 cities
#1 of 9 cities in Jefferson County for landlord eviction risk.
Rank in Arkansas
Very High
#32of 621 cities
#32 of 621 cities in Arkansas for landlord eviction risk.
vs. county · state · U.S.
Score story
Six-stop tour of the risk profile
2.6
/ 10 · LOW
The verdict
A Low-tier market.
Composite 2.6/10. Mid-range market; standard documentation usually wins. The 50-year curve shows a slow, steady climb.
50-yr trend-0.8 over 50 yr
197620012026
Steady ratchet · no large swings
30d
Typical timeline
The money
What renting (and evicting) looks like.
Rent published at $540/mo. A contested eviction takes 30 days and costs $777-$2,848 per case.
50-yr trendCalendar drag rising since '15
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
46.0%
Renters
The renters
Who you'll be renting to.
Out of 220 residents, 46.0% rent. 39% are spending 30%+ income on rent, 25.5% below the poverty line.
50-yr trendRenter share rising
197620012026
ACS 1970-present · once the migration overlay is in.
6.5
Local + regional
The politics
Mid-range climate. Not a coastal market.
Local & regional political climate score 6.5 and 6.5 (Dem margin +20.1% (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 1.3, housing court bias 8.8, rent-control risk 8.8. Standard process speed for the state.
50-yr trendProcess difficulty +-3.7 since '00
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
4.9
Economic stress
The stress
Economic pressure is the background risk.
Economic stress: 4.9. Supply constraint: 4.9. The numbers behind those: 25.5% poverty, 8.7% unemployment, 39% of income on rent.
50-yr trendTwo visible dips · '08 + COVID
197620012026
Mirrors BLS unemployment series.
US eviction landscape · timeline × all-in cost
Humphrey sits in the quick & cheap quadrant
Bubble size = population · color = risk score
Humphrey · 30d · ~$1.8k all-in ($60/day) · score 2.6National average: 58d · $4.6k all-inHover any bubble for stats · click to openColor: 0-4 4-7 7-10
Landlording in Humphrey, Arkansas, presents a manageable operating environment for documented landlords. The Eviction Risk Score is 2.6/10 (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.
Humphrey is a city of 220 residents where 46.0% of occupied units are renter-occupied, and the typical renter spends 38.8% of income on rent. At an average rent of $540/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 Humphrey eviction process actually works
Eviction process difficulty here reads 1.3/10, 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 Humphrey closes 30 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 Humphrey's timeline is usually the calendar, not the motion practice. Housing court bias scores 8.8/10 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 Humphrey runs $777 to $2,848 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 30 days of typical timeline and $540/month in lost rent, that crossover happens fast here.
03Operations
Security deposits, screening, and lease terms
Tenant organizing strength scores 8.6/10 in Humphrey, and the city sits at the top of the rent control risk spectrum (8.8/10). 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 Humphrey: 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 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 $2,848 all-in fight is the realistic worst case.
04bPractical traps
Local traps to avoid in Humphrey
Trap · 21.7 POINTS
Politically, Jefferson County voted Democratic by 21.7 points in 2020, a baseline that correlates with tenant-protective legislative pressure. Combined with 38.8% rent-to-income ratio, expect baseline enforcement of Ark. Code 18-16-101.
05FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Q1
Can I evict a tenant in Humphrey without a lawyer?
Yes, you can. For straightforward non-payment cases, many landlords handle the process themselves. However, if the tenant hires a lawyer, contests the eviction, or if the situation is complex (e.g., lease violations other than non-payment), hiring an attorney is highly recommended to avoid costly mistakes. The cost of a lawyer often outweighs the cost of a prolonged or botched eviction.
Q2
What if my tenant pays after the 3-day notice but before court?
If your tenant pays the full amount due, including any late fees as specified in your lease, within the 3-day notice period, you generally cannot proceed with the eviction for that specific non-payment. If they pay after the 3-day period but before you file in court, it depends on whether you accept the payment. Accepting partial payment or full payment after the notice period can sometimes waive your right to evict for that specific instance. Be careful.
Q3
Is there rent control in Humphrey, AR?
No, there is no rent control in Humphrey, nor is there any statewide rent control in Arkansas. Landlords are generally free to set rent prices and increase them with proper notice as outlined in the lease agreement. However, the high "rent-control-risk" sub-score indicates potential for future changes or local sentiment, so stay informed. Read more about Arkansas rent control rules.
Q4
How long do I have to return a security deposit in Humphrey?
You have 60 days from the date the tenant vacates the property and the lease terminates to return the security deposit or provide an itemized list of deductions. Missing this deadline can result in penalties, including the tenant recovering double the amount wrongfully withheld.
Q5
What's the biggest mistake landlords make during eviction in Arkansas?
One of the biggest mistakes is failing to provide proper notice or attempting "self-help" evictions, like changing locks or turning off utilities. These actions are illegal and can lead to serious legal consequences, including the tenant suing you for damages. Always follow the specific notice periods and court procedures outlined in Ark. Code § 18-17. Another common mistake is not keeping meticulous records of all communications, payments, and notices.
A 2.6/10 places Humphrey in the 95th 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 Humphrey (2.6/10)
Same risk band nationally · click any city for its full breakdown.
