Pike County, Arkansas Eviction Risk: Very Low

Pike County's average eviction-risk score of 1.8/10 (Low) places it comfortably toward the landlord-friendly end of the Arkansas eviction laws spectrum. Ranked 49 of 75 counties statewide, where rank 1 is the highest-risk, it sits squarely in the middle third of the state, meaning 48 counties carry more risk and only 26 are meaningfully calmer. For landlords and investors, that translates to a small rental market, roughly 31.4% renter share across a total county population of 4,689, where the competitive dynamics rarely drive the kind of tenant-side leverage that pushes risk scores higher in urban Arkansas eviction laws markets.

Scores across the county's five cities span a tight range of 1.4 to 1.9, so even the upper end stays solidly Low. Average rent of $603 per month is well below state urban averages, and a rent burden of 34.3% signals that a meaningful share of tenants are stretched, a factor worth weighting when underwriting tenant quality. The poverty rate sits at 24%, which reinforces the need for disciplined screening, even in a low-risk environment.

The cities inside Pike County

The two highest-scoring cities, Murfreesboro (1.9/10, population 1,819) and Delight (1.9/10, population 312), share the county's peak risk reading, but that ceiling is still Low by any statewide benchmark. Glenwood, the county's largest city at 1,841 residents, scores 1.8/10, sitting right at the county average. These three communities account for the bulk of the county's rental inventory and represent the most active submarkets for buy-and-hold investors.

Risk falls further in the smaller communities. Kirby scores 1.5/10 (population 579) and Daisy comes in at the county floor of 1.4/10 (population 138). Daisy and Kirby illustrate how hyper-local conditions, smaller populations, lower turnover, tighter community oversight of rentals, can compress risk even within a county already rated Low. An investor comparing submarkets should not assume the county average tells the whole story.

State-level laws that apply here

Arkansas eviction laws landlord-tenant law, codified under Ark. Code § 18-17 (Residential Landlord-Tenant Act), provides a procedurally clear framework. Nonpayment of rent triggers a 3-day notice; lease violations require a 14-day cure notice; and month-to-month or end-of-term terminations require 30 days. An uncontested case typically resolves in 30 to 60 days, while a contested matter can run 90 to 150 days. Understanding the Arkansas eviction laws eviction process in detail matters here because, even in a low-risk county, a single contested case can tie up a unit for five months. Court filing fees run $165 to $250, sheriff lockout fees add $40 to $120, and attorney fees range from $500 to $2,500 depending on complexity. Arkansas eviction costs therefore scale with whether the tenant contests, making tenant screening the most effective cost-control lever available. The state does not require just cause for non-renewal, imposes no rent cap, and state law preempts any local rent-control effort, leaving Pike County landlords operating under a predictable, landlord-neutral regulatory environment.

With a poverty rate of 24% and a renter share of 31.4%, Pike County is a thin but navigable rental market, and the city-by-city grid above shows how scores shift from Murfreesboro and Delight at the top of the county range down to Daisy at 1.4/10.