Pope County, Arkansas Eviction Risk: Very Low

Pope County, Arkansas eviction laws carries a county-average eviction-risk score of 2.2/10, rated Low overall, but that headline figure masks meaningful variation across the county's 7 incorporated cities. Individual city scores range from 1.6 to 2.2 on the 10-point scale, meaning landlords in different parts of the county are not operating under identical conditions. The county ranks 16th of 75 Arkansas eviction laws counties for eviction risk, placing it in the higher-risk third of the state; 15 counties carry more risk, while 59 are less risky or more landlord-friendly. Average rent stands at $839 per month, and renters shoulder an average rent burden of 28.4% of income, figures that suggest a working-class tenant base with limited financial cushion when income disruptions occur.

At 40.3% renter share of occupied housing, Pope County leans more toward renting than many rural Arkansas markets. That concentration of renters, combined with a 19.6% average poverty rate, points to heightened sensitivity to economic shocks. For investors, this means underwriting assumptions should account for income volatility among tenants, even in a market where eviction risk scores remain at the low end of the statewide distribution.

The cities inside Pope County

Russellville, the county seat and by far the largest city at a population of 29,162, ties for the highest risk score in the county at 2.2/10. Atkins, with a population of 2,877, also scores 2.2/10, and Pottsville, Dover, and London each come in at 2.1/10. Hector scores 2/10. These differences are modest in absolute terms, but they are real: eviction risk is hyper-local, and a landlord operating in Russellville eviction risk faces a different tenant-pool profile than one holding units in a smaller community nearby.

At the low end, Appleton scores 1.6/10, the most landlord-favorable reading in the county. With a population of only 292, Appleton's rental market is thin, but the lower-risk profile reflects demographic and economic conditions that tend to produce fewer payment defaults and legal disputes.

State-level laws that apply here

Every landlord in Pope County operates under Arkansas state law, specifically the Ark. Code § 18-17 (Residential Landlord-Tenant Act). For non-payment of rent, Arkansas requires only a 3-day notice before filing; lease-violation cure notices require 14 days, and end-of-term no-cause terminations require 30 days. These are among the shorter notice requirements in the country, which is one reason Arkansas generally moves faster than most states. Understanding the full Arkansas eviction process is critical before acquiring rental properties here, as timelines and procedures vary by courthouse and circumstance.

Court filing fees run $165 to $250, sheriff lockout fees add another $40 to $120, and attorney fees for a contested matter can reach $500 to $2,500. An uncontested case typically resolves in 30 to 60 days; a contested one can run 90 to 150 days. Arkansas eviction costs therefore vary significantly depending on whether the tenant disputes the case. On the regulatory side, Arkansas imposes no just-cause requirement for terminating a tenancy and state law preempts any local rent-control ordinance, meaning no city or county in Arkansas can impose rent caps. Landlords should still review Arkansas security deposit limits and Arkansas tenant protections before finalizing lease terms, as both are governed by the same statute.

With a 19.6% average poverty rate and 40.3% of households renting, Pope County's fundamentals reward disciplined tenant screening; the city-level breakdown above shows where that discipline matters most within the county.