Scott County, Arkansas Eviction Risk: Low

Scott County, Arkansas eviction laws earns a county-wide average eviction-risk score of 1.8/10 (Low), placing it among the more landlord-friendly corners of the state. With a rank of 53 out of 75 Arkansas counties, 52 counties carry higher risk and only 22 are less risky, putting Scott County comfortably in the lower-risk third statewide. For landlords and investors, that translates to a market where eviction pressure is structurally modest and operating conditions are generally stable, though local economic headwinds, including a 24% average poverty rate and an average rent burden of 31.9%, are worth watching when screening tenants.

The county spans just 2 incorporated cities and a total tracked population of roughly 3,497 residents. Average asking rent runs $706 per month, and renters make up about 39% of occupied units. The intra-county risk range is narrow, from 1.2 to 1.8, which means even the highest-risk spot inside Scott County reads as low-risk on a national scale, but the gap still matters when comparing individual city markets.

The cities inside Scott County

Waldron, the county seat and by far the largest city at a population of 3,344, carries the county's highest score at 1.8/10. That figure is still firmly in Low territory, but landlords concentrating holdings there should note it is the comparatively higher-risk option within the county. The city's scale means more rental transactions, more tenant turnover, and a larger pool of applicants, all factors that sharpen the importance of consistent screening practices.

Boles, with a population of just 153, sits at the opposite end of the county range at 1.2/10, the lowest score recorded in Scott County. At that size, the rental market is thin, which cuts both ways: fewer problem tenants, but also fewer prospective renters when a unit sits vacant. Risk in Scott County is genuinely hyper-local, and investors should evaluate each city on its own fundamentals rather than treating the county average as a uniform baseline.

State-level laws that apply here

All Scott County landlords operate under Ark. Code § 18-17 (Residential Landlord-Tenant Act), the statewide framework that governs notices, fees, and tenant rights throughout Arkansas eviction laws. For non-payment of rent, the required notice period is 3 days. A lease violation subject to cure requires 14 days, and a no-cause end-of-term notice requires 30 days. Once filed, an uncontested case resolves in roughly 30 to 60 days, while a contested case can stretch 90 to 150 days. Court filing fees run $165 to $250, sheriff lockout fees add $40 to $120, and attorney fees typically range $500 to $2,500 depending on case complexity. A full breakdown of those cost components is covered in the Arkansas eviction costs guide. Arkansas eviction laws imposes no rent control and does not require just cause for non-renewal, and state law preempts any local rent-control ordinance, so the rules are uniform county to county. Landlords new to the state will find the Arkansas eviction laws eviction process comparatively streamlined relative to high-regulation markets, though cost and timeline variance between uncontested and contested cases can still be significant.

With an average poverty rate of 24% and a renter share of 39%, Scott County's tenant base carries real financial vulnerability; the city-level scores in the grid above let landlords pinpoint which specific market within the county best fits their risk tolerance.