Woodruff County, Arkansas Eviction Risk: Very Low

Woodruff County, Arkansas scores 1.9/10 on the eviction-risk index, placing it in the Low risk tier. Spread across 9 cities in a county of roughly 4,727 residents, that average reflects a landlord environment with relatively few structural obstacles, though individual cities within the county range from 1.4 to 2.2. At rank 41 of 75 Arkansas counties, Woodruff sits in the middle third of the state: 40 counties carry more risk, and 34 are less risky. For buy-and-hold investors, the combination of a low average score and average rent of $606 signals modest but stable operating conditions, particularly for landlords who understand how sharply conditions vary from one community to the next.

Rent burden here averages 27.7% of renter household income, a figure that stays below the commonly cited 30% stress threshold for most of the market. Still, a poverty rate of 26.1% means a meaningful share of the renter population has limited financial cushion, and landlords should factor that into tenant screening and reserve planning. The renter share of occupied housing sits at 40.1%, indicating a genuine rental market despite the county's small population base.

The cities inside Woodruff County

The highest-risk city in the county is Cotton Plant, which scores 2.2/10 and has a population of 444. Patterson follows at 2/10 with 364 residents. Both scores remain within the Low tier on an absolute basis, but they sit noticeably above the county floor and warrant closer look at local vacancy rates and tenant financial profiles before committing capital.

The two largest cities, Augusta (population 1,859, score 1.9/10) and McCrory (population 1,850, score 1.9/10), are essentially identical on the index and together account for the bulk of the county's rental market activity. At the low-risk end, Fair Oaks scores 1.4/10, Georgetown scores 1.5/10, and Hunter and Fargo each score 1.6/10, though all four are very small communities. The 0.8-point spread from 1.4 to 2.2 across just nine cities is a reminder that eviction risk is hyper-local: a landlord's experience in Augusta will not necessarily mirror one in Cotton Plant even though both are in the same county.

State-level laws that apply here

All residential tenancies in Woodruff County operate under Ark. Code § 18-17 (Residential Landlord-Tenant Act). For non-payment of rent, landlords must deliver a 3-day notice before filing; lease violations with an opportunity to cure require 14 days; no-cause end-of-term terminations require 30 days. Arkansas does not require just cause for non-renewal, and state law preempts any local rent-control ordinance, so there is no cap on what landlords may charge. Understanding the full Arkansas eviction process is essential before filing: uncontested cases typically resolve in 30 to 60 days, while contested matters can run 90 to 150 days.

On the cost side, court filing fees run $165 to $250, sheriff lockout fees add $40 to $120, and attorney fees, if retained, range from $500 to $2,500. Reviewing Arkansas eviction costs in detail before any filing helps landlords budget accurately and avoid surprises. Source-of-income is not a protected class under state fair housing law, giving landlords flexibility in screening criteria, though federal protections still apply.

With a poverty rate of 26.1% and a renter share of 40.1%, Woodruff County's rental market is small but active; the city-by-city grid above breaks down each community's individual score so investors can pinpoint where within the county conditions are strongest.