Garfield County, Colorado Eviction Risk: Moderate

Garfield County carries a 4.4/10 Moderate eviction-risk score, placing it 15th out of 64 Colorado eviction laws counties, meaning 14 counties are riskier and 49 are more landlord-friendly. That middle-of-the-pack average, however, masks a meaningful spread across the county's 11 cities, where scores run from 4.1 to 5.1, a range wide enough to shift a portfolio's risk profile considerably depending on which submarket a landlord chooses. Average rent sits at $1,596 per month against a rent burden of 28.5%, and roughly 35.1% of households rent, giving landlords a reasonably broad tenant base relative to other rural Colorado eviction laws markets.

Compared with neighboring counties, Garfield County (5.2) scores higher than Eagle County (4.98), La Plata County (4.93), and Fremont County (4.81), but lower than Mesa County (5.39) and Montrose County (5.55). Investors evaluating western Colorado should treat Garfield County as a moderately elevated market, one that rewards careful city-level due diligence rather than a blanket strategy across the whole county.

The cities inside Garfield County

The highest-risk city in the county is Collbran, scoring 5.1/10 with a population of 10,570. That score puts Rifle meaningfully above the county average and signals a combination of economic pressures and tenant-stability factors that warrant conservative underwriting. Battlement Mesa comes in second at 4.1/10 (population 5,755), and New Castle checks in at 4.1/10 (population 4,880). These three cities make up most of the county's elevated-risk concentration and deserve the closest scrutiny from any investor screening for cash-flow reliability.

At the lower-risk end, Carbondale scores 4.6/10 (population 6,637) and Glenwood Springs scores 4.5/10 (population 10,241), making them the most landlord-favorable cities of meaningful size in the county. Chacra (4.2/10) and Parachute (4.8/10) round out the lower tier. The contrast between Rifle at 6.1 and Carbondale at 4.4 underscores how hyper-local eviction risk can be, two cities fewer than 30 miles apart carry materially different operating environments.

State-level laws that apply here

All landlords in Garfield County operate under Colorado state law, specifically C.R.S. § 38-12 (Tenants and Landlords). For nonpayment of rent or a material lease violation, Colorado requires a 10-day notice to the tenant. A substantial violation triggers a shorter 3-day notice, while a no-fault termination, such as an owner move-in or renovation, now requires a 90-day notice under HB24-1098. Just-cause eviction requirements apply statewide, so landlords must document a legitimate basis before proceeding. Landlords must also give 48 hours notice before entering a unit under C.R.S. § 38-12-503.

Understanding the full Colorado eviction process is essential before purchasing rental property here. Court filing fees run $105 to $200, sheriff lockout fees add $50 to $200, and attorney fees commonly range from $750 to $3,500. Uncontested cases resolve in 21 to 45 days; contested matters stretch to 60 to 120 days. Colorado eviction costs can therefore reach several thousand dollars per incident even in a routine case, which is precisely why investors should stress-test net operating income against that downside before acquisition. Colorado has no statewide rent control cap, though landlords should also review Colorado security deposit limits and Colorado tenant protections for the full compliance picture.

With a poverty rate of 8.8% and 35.1% of residents renting, Garfield County presents a measurable but manageable risk profile, though the city-level scores in the grid above remain the most actionable guide for pinpointing which submarkets align with a given investor's tolerance.