Hinsdale County, Colorado Eviction Risk: Moderate

Hinsdale County sits in southwestern Colorado's San Juan Mountains and is one of the least-populated counties in the United States, with a total population of just 574 residents. Despite its small size, landlords operating here operate under the full framework of C.R.S. § 38-12 (Tenants and Landlords), which extends just-cause eviction requirements and meaningful tenant protections statewide. The county earns a 4.2/10 Moderate eviction risk score, placing it at rank 48 of 64 Colorado eviction laws counties - meaning 47 counties carry higher risk and only 16 are more landlord-friendly. That puts Hinsdale firmly in the lower-risk third of the state, a reflection of low rent burden and minimal poverty rather than weak tenant law.

The county's two tracked communities are Lake City (population 561, score 4.2/10) and Cathedral (population 13, score 4.1/10). Lake City is the county seat and the practical center of all rental activity here. Average rent across the county runs $1,194/month, and the average rent burden lands at 22.7% of income - well below the 30% threshold conventionally associated with housing stress. Renter-occupied households make up 36.1% of occupied units, and the average poverty rate is 4.6%, both modest figures that help hold the composite score in the moderate range. That said, Colorado eviction laws's statutory environment means landlords cannot ignore procedural requirements even in a remote mountain county with low tenant density.

On the process side, a nonpayment-of-rent case requires a 10-day notice under C.R.S. 13-40-104(1)(d) before a lawsuit can be filed. Material lease violations also carry a 10-day cure period under C.R.S. 13-40-104(1)(e), while a substantial violation compresses to a 3-day notice under C.R.S. 13-40-107.5. No-fault terminations - owner move-in, renovation, or end-of-lease for a legitimate business reason - require 90 days' written notice under HB24-1098, a rule that caught many Colorado landlords off guard when it took effect. Court filing fees run $105 to $200, sheriff lockout fees add $50 to $200, and attorney costs typically fall between $750 and $3,500 for a contested matter. Uncontested cases resolve in roughly 21 to 45 days; contested proceedings stretch to 60 to 120 days. Landlords must also provide 48 hours' advance notice before entering a unit under normal circumstances. Colorado's source-of-income protections are enforced statewide by the Colorado Civil Rights Division, and the anti-retaliation statute at C.R.S. § 38-12-509 applies here as it does everywhere in the state. Colorado does not preempt local rent control, though no local ordinance is in effect in Hinsdale County as of the last review date.

Hinsdale County's low population and low rent burden keep its overall risk profile mild, but Colorado eviction laws's statewide just-cause and no-fault notice requirements under HB24-1098 add procedural weight that landlords in any Colorado eviction laws county must plan for.