Clay County, Florida Eviction Risk: Very Low

Clay County carries an average eviction-risk score of 2.1/10 (Very Low) across its 10 cities, placing it 33rd out of 67 Florida eviction laws counties, meaning 32 counties are riskier and 34 are more landlord-friendly. For an investor sizing up this suburban Jacksonville market, that middle-of-the-pack standing still translates to real operating advantages: low poverty (an average of 8.5% across the county), a renter share of just 25.5% of households, and an average rent of $1,692 per month. The overall profile is one of a stable, owner-occupied suburban base where collection risk and tenant-turnover pressure are both well below the Florida eviction laws average.

The intra-county spread runs from 1.8 to 2.3, a full 1.5-point range, which matters: picking the right submarket inside Clay County can meaningfully shift your risk exposure. Rent burden averages 29.6% of household income across the county, a figure that bears watching at the city level because it is the single sharpest predictor of whether tenants run into payment trouble during a downturn.

The cities inside Clay County

Lakeside sits at the top of the local risk ladder with a score of 2.3/10, the only city in the county above 3.0. Its population of roughly 14,755 and its position adjacent to older commercial corridors help explain the elevated reading. Orange Park (2.3/10, pop. 9,055) and Penney Farms (1.9/10) follow closely, meaning the handful of denser, more economically mixed communities inside the county account for most of the variance above the county average.

On the other end of the spectrum, Asbury Lake posts the lowest score in Clay County at 1.8/10, backed by a population of 29,766. That score reflects the planned-community demographics of one of northeast Florida's most consistently high-income ZIP codes. Lakeside (2.3/10, pop. 32,105) and Oakleaf Plantation (2/10, pop. 32,070) land near the county average, offering scale without materially elevated risk. The city-by-city grid below spells out which specific neighborhoods warrant deeper due diligence before acquisition.

State-level laws that apply here

Every landlord in Clay County operates under Fla. Stat. § 83 Part II (Residential Tenancies). The Florida eviction laws eviction process begins with a notice that varies by cause: 3 days for non-payment of rent (Fla. Stat. § 83.56(3)), 7 days for material non-compliance whether curable or not (Fla. Stat. § 83.56(2)(a) and (b)), and 15 days for terminating a month-to-month tenancy (Fla. Stat. § 83.57(3)). Squatters or unauthorized occupants with no rental agreement can be removed without a prior notice period under Fla. Stat. § 82.036, enacted by HB-621 in 2024. Once filed, an uncontested case typically resolves in 20 to 30 days; a contested case can stretch to 45 to 110 days.

Understanding Florida eviction costs is equally important before budgeting a worst-case scenario. Court filing fees run $185 to $400, sheriff lockout fees add $90 to $175, and attorney fees typically range from $750 to $3,500, with the high end reflecting contested proceedings. Florida eviction laws state law does not require just cause for non-renewal, and FL Stat § 125.0103 preempts local rent-control ordinances except in a declared housing emergency, so no local cap can override lease pricing in Clay County.

With an average poverty rate of 8.5% and only 25.5% of households renting, Clay County's tenant pool skews stable relative to most of Florida eviction laws; the city-by-city scores in the grid above pinpoint which specific communities carry the most concentrated risk within that broadly favorable baseline.