Gadsden County, Florida Eviction Risk: Low

Gadsden County carries an average eviction-risk score of 2.5/10 (Low), placing it 12th out of 67 Florida counties, meaning 11 counties statewide are riskier and 55 are less risky. That rank puts the county in the higher-risk third of the state, a distinction landlords should weigh carefully despite the nominally low score label. The county's total population of 15,243 is spread across 5 incorporated cities, and the operating environment is shaped by a poverty rate of 40.4% and a rent-burden average of 39.8%, both of which elevate the baseline probability that rent collections will be tested at some point during a tenancy.

The intra-county range runs from 2.1 to 2.6, a half-point spread that is meaningful at these score levels. An average rent of $872 and a renter share of 45.2% of households confirm that a substantial portion of the local population depends on the rental market, giving landlords a workable tenant pool but one that is financially stretched. Investors evaluating Gadsden County alongside peer Florida markets should note that comparable counties such as Highlands (3.17/10), DeSoto (2.85/10), and Okeechobee (2.65/10) all sit below this county's average, reinforcing its position toward the riskier end of the rural Florida spectrum.

The cities inside Gadsden County

Risk is concentrated at the top of the city list. Gretna and Chattahoochee both score 2.6/10, the highest in the county. Gretna has a population of 1,342 and Greensboro 949, so both are small markets where a single contested eviction can disrupt occupancy economics significantly. Chattahoochee, with 2,979 residents, scores 2.6/10, placing it third. These three communities represent the tightest risk environment in the county and warrant the most disciplined tenant-screening practices before placing a tenant.

Quincy, the county's largest city at 7,942 residents, scores 2.5/10, essentially matching the county average and representing the broadest rental market available locally. Havana, with 2,031 residents, scores 2.5/10 and is the clear outlier on the low-risk end, offering landlords somewhat steadier conditions relative to the county norm. The city-level spread underscores that risk in Gadsden County is genuinely hyper-local: choosing between Gretna and Havana is not a marginal decision but a choice between the county's highest and lowest risk environments.

State-level laws that apply here

Florida eviction process rules set the procedural floor for all Gadsden County landlords. Under Fla. Stat. § 83 Part II (Residential Tenancies), a non-payment notice requires only 3 days, one of the shorter statutory windows available anywhere in the country. Material non-compliance, whether curable or not, carries a 7-day notice, and ending a month-to-month tenancy requires 15 days. An important 2024 addition: Fla. Stat. § 82.036 (HB-621, 2024) allows landlords to remove a squatter or unauthorized occupant with no prior notice period, which addresses a scenario that previously required the full eviction filing process. Uncontested cases typically resolve in 20 to 30 days; contested matters extend to 45 to 110 days.

On Florida eviction costs, landlords should budget for a court filing fee of $185 to $400, a sheriff lockout fee of $90 to $175, and attorney fees ranging from $750 to $3,500 depending on case complexity. Florida state law does not require just cause for nonrenewal, and the state preempts local rent-control ordinances under FL Stat §125.0103, so Gadsden County cannot impose caps or just-cause requirements on its own. Landlords must provide at least 12 hours notice before entry under Fla. Stat. § 83.51.

With 45.2% of Gadsden County households renting and a poverty rate of 40.4%, the financial pressure on tenants here is real, and the city-by-city scores in the grid above show precisely where that pressure is most concentrated across all 5 cities.