Hamilton County, Florida Eviction Risk: Very Low

Hamilton County sits in Florida's rural north, bordering Georgia along the Suwannee River corridor. With a total population of roughly 5,155 residents spread across three incorporated cities - Jasper, Jennings, and White Springs - it is one of Florida's smallest and most sparsely settled counties. The Eviction Risk Map scores Hamilton County at 2.2/10 (Low), placing it 52nd out of 67 Florida counties. That ranking means 51 counties carry higher eviction risk and only 15 are less risky, putting Hamilton firmly in the lower-risk third of the state. For landlords evaluating north Florida markets, this is among the quieter operating environments the state offers.

The low composite score should not obscure the economic strain renters here face. Average rent runs $752 per month, and average rent burden sits at 34.5% of renter household income - above the 30% threshold that housing researchers use to define cost stress. Average poverty stands at 29.2%, and 45.2% of occupied housing units are renter-occupied. That combination - high renter share, high poverty, and rent burden pushing past cost-stress thresholds - means cash-flow risk for landlords is real even when the regulatory environment is permissive. Within the county, White Springs carries the highest city-level score at 2.7/10, followed by Jasper at 2.1/10 and Jennings at 2/10. White Springs, with a population of 919, has the smallest base but the highest concentration of risk factors among the three cities.

Florida's landlord-tenant framework governs Hamilton County under Fla. Stat. § 83 Part II (Residential Tenancies). The law grants landlords a 3-day notice for non-payment of rent under Fla. Stat. § 83.56(3), one of the shortest cure windows in the country. Material non-compliance notices - both curable and non-curable - require 7 days under Fla. Stat. § 83.56(2). Month-to-month tenancies require a 15-day notice to terminate under Fla. Stat. § 83.57(3). For squatters or unauthorized occupants without a rental agreement, Florida's 2024 HB-621 (codified at Fla. Stat. § 82.036) allows removal without a standard notice period. Court filing fees in Florida range from $185 to $400, sheriff lockout fees from $90 to $175, and attorney fees typically from $750 to $3,500 for eviction proceedings. An uncontested case moves through in roughly 20 to 30 days; contested matters stretch to 45 to 110 days. Florida also preempts local rent control under FL Stat §125.0103, meaning Hamilton County cannot enact its own rent cap ordinance absent a declared housing emergency - a meaningful protection for landlords operating in this market.

Hamilton County's Low risk score reflects Florida eviction laws's landlord-friendly statute framework combined with a small, rural rental market where regulatory complexity is minimal - though high poverty and rent burden mean payment defaults remain a practical concern worth monitoring.