Madison County, Florida Eviction Risk: Very Low

Madison County sits in the Big Bend region of north Florida, a rural county of 5,452 residents where nearly half of all households rent their homes. The county carries a Low eviction risk score of 2.3/10 under the Eviction Risk Map model, placing it 35th out of 67 Florida eviction laws counties - meaning 34 counties across the state show higher eviction pressure while 32 show less. That middle-of-the-pack position is somewhat misleading in isolation: the underlying economic stress here is real and concentrated.

The most important number for any landlord or renter in Madison County is the rent burden figure. 40.5% of renter income goes toward housing costs on average - well above the standard 30% affordability threshold. Average rent sits at $807 per month, which sounds modest by Florida standards, but set against a poverty rate of 34.6% and a renter share of 44.9% of households, the math is tight for a large portion of tenants. When income is thin and rent takes up more than 40 cents of every dollar earned, a single missed paycheck can start an eviction clock. The three tracked cities in the county - Madison (the county seat, population 2,967, score 2.4/10), Greenville (population 1,650, score 2.2/10), and Lee (population 835, score 2.4/10) - show only modest variation in risk, which is typical for a small, economically homogeneous county with no urban core to generate outlier scores in either direction.

Florida landlord-tenant law governs every lease in Madison County under Fla. Stat. § 83 Part II (Residential Tenancies). The state gives landlords a relatively direct path to eviction compared to many northern states. Non-payment of rent requires only a 3-day notice under Fla. Stat. § 83.56(3) before a court filing can follow. Court filing fees run $185 to $400, and sheriff lockout fees add another $90 to $175. Attorney costs for a contested case can reach $3,500, and a fully contested proceeding can take 45 to 110 days to resolve. Florida also preempts local rent control under FL Stat §125.0103, so no city or county in the state - including Madison - can cap rent increases outside a declared housing emergency. Source of income is not a protected class under Florida fair housing law, and just cause is not required to end a tenancy. Landlords entering a unit must give at least 12 hours notice under state law, and tenants retain anti-retaliation protections under Fla. Stat. § 83.64. The habitability standard is set by Fla. Stat. § 83.51. For unauthorized occupants with no rental agreement, the 2024 law Fla. Stat. § 82.036 (HB-621) provides a faster removal process requiring no advance notice period.

Madison County's Low risk score reflects a landlord-favorable state legal framework and a small rental market with limited organized tenant advocacy - but high poverty and rent burden mean the economic conditions that drive eviction filings are present at elevated levels.