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Palatka, FL Eviction Risk Score Putnam County · Florida · Pop. 10,650

Updated
● Elevated Risk

Palatka, FL sits at 5.8/10 — Elevated risk. 33.5% rent burden, 49.3% renters, ~30-day typical timeline.

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Score vs. benchmarks
Palatka
5.8
Putnam County
5.4
Florida avg
4.5
National avg
4.4
17.2%Tenant-law probabilityi
$1,047–3,992Typical eviction costi
30 daysTypical timelinei
5.89%Filing ratei
$996HUD 2BR FMR '25i
$901Median renti
33.5%Rent burdeni
49.3%Rentersi

Location & regional heat

Low risk
High risk
Heat = surrounding cities. Click any dot to compare.

Sub-score breakdown

Each component on a 1–10 scale. Ticks mark the 25th, 50th, 75th, and 90th percentiles nationally.

Local political climatei
3.6
Regional political climatei
3.6
State political climate
1.5
Economic stressi
8.7
Supply constrainti
7.2
Rent-control riski
7.9
Eviction process difficulty
1.9
Tenant organizing strengthi
9.3
Housing court bias
8.6
Eviction filing rate (ground truth)i
7.5
Voucher gap (market vs HUD FMR)i
0.0
Own rentals in or near Palatka?
Free consultation — local rent-control exposure, notice requirements, and eviction defense risk.

About eviction risk in Palatka, FL

Palatka, FL has an eviction risk score of 5.8 out of 10, placing it in the elevated-risk tier for landlords operating in Putnam County and the state of Florida. The score combines local political climate, court disposition patterns, cost-of-eviction estimates, tenant organizing strength, and the likelihood of new tenant-protective legislation in the next legislative cycle.

Census ACS 2023 5-year estimates show median gross rent as a percentage of household income is 33.5% — a core driver of eviction filings, because households above 30% of income on rent are statistically more likely to miss a payment after any income shock. Median gross rent in Palatka is $901/month. About 49.3% of occupied units here are renter-occupied.

Economic stress: poverty rate 34.1%, unemployment 7.3%. Higher values correlate with higher eviction filing rates and longer court timelines.

Political climate: In 2020, Putnam County voted Republican by 41.2 points — classified as strongly landlord-leaning for purposes of rent-control or just-cause expansion risk.

What this score means for landlords

At 5.8/10, Palatka is an elevated-risk environment. Tenant protections are stronger than the national median. Use proactive screening, document notices in writing, and understand your specific just-cause and rent-cap exposure before raising rent or terminating a tenancy.

Nearby Cities — Eviction Risk Comparison

City Distance Population Risk score
East Palatka, FL 4.7 mi 1,494 5.4
Welaka, FL 11.1 mi 1,082 5.6
Pomona Park, FL 11.2 mi 755 5.7
Hastings, FL 11.7 mi 432 4.8
Interlachen, FL 13.2 mi 1,923 5.5
Flagler Estates, FL 13.2 mi 4,321 4.4
Crescent City, FL 17.5 mi 1,944 2.8
Lake Kerr, FL 21.6 mi 1,697 4.5

Landlord Guides & Research Tools

Deepen your research with these guides. The metrics powering this score feed directly into each breakdown.

Landlord Guides for Florida

Eviction Costs — Florida →
Filing fees, attorney fees, lost rent, sheriff lockout
Eviction Process — Florida →
Step-by-step timeline, notices, statute cites
Rent Control — Florida →
Statewide caps, local ordinances, just-cause
Tenant Screening — Florida →
5-point protocol, legal rules, protected classes
Tenant Protections — Florida →
Just cause, retaliation, habitability, entry