Wakulla County, Florida Eviction Risk: Very Low

Wakulla County sits near the bottom of Florida eviction laws's eviction risk scale, scoring 1.9/10 and ranking 66th out of 67 Florida counties - meaning 65 counties are riskier for landlords and only one scores lower. The county's roughly 7,365 residents are spread across four small communities: Crawfordville, which anchors the county seat with about 5,732 residents; Panacea along the Gulf coast (894 residents); Sopchoppy (496 residents); and the historic fishing village of St. Marks (243 residents). With only 26.1% of households renting and a homeownership culture rooted in the county's rural character, the rental market is thin and competition among tenants tends to favor landlords.

The financial profile of Wakulla's rental market reflects that low-pressure environment. Average rent runs $1,274 per month, and the average renter household spends 28.2% of income on rent - below the federal 30% cost-burden threshold that signals financial stress. The average poverty rate holds at 6.4%, one of the lower poverty readings among Florida's smaller counties. That combination - below-burden rent-to-income ratio, limited renter population, and modest poverty - translates to fewer delinquencies and a smaller pool of tenants in financial distress. Within the county, risk does vary by community: St. Marks posts the highest local score at 2.3/10, followed by Sopchoppy at 2.2/10, Panacea at 2.0/10, and Crawfordville at 1.9/10. None of these figures approach the mid- or high-risk territory that characterizes urban Florida counties.

Florida's landlord-tenant framework under Fla. Stat. § 83 Part II (Residential Tenancies) applies county-wide, and in Wakulla it pairs with an already low-risk profile to give landlords an unusually clean operating environment. Landlords must serve a 3-day notice under Fla. Stat. § 83.56(3) before filing for non-payment, and court filings cost $185 to $400. Uncontested cases typically resolve in 20 to 30 days, with contested matters running 45 to 110 days - timelines that are firm by Florida standards and very fast compared to high-risk states. Attorney fees generally fall in the $750 to $3,500 range for eviction proceedings. Florida's state preemption statute (FL Stat §125.0103) bars local governments from enacting rent control outside a declared housing emergency, so Wakulla County cannot layer additional tenant protections on top of the state baseline - and has not tried to do so. There is no just-cause eviction requirement and no rent cap formula. Landlords can end a month-to-month tenancy with 15 days' written notice under Fla. Stat. § 83.57(3). For unauthorized occupants with no rental agreement, Florida's HB-621 (2024) codified at Fla. Stat. § 82.036 provides a fast-track removal path with no notice period required.

Wakulla County's Low risk score reflects a small, stable rental market, below-burden household rent costs, and a pro-landlord Florida eviction laws legal framework with no local rent control overlays.