Treutlen County, Georgia Eviction Risk: Low

Treutlen County sits in central Georgia with a population of 2,929 and an eviction risk score of 2.8/10 - a Low rating that places it 18th out of 159 Georgia counties. That ranking means 17 counties carry higher risk for landlords, while 141 are less risky, putting Treutlen in the higher-risk third of the state despite its low absolute score. The county's two tracked cities, Soperton and Norristown, bracket the full county range: Soperton checks in at 2.8/10 and holds virtually all of the county's roughly 2,908 residents, while tiny Norristown scores 1.8/10 with a population of 21.

The economic backdrop here adds context that the score alone does not capture. Average rent lands at $735/month - well below the statewide norm - and the rent burden rate sits at 26%, meaning the average renter household spends about a quarter of income on housing. That figure is moderate on paper, but it runs alongside a 36.3% poverty rate, which is among the highest anywhere in Georgia. When nearly four in ten residents fall below the federal poverty line, even a below-average rent can generate collection difficulty and eviction pressure on landlords who carry thin margins. Renter households make up 49.6% of occupied units, so the rental market here is roughly split with ownership - a higher renter share than many rural Georgia counties of comparable size.

Georgia law governs eviction procedure statewide under O.C.G.A. § 44-7 (Landlord and Tenant). For nonpayment of rent, landlords must serve a 3-day demand notice under O.C.G.A. § 44-7-50 before filing. A holdover or no-cause termination requires 60 days notice under O.C.G.A. § 44-7-7. Court filing fees run $60 to $250 and sheriff lockout fees add $25 to $100; attorney costs commonly reach $500 to $3,000 for contested matters. Uncontested cases typically resolve in 14 to 30 days, while contested cases stretch 45 to 90 days. Georgia does not require just cause for eviction and, critically, the state preempts any local rent control ordinance under O.C.G.A. § 44-7-19 - no municipality in the state can cap rents, including Soperton. The habitability standard sits at O.C.G.A. § 44-7-13 and retaliation protections apply under O.C.G.A. § 44-7-24, though source-of-income is not a protected class in Georgia fair housing law.

Treutlen County's 2.8/10 score reflects a landlord-lean legal environment tempered by a high local poverty rate of 36.3% that raises practical collection risk independent of the statutory framework.