Clark County, Idaho Eviction Risk: Very Low

Clark County sits in eastern Idaho's high desert, covering a wide stretch of sparsely settled land with a total population of just 604 residents. With an average eviction risk score of 1.8/10, the county ranks 39th out of 44 Idaho eviction laws counties for tenant-side risk - meaning 38 counties carry higher eviction risk for renters and only 5 are considered more landlord-friendly. That places Clark County firmly in Idaho eviction laws's lowest-risk tier, where state law governs landlord-tenant relations without any local overlay to complicate the picture.

The county's two incorporated places tell a compact story. Dubois (population 585) is the county seat and dominant community, carrying a score of 1.8/10 that tracks closely with the county average. Spencer, a hamlet of just 19 residents, scores slightly higher at 2.4/10 - the county's ceiling - though neither figure signals meaningful tenant-protection pressure by any measure. Average monthly rent runs $770, and the average rent burden lands at 31.1% of renter household income. About 35% of occupied units are renter-occupied, with a poverty rate of 13.9% - numbers that reflect the economic reality of a rural, agriculture-adjacent county rather than a tight urban rental market.

Landlords operating in Clark County work under Idaho Code SS 6-301 et seq. (Forcible Entry and Detainer), Idaho's primary eviction framework. The statute allows a 3-day notice to pay or vacate for non-payment of rent and an equal 3-day cure notice for lease violations. No-cause terminations at the end of a lease term require a 30-day notice. Idaho does not require just cause to terminate a tenancy, and the state actively preempts local governments from enacting rent control ordinances, so Clark County landlords face no local rent-cap exposure now or in the future. Court filing fees range from $160 to $260, sheriff lockout fees from $30 to $120, and legal representation typically runs $500 to $2,500 depending on case complexity. An uncontested eviction resolves in roughly 21 to 45 days; a contested case extends to 45 to 120 days. Tenant retaliation and habitability protections are codified under Idaho Code SS 6-320, and fair housing complaints route through the Idaho Human Rights Commission. Source-of-income is not a protected class under Idaho state law, which gives landlords broad screening discretion.

Clark County's eviction risk score reflects a combination of low average rents, a modest but not extreme rent burden, and a state legal framework that gives landlords clear procedural footing - no rent caps, no just-cause requirement, and short cure-notice windows.