Custer County, Idaho Eviction Risk: Very Low

Custer County sits in the high-desert mountains of central Idaho, a sparsely populated jurisdiction of 1,189 residents where the rental market operates at a significantly different scale than the state's urban counties. The Eviction Risk Map research team scores the county at 1.8/10 (Low) - placing it 38th of 44 Idaho eviction laws counties, which means 37 counties carry higher eviction risk. That bottom-third ranking reflects a combination of modest rent levels, a below-average rent burden, and a state legal framework that is straightforwardly landlord-permissive.

The three tracked cities - Challis (county seat, population 854, score 1.8/10), Stanley (population 319, score 1.9/10), and Clayton (population 16, score 1.9/10) - cluster tightly near the county average. Stanley and Clayton tie as the riskiest localities, though a 1.9/10 score still sits firmly in Low territory statewide. Average rent across the county runs $539/month, and the average rent burden of 19.8% falls well under the 30% threshold economists use to define cost-stressed households. That said, a poverty rate of 15.8% is a signal worth watching: in a county with so few renters - only 30.1% of households rent - a concentrated pocket of financial stress can push eviction filings disproportionately fast when income shocks hit.

Idaho eviction laws's eviction framework, codified under Idaho Code § 6-301 et seq. (Forcible Entry and Detainer), sets some of the shorter notice timelines in the Mountain West. Landlords may serve a 3-day notice for non-payment of rent or a curable lease violation, and a 30-day notice for no-cause termination at end of term - none of which require just cause. Idaho does not protect source of income under fair housing rules, and the state preempts any local attempt to impose rent control, so Custer County cities have no independent authority to establish caps or tenant-protection ordinances. Court filing fees run $160 to $260, sheriff lockout costs range from $30 to $120, and attorney fees for a contested matter typically fall between $500 and $2,500. An uncontested eviction resolves in 21 to 45 days; a contested case can run 45 to 120 days. Tenant retaliation protections exist under Idaho Code § 6-320, which also covers habitability standards - landlords who raise rent immediately after a repair request can face a retaliation defense in court, even in a permissive jurisdiction like this one.

With only 3 tracked cities and a total county population under 1,200, Custer County's eviction numbers are small in absolute terms - even a handful of filings can shift the rate meaningfully, so landlords should interpret trends over multiple years rather than reacting to a single season.