Lewis County, Idaho Eviction Risk: Very Low

Lewis County sits in north-central Idaho along the Clearwater Plateau, a rural county of 2,761 residents spread across eight incorporated places. The county carries a Low eviction risk score of 2.1/10 on the Eviction Risk Map scale, placing it 13th of 44 Idaho eviction laws counties - meaning 12 counties statewide carry higher risk for tenants and 31 are more landlord-friendly. That positioning in the higher-risk third of Idaho eviction laws reflects a combination of tight household budgets and a thin local rental market, not aggressive tenant-protection law.

The rental picture here is modest by any measure. Average rent across the county runs $671 per month, well below Idaho and national norms. Even so, renters in Lewis County direct an average of 27.5% of income to housing costs, and the average poverty rate sits at 20.5% - a pairing that leaves little buffer when income dips or a landlord moves to reclaim a unit. Only about 20.5% of households rent, so the rental market is small and landlord-tenant disputes are relatively infrequent, but the households that do rent are often financially exposed. Kamiah, the county seat and largest city at 1,084 residents, carries the joint-highest city-level score at 2.3/10, as does the smaller community of Peck (194 residents). Nezperce comes in at 2.2/10, while Craigmont and Stites each score 2/10. Ferdinand, at the low end of the county range, scores 1.6/10.

Idaho's eviction framework under Idaho Code SS 6-301 et seq. (Forcible Entry and Detainer) is landlord-leaning relative to many western states. Non-payment of rent and lease violations each require only a 3-day notice before a landlord may file in court; no-cause terminations require 30 days. Court filing fees range from $160 to $260, and sheriff lockout fees add $30 to $120 on top of that. Attorney costs for an uncontested eviction typically fall between $500 and $2,500. An uncontested case resolves in 21 to 45 days; a contested matter stretches to 45 to 120 days. Idaho does not require just cause for eviction, does not cap rents, and - critically for Lewis County landlords - state law preempts any local rent control ordinance, so no city within Lewis County can impose its own cap or stabilization rule. Source-of-income discrimination is not a protected class under Idaho law, meaning landlords are not required to accept housing vouchers.

Lewis County's Low score reflects limited tenant-protection law statewide and a small, rural rental market - but a 20.5% poverty rate and 27.5% average rent burden mean individual renters here have narrow financial margins when an eviction proceeding begins.