Cherokee County, Kansas Eviction Risk: Very Low

Cherokee County sits in the far southeastern corner of Kansas, where the state meets Missouri and Oklahoma. With a population of 12,158 spread across 11 cities and communities, it is one of Kansas's smaller rural counties by headcount. The Eviction Risk Map research team scores Cherokee County at 2.2/10 (Low), placing it 42nd out of 105 Kansas counties - meaning 41 counties carry higher eviction risk and 63 carry lower risk. That middle-third positioning reflects a county where low rents limit financial pressure but elevated poverty and a meaningful renter share create pockets of genuine stress.

Average rent across Cherokee County runs $766 per month, among the more affordable figures in the region, yet the average rent burden still reaches 28.3% of household income. That gap - affordable in absolute terms but still consuming more than a quarter of income - is explained in large part by the county's 18% poverty rate. Roughly 28.1% of households rent rather than own, a share typical for rural southeast Kansas. The three largest cities by population are Baxter Springs (3,855), Columbus (2,881), and Galena (2,754), and they show a tight risk band: Baxter Springs scores 2.4/10, while Columbus and Galena each come in at 2.1/10. Riverton and West Mineral, at the lower end of the city list, carry the county's floor scores of 1.9 and 1.8 respectively.

The highest individual city score in Cherokee County belongs to Hallowell at 2.5/10, making it the riskiest community in the county even though it is a small settlement. Baxter Springs follows at 2.4/10 and Scammon at 2.3/10. These figures are still firmly in Low territory by statewide standards, but landlords operating in Baxter Springs or Hallowell face meaningfully more pressure than those in Riverton or West Mineral. Kansas eviction procedure runs under K.S.A. § 58-2540 et seq. (Residential Landlord and Tenant Act). A non-payment case requires only a 3-day notice before filing; an uncontested case typically resolves in 21 to 45 days, while a contested case can run 45 to 100 days. Court filing fees range from $120 to $200, sheriff lockout fees from $40 to $150, and attorney fees from $500 to $2,500 depending on complexity. Kansas has no rent control and the state preempts local rent control ordinances, so no Cherokee County municipality can impose a rent cap. There is no just-cause eviction requirement under state law, and source of income is not a protected class under the Kansas Human Rights Commission's jurisdiction here.

Cherokee County's 2.2/10 average reflects its 11 cities, with individual scores ranging from 1.8/10 in West Mineral to 2.5/10 in Hallowell - a narrow spread that signals consistent low-risk conditions across the county, rather than one outlier pulling the average up.