Coffey County, Kansas Eviction Risk: Very Low

Coffey County sits in east-central Kansas with a total population of 5,289 and an eviction risk score of 2.2/10, placing it in the Low risk category. That score still lands the county at rank 32 out of 105 Kansas counties - meaning 31 counties carry higher risk and 73 are more landlord-friendly - so Coffey is in the higher-risk third of the state despite its overall Low designation. Landlords operating here should not interpret a Low label as friction-free: the Kansas statutory framework moves quickly on non-payment cases but carries real cost exposure if a case is contested.

Burlington, the county seat, accounts for the largest share of the rental market with a population of 2,605 and a score of 2.3/10. Waverly carries the highest score in the county at 2.5/10, making it the riskiest city for landlords here even though it represents a smaller rental pool of 625 residents. Gridley, at the low end, scores 1.8/10 and is the most favorable environment in the county for owners. Across all six tracked cities - Burlington, Lebo, Waverly, LeRoy, New Strawn, and Gridley - average rent sits at $839/month, with an average rent burden of 26.8%. A rent burden under 30% is generally considered manageable, but combined with an average poverty rate of 10.9%, a meaningful share of tenants in Coffey County are financially stretched and at elevated risk of falling behind when unexpected costs hit.

Kansas eviction law under K.S.A. § 58-2540 et seq. (Residential Landlord and Tenant Act) sets a 3-day notice period for non-payment of rent, which is among the shorter notice windows nationally and gives landlords a relatively fast path to filing. Lease violation cases require a 14-day cure notice, and no-cause terminations require 30 days. Court filing fees in Kansas range from $120 to $200, sheriff lockout fees from $40 to $150, and attorney fees - if a case escalates - typically run $500 to $2,500. An uncontested eviction resolves in 21 to 45 days; contested cases stretch to 45 to 100 days and can absorb multiple months of lost rent. Kansas does not require just cause for eviction and has a state-level preemption statute blocking local rent control ordinances, so no city or county in Kansas - including Coffey County - can impose rent caps or additional tenant protections beyond the state baseline. Renter share in Coffey County averages 31.9% of households, meaning roughly one in three households is renting, which is a modest but stable rental market for a rural Kansas county.

Coffey County's 2.2/10 score reflects a rural, low-density rental market governed entirely by Kansas eviction laws state law, with no local tenant protections layered on top - a baseline environment that is relatively straightforward for landlords compared to higher-density urban counties.