Decatur County, Kansas Eviction Risk: Very Low

Decatur County sits in the northwest corner of Kansas with a total population of 2,109 spread across four communities. The county carries a Low eviction risk score of 2.1/10, placing it 63rd out of 105 Kansas counties - meaning 62 counties in the state present higher risk to landlords than Decatur does. That middle-third positioning reflects a rental market that is calm but not the very quietest in the state.

The county seat, Oberlin (population 1,734), accounts for the vast majority of local rental activity and scores 2.1/10 - matching the county average. Dresden, the smallest tracked community at 60 residents, carries the highest local score at 2.3/10, while Jennings at 118 residents is the calmest at 1.9/10. Average monthly rent across the county runs $593, well below Kansas urban benchmarks, and the average rent burden sits at 25.9% of renter household income - a level that, while not trivial in a county where the average poverty rate is 12.9%, is low enough that widespread non-payment pressure is uncommon. Renters make up only 20.9% of occupied housing units, which is a thin share; single-family owner-occupancy is the dominant tenure type here.

On the legal side, evictions in Decatur County are governed by K.S.A. § 58-2540 et seq. (Residential Landlord and Tenant Act). The state imposes no rent caps and requires no just cause for lease non-renewal, which keeps the eviction pathway relatively direct when it is needed. Non-payment notices must give tenants 3 days to pay or vacate; lease-violation cure notices require 14 days; and no-cause end-of-term notices require 30 days. Court filing fees range from $120 to $200, and sheriff lockout fees run $40 to $150. An uncontested eviction typically resolves in 21 to 45 days; a contested case can stretch to 45 to 100 days. Attorney costs, if retained, generally fall between $500 and $2,500 depending on complexity. Kansas state law preempts any local rent control ordinance, so no Decatur city or township can impose rent caps above what state law allows - a consistent environment for landlords operating across multiple communities in the county.

This score reflects the composite eviction-risk conditions in Decatur County as of the latest model run, drawing on rent burden, poverty rates, renter share, local legal timelines, and statutory protections compiled by the Eviction Risk Map research team.