Kiowa County, Kansas Eviction Risk: Very Low

Kiowa County sits in south-central Kansas with a total population of 1,539 spread across three communities: Greensburg (pop. 722), Haviland (pop. 603), and Mullinville (pop. 214). The county carries an eviction risk score of 2.1/10 - a Low rating - and ranks 51st out of 105 Kansas counties, placing it squarely in the middle third of the state. Fifty Kansas counties carry a higher risk score, while 54 are rated lower. That middle-of-the-pack position reflects a rural market that is neither saturated with tenant protections nor under unusual rental-cost pressure.

The rental market here is modest by any measure. Average rent sits at $726 per month, and the average rent burden - the share of household income going to rent - is 24.9%, comfortably below the 30% threshold that housing researchers use as a stress indicator. About 31.2% of households rent rather than own, which is a meaningful renter presence for a county this size. The average poverty rate is 8.3%, lower than many rural Kansas counties, which helps keep eviction pressure contained. Greensburg and Haviland each score 2.2/10, the highest within the county, while Mullinville scores 1.8/10 - the lowest - reflecting its smaller, more stable housing stock.

Kansas landlord-tenant law operates under K.S.A. § 58-2540 et seq. (the Residential Landlord and Tenant Act), and Kiowa County landlords benefit from a state statute that preempts local rent control. No city within the county has enacted its own rental regulations, so state law is the only framework in play. For non-payment of rent, Kansas requires a 3-day notice before filing. A lease-violation cure notice runs 14 days, and a no-cause end-of-term notice requires 30 days. Court filing fees run $120 to $200, sheriff lockout fees range from $40 to $150, and attorney fees for eviction matters typically fall between $500 and $2,500. An uncontested case moves through in roughly 21 to 45 days; a contested case can stretch to 45 to 100 days. The habitability standard is codified at K.S.A. § 58-2553 and the anti-retaliation provision at K.S.A. § 58-2572. Source of income is not a protected class in Kansas, so housing-voucher holders carry no additional screening constraints under state law.

Kiowa County's Low risk score reflects a combination of affordable rents, a below-average poverty rate, and a straightforward state-only legal framework - with no local rent-control ordinances or just-cause eviction requirements layered on top of Kansas eviction laws statute.