Osage County, Kansas Eviction Risk: Very Low

Osage County, Kansas earns a Low eviction risk score of 2.2/10, placing it 46th out of 105 Kansas eviction laws counties on the Eviction Risk Map. That ranking puts it squarely in the middle third of the state: 45 counties carry higher risk and 59 sit lower, so landlords here operate in a measurably calmer legal environment than in the majority of Kansas jurisdictions. With a total population of 10,115 spread across 11 municipalities and a renter share of just 23.4%, the county's rental market is modest in scale but consistent in character - small towns, modest rents, and a tenant-law framework that closely tracks the statewide baseline set by K.S.A. § 58-2540 et seq. (Residential Landlord and Tenant Act).

The county seat, Lyndon, anchors the county government, while Osage City (population 2,828) is the largest residential hub and scores 2.3/10 - just a tick above the county average. Scranton (population 911) edges up to 2.4/10, and the county's highest-scoring city, Quenemo, reaches 2.6/10. Lyndon itself is the lowest-risk city in the county at 1.7/10, and Overbrook (population 1,113) scores a flat 2/10. Across all 11 cities, scores range from that low of 1.7 to the high of 2.6 - a narrow band that signals a structurally uniform operating environment with little intra-county volatility. Average monthly rent across the county is $772, well below the national average, which helps explain a rent burden of 28.1% - elevated relative to the affordable rent level but still below the 30% threshold commonly used as the hardship cutoff. Average poverty sits at 13.1%, a figure worth tracking as it can translate directly into payment-default risk.

On the legal side, Kansas does not require just cause for eviction, imposes no rent cap, and through a statewide preemption statute blocks any Osage County municipality from enacting local rent control. Source-of-income is not a protected class under Kansas fair housing law. Non-payment notices run 3 days under K.S.A. § 58-2540 et seq., lease-violation cure notices run 14 days, and no-cause end-of-term notices require 30 days. Court filing fees run $120-$200, sheriff lockout fees $40-$150, and attorney fees typically land between $500 and $2,500. Uncontested cases resolve in 21-45 days; contested matters can stretch to 45-100 days. Retaliation protections under K.S.A. § 58-2572 and habitability duties under K.S.A. § 58-2553 apply statewide and landlords should be familiar with both statutes before serving any notice.

Scores across Osage County's 11 cities range from 1.7/10 (Lyndon) to 2.6/10 (Quenemo), a narrow band consistent with a rural county operating entirely under the Kansas eviction laws statewide landlord-tenant framework with no local ordinance overlays.