Pawnee County, Kansas Eviction Risk: Very Low

Pawnee County sits in central Kansas with a total population of 3,944 and a rental market that is notably calm by statewide standards. The county earns a 2/10 Low eviction risk score and ranks 81st of 105 Kansas eviction laws counties, meaning 80 counties carry higher risk. That position puts Pawnee firmly in the lower-risk third of the state - a meaningful distinction for landlords evaluating acquisition targets or for renters gauging housing stability.

The county seat and dominant community is Larned, home to 3,423 residents and a risk score of 2/10. The remaining cities tracked in the county - Burdett (population 329), Garfield (population 126), and Rozel (population 66) - follow a similar pattern, with scores ranging from 1.9/10 in Rozel to 2.1/10 in Garfield. That narrow band of 0.2 points from the lowest to the highest city reflects genuine uniformity across the county rather than a few outliers pulling the average. Average rent across the county is $806 per month, and the average rent burden sits at 29.3% of household income - below the 30% threshold that housing researchers commonly use as the line between manageable and stressed. Renter households make up 39.2% of the county's occupied housing stock, and the average poverty rate is 12.1%.

Kansas eviction laws landlord-tenant law is governed by K.S.A. § 58-2540 et seq. (Residential Landlord and Tenant Act), and state law preempts any local rent control ordinance, so no city in Pawnee County can cap rent increases independent of what the legislature allows. There is no just-cause-required eviction standard at the state level. Non-payment of rent triggers a 3-day notice requirement; lease violations require a 14-day cure notice; no-cause end-of-term terminations require 30 days. Court filing fees run $120 to $200, sheriff lockout fees range from $40 to $150, and attorney fees for an eviction action typically fall between $500 and $2,500. An uncontested case resolves in 21 to 45 days; a contested one can run 45 to 100 days. Fair housing complaints are handled by the Kansas Human Rights Commission, and retaliation against a tenant for exercising a legal right is prohibited under K.S.A. § 58-2572. Habitability standards are codified at K.S.A. § 58-2553. Source-of-income is not a protected class under Kansas state law.

Pawnee County's rental market is small and stable - 4 tracked cities, all scoring within 0.2 points of each other, anchored by Larned which accounts for the overwhelming share of the county's 3,944 residents and its renters.