Rawlins County, Kansas Eviction Risk: Very Low

Rawlins County sits in the far northwest corner of Kansas with a total population of 1,742 and an eviction risk score of 1.8/10 - a Low rating that places it among the three least-risky counties in the entire state. Out of 105 Kansas eviction laws counties, only 3 score lower; the other 101 carry measurably higher eviction pressure. For landlords operating in this part of the High Plains, that context matters: the tenant pool is small, turnover costs are real at this scale, but the legal and economic environment is about as favorable as Kansas eviction laws offers.

The county seat, Atwood (population 1,320), anchors the local rental market and carries the lowest individual city score in the county at 1.7/10. Smaller communities including McDonald and Herndon each score 2/10, and Ludell checks in at 1.9/10 - all well within the Low band. Average rent across the county runs $760 per month, and renters spend an average of 20.8% of income on housing costs - a rent burden well below the 30% threshold that signals housing stress. Roughly 23.8% of households rent rather than own, and the poverty rate sits at 10.3%, modest by rural Kansas standards. Together these figures point to a stable, low-pressure rental environment with limited eviction activity.

On the legal side, Kansas governs landlord-tenant relationships through K.S.A. § 58-2540 et seq. (Residential Landlord and Tenant Act). Non-payment notices require just 3 days; lease-violation cure notices allow 14 days; and no-cause end-of-term notices require 30 days. Court filing fees for an eviction action run $120 to $200, and sheriff lockout costs add another $40 to $150. An uncontested case typically resolves in 21 to 45 days; a contested one may run 45 to 100 days. Kansas does not require just cause for termination and state law preempts any local rent control - meaning no municipality in Rawlins County can impose a rent cap, which is consistent with Kansas statewide preemption policy. Attorney costs, if engaged, typically fall between $500 and $2,500. The Kansas Human Rights Commission handles fair housing complaints. Source-of-income is not a protected class under Kansas state law. Retaliation protections for tenants are codified at K.S.A. § 58-2572, and habitability obligations on landlords are set out at K.S.A. § 58-2553.

Rawlins County's 1.8/10 score reflects its very small renter population, below-average rent burden of 20.8%, and a state legal framework that gives landlords clear procedural footing with no local rent control overlay.