Scott County, Kansas Eviction Risk: Very Low

Scott County sits in the shortgrass prairie of western Kansas eviction laws, and its rental market reflects the measured pace of a small, agricultural community. The county carries an eviction risk score of 2.2/10 - a Low designation - placing it 41st out of 105 Kansas counties. That ranking puts 40 counties above it in risk and 64 below it, landing Scott County squarely in the middle third of the state. For landlords operating here, the environment is stable by any reasonable measure, though it is not the most landlord-favorable county in the state.

The county's two incorporated places are Scott City, home to roughly 3,800 of the county's 3,889 residents, and Shallow Water, a small rural community of approximately 89 people. Scott City functions as the county seat and is the only meaningful rental market in the area. Average rent county-wide runs $659 per month, a figure well below the Kansas statewide average. Renters spend an average of 25.5% of income on housing - a burden rate that signals modest affordability pressure rather than a crisis. Roughly 32.7% of residents are renters, and the poverty rate sits at 8.9%, both of which are consistent with a working-class rural county where homeownership is the dominant tenure choice. The combination of low rent, a relatively contained burden rate, and a small renter population keeps eviction frequency and financial exposure low for property owners.

Kansas landlord-tenant law is governed by K.S.A. § 58-2540 et seq. (Residential Landlord and Tenant Act), a landlord-leaning statutory framework with no statewide rent control and no just-cause eviction requirement. Kansas also preempts any local rent control ordinance, so Scott County landlords face no local rent caps now or in the future. Non-payment of rent triggers a 3-day notice; lease violations carry a 14-day cure notice; and no-cause terminations require a 30-day notice. Court filing fees to initiate eviction proceedings range from $120 to $200, sheriff lockout fees run $40 to $150, and attorney fees typically fall between $500 and $2,500 depending on whether the case is contested. An uncontested case typically resolves in 21 to 45 days; a contested matter can extend to 45 to 100 days. Tenant retaliation protections are codified at K.S.A. § 58-2572, and habitability obligations appear at K.S.A. § 58-2553 - both worth reviewing before serving notice. Fair housing complaints are handled by the Kansas Human Rights Commission. Source-of-income is not a protected class under Kansas law, giving landlords flexibility in applicant screening.

Scott County's low risk score is driven by a modest renter population, below-average rents, and a landlord-aligned state statutory framework with no rent caps or just-cause requirements.