Stafford County, Kansas Eviction Risk: Very Low

Stafford County sits in south-central Kansas with a total population of roughly 3,029 spread across seven municipalities. The county earns a Low eviction risk score of 2.2/10 on the Eviction Risk Map, placing it 43rd out of 105 Kansas eviction laws counties - meaning 42 counties carry higher risk and 62 are rated safer for landlords. That middle-third standing reflects a rental market that is genuinely low-pressure by Kansas eviction laws standards, though not the very lowest the state offers.

The rental cost picture is modest. Average rent runs $724 per month, and the average rent burden across the county is 27.9% of renter household income - just below the conventional 30% stress threshold. About 22.6% of households rent rather than own, a relatively low renter share that is typical of rural south-central Kansas. The average poverty rate of 12.7% is worth watching: it sits above the national rural average and can be an early signal of financial fragility for renters in a thin local economy. St. John is the county seat and largest city at 1,172 residents, followed by the city of Stafford at 809 and Macksville at 651. Hudson, though small at just 106 residents, carries the county's highest individual city score of 2.4/10 - still firmly in Low territory, but the highest local concentration of risk factors within the county.

Kansas law governs landlord-tenant relationships under K.S.A. § 58-2540 et seq. (Residential Landlord and Tenant Act). Landlords must issue a 3-day notice for non-payment of rent, a 14-day notice for lease violations with a right to cure, and a 30-day notice for end-of-term no-cause terminations. Court filing fees range from $120 to $200, and sheriff lockout fees add another $40 to $150. If an eviction is contested, the process can stretch from 45 to 100 days under K.S.A. § 58-2540 et seq., and attorney fees of $500 to $2,500 are a realistic line item for contested cases. Kansas preempts local rent control, so no Stafford County municipality can impose rent caps above what state law permits - confirmed by the state's preemption framework. There is no just-cause eviction requirement under state law, giving landlords relatively broad grounds for non-renewal at lease end. The Kansas Human Rights Commission handles fair housing complaints; source-of-income discrimination is not a protected class under current Kansas law, a distinction that matters when screening applicants who pay with vouchers.

Stafford County's Low risk rating reflects a combination of below-stress rent burdens, a small renter population, and a state legal framework that resolves uncontested cases in as few as 21 days - though the county's 12.7% poverty rate and thin rental inventory mean individual landlords should still underwrite tenant income carefully before signing.