Wallace County, Kansas Eviction Risk: Very Low

Wallace County sits in the far western corner of Kansas with a total population of 1,036 and earns a Low eviction risk score of 1.7/10 - ranking 104th out of 105 Kansas counties, meaning only one county in the state scores lower risk than Wallace. That near-bottom ranking reflects a landlord environment shaped by low rents, modest tenant-protection statutes, and a small, largely stable rental market. Average rent across the county is $501 per month, and the average rent burden sits at just 14.9% of household income - well below thresholds that typically drive eviction pressure. Roughly 29.5% of households rent rather than own, and the average poverty rate is 14.3%, a figure that warrants watching even in a low-risk market.

The county has three incorporated places. Sharon Springs is the county seat and largest community at 817 residents, carrying a score of 1.7/10. Weskan follows at 171 residents with the lowest score in the county at 1.6/10. The small city of Wallace (population 48) posts the highest local score at 1.9/10 - still firmly in Low territory. Even at the top of that range, conditions here remain among the most landlord-favorable in Kansas. Kansas eviction law governs all three places under K.S.A. § 58-2540 et seq. (Residential Landlord and Tenant Act), which sets a 3-day notice for non-payment of rent, a 14-day cure notice for lease violations, and a 30-day no-cause notice to terminate a month-to-month tenancy. No local rent control can apply - Kansas state law preempts any local rent ordinances, so landlords face a single uniform statute statewide.

Court costs for an uncontested eviction in Kansas range from $120 to $200 in filing fees, plus $40 to $150 for sheriff lockout, and attorney fees of $500 to $2,500 depending on complexity. Uncontested matters typically resolve in 21 to 45 days; contested cases stretch to 45 to 100 days. The Kansas Human Rights Commission handles fair housing complaints under state law, though source-of-income protection does not apply in Kansas, and just cause for eviction is not required. The retaliation prohibition sits in K.S.A. § 58-2572, and habitability obligations fall under K.S.A. § 58-2553. For landlords operating in rural western Kansas, Wallace County's combination of low rents, low burden rates, and a streamlined state statute makes this one of the most operationally straightforward rental markets in the state.

Data covers all 3 cities in Wallace County; scores range from 1.6/10 in Weskan to 1.9/10 in Wallace city, with a county average of 1.7/10 across a population of 1,036.