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Eviction risk map of Washington County, Kansas showing Low risk scores
County brief·Updated June 24, 2026

Washington County, Kansas Eviction Risk: Very Low

10 incorporated cities and unincorporated areas. The county Eviction Risk Score is held aloft by the city of Washington (2.3) and a small number of dense urban cores. Rent-control coverage varies by city.

In 2026
Risk score
1.9
VERY LOW

Ranked #97 of 105 KS counties

3k residents · 10 cities · 2 tracts

1976–2026 · pop-weighted from cities

Washington County eviction risk score history

Min1.3 Average1.7 Now1.9
10 5 1976 · score 1.7 1977 · score 1.7 1978 · score 1.6 1979 · score 1.6 1980 · score 1.7 1981 · score 1.7 1982 · score 1.8 1983 · score 1.7 1984 · score 1.7 1985 · score 1.3 1986 · score 1.4 1987 · score 1.3 1988 · score 1.3 1989 · score 1.3 1990 · score 1.4 1991 · score 1.4 1992 · score 1.7 1993 · score 1.7 1994 · score 1.7 1995 · score 1.7 1996 · score 1.7 1997 · score 1.6 1998 · score 1.5 1999 · score 1.5 2000 · score 1.5 2001 · score 1.5 2002 · score 1.6 2003 · score 1.6 2004 · score 1.6 2005 · score 1.5 2006 · score 1.5 2007 · score 1.5 2008 · score 1.8 2009 · score 1.9 2010 · score 1.9 2011 · score 1.9 2012 · score 1.8 2013 · score 1.7 2014 · score 1.6 2015 · score 1.6 2016 · score 1.6 2017 · score 1.6 2018 · score 1.7 2019 · score 1.7 2020 · score 2.6 2021 · score 2.8 2022 · score 1.9 2023 · score 2.0 2024 · score 1.9 2025 · score 1.9 2026 · score 1.9

Key metrics

Time machine

Scrub 50 years

2026
● LIVE · today ◀ REPLAY · historical

Washington County averages 1.9/10 across 10 cities, with a range of 1.7 (Linn, Barnes, Palmer) to 2.3 (Morrowville). All cities fall in the Low risk band. Ranked 97 of 105 Kansas counties - only 8 counties in the state show lower eviction risk.

How Washington County ranks in Kansas

Lower number means more extreme, where #1 is the most
Eviction Risk Score
Very Low
#97 of 105 KS counties 1.9 / 10
Eviction Risk Score, 8th percentileLowHigh
#97 of 105 counties in Kansas for landlord eviction risk.
Cost of living
Very Low
#42 of 51 states (statewide) 90.1 index
Cost of living, 18th percentileLowHigh
Kansas ranks #42 of 51 states on overall cost of living (9.9% cheaper than the U.S. avg).
Housing services cost
Low
#40 of 51 states (statewide) 71.2 index
Housing services cost, 22nd percentileLowHigh
Kansas ranks #40 of 51 states on housing services (28.8% cheaper than the U.S. avg).
Income spent on rent
Very Low
#99 of 105 KS counties 19.5% of income
Income spent on rent, 6th percentileLowHigh
#99 of 105 counties in Kansas on % of income spent on rent.

Landlord guides for Kansas

State-specific playbooks
Kansas Eviction Costs →
Filing fees, attorney fees, lost rent, sheriff lockout
Kansas Eviction Process →
Step-by-step timeline, notices, statute cites
Kansas Rent Control →
Statewide caps, local ordinances, just-cause
Kansas Tenant Screening →
Five-point protocol, legal rules, protected classes
Kansas Tenant Protections →
Just cause, retaliation, habitability, entry
Cities in Washington County
Sorted by Eviction Risk Score · highest first
Map view
CityPopulationRisk% income on rentAverage rentLean
001 Washington Pop 1,155 · 18.7% income · $553 rent · Rep 1,155 1.9 18.7% $553 Rep
002 Hanover Pop 828 · 27.3% income · $642 rent · Rep 828 2.0 27.3% $642 Rep
003 Linn Pop 470 · 9.0% income · $496 rent · Rep 470 1.7 9.0% $496 Rep
004 Greenleaf Pop 320 · 30.6% income · $638 rent · Rep 320 2.0 30.6% $638 Rep
005 Barnes Pop 177 · 17.5% income · $810 rent · Rep 177 1.7 17.5% $810 Rep
006 Palmer Pop 149 · 11.0% income · $555 rent · Rep 149 1.7 11.0% $555 Rep
007 Haddam Pop 118 · 20.3% income · $592 rent · Rep 118 1.8 20.3% $592 Rep
008 Morrowville Pop 96 · 20.3% income · $592 rent · Rep 96 2.3 20.3% $592 Rep
009 Mahaska Pop 47 · 20.3% income · $592 rent · Rep 47 1.9 20.3% $592 Rep
010 Hollenberg Pop 9 · 20.3% income · $592 rent · Rep 9 1.9 20.3% $592 Rep

County heatmap

Geographic distribution
Local landlord context

One county, multiple regulatory regimes.

Washington eviction laws County sits in the far north-central corner of Kansas eviction laws with a population of 3,369 and a rental market that is, by most measures, low-pressure. The county earns a 1.9/10 eviction risk score - placing it 97th out of 105 Kansas eviction laws counties, meaning 96 counties carry higher eviction risk. For landlords, that ranking translates to a market where tenant turnover, court caseloads, and structural financial stress are all well below the Kansas eviction laws norm.

Rents here average $592/month and the average rent burden sits at 20.3% of household income - comfortably below the 30% threshold that housing researchers treat as a stress indicator. Only 25.2% of residents rent, consistent with the owner-dominated character of rural north-central Kansas, and the poverty rate of 9.8% is modest relative to peer rural counties. The county seat of Washington (pop. 1,155) anchors the rental market, with Hanover (pop. 828), Linn (pop. 470), and Greenleaf (pop. 320) representing the next tier of rental activity. Among the 10 cities tracked in the county, Morrowville carries the highest individual score at 2.3/10, and Hanover and Greenleaf both come in at 2/10 - still firmly in Low territory. Barnes, Linn, and Palmer each score 1.7/10, reflecting the quietest rental conditions in the county.

Kansas governs residential tenancies under K.S.A. § 58-2540 et seq. (Residential Landlord and Tenant Act), which gives landlords a relatively direct eviction pathway by national standards. Non-payment notices can be served in as few as 3 days; lease-violation cure notices run 14 days; and no-cause end-of-term notices require 30 days. Uncontested eviction cases in Kansas typically resolve in 21 to 45 days, with contested matters running 45 to 100 days. Filing fees at the district court level range from $120 to $200, sheriff lockout fees from $40 to $150, and attorney fees - if counsel is retained - typically fall between $500 and $2,500. Kansas state law preempts any local rent control ordinance, so no city or county in the state can impose a rent cap independent of the legislature. There is no just-cause-required eviction standard at the state level, and source-of-income protections are not mandated under Kansas law. Retaliation protections for tenants are codified at K.S.A. § 58-2572, and habitability obligations fall under K.S.A. § 58-2553. Fair housing complaints are handled by the Kansas Human Rights Commission. In practical terms, Washington eviction laws County's low risk score is a product of both the state's landlord-leaning statutory framework and the county's own limited financial stress indicators - low burden, low poverty, and modest rents that leave meaningful room for the market to absorb shocks without triggering eviction-level crises.

Washington eviction laws County's 1.9/10 score reflects 10 tracked cities, a total population of 3,369, and an average rent of $592/month - all evaluated against Kansas eviction laws eviction law as last reviewed on 2026-05-29.

How Washington County compares

Washington eviction laws County's 1.9/10 average sits below the scores of nearby peer counties including Republic County (1.96), Kearny County (1.93), Norton County (1.83), Meade County (1.82), and Rooks County (1.83) - making it one of the lower-risk rural counties in its cohort and reflective of north-central Kansas eviction laws's generally quiet rental market conditions.

Peer counties in Kansas

Same state, closest by population and Eviction Risk Score
Peer county
Norton County eviction risk
1.8
/ 10 · Very Low
Pop. 3.5K
Peer county
Republic County eviction risk
2
/ 10 · Very Low
Pop. 3.2K
Peer county
Kearny County eviction risk
1.9
/ 10 · Very Low
Pop. 2.9K
Peer county
Meade County eviction risk
1.8
/ 10 · Very Low
Pop. 3.1K

Where eviction risk concentrates in Washington County

Top cities + top neighborhoods · click any card for the full breakdown

Top cities by population

Frequently asked

Frequently asked questions about Washington County

Q1

Why is rent-to-income ratio 20.3% in Washington County?

Rent-to-income ratio of 20.3% reflects the ratio of average gross rent to average household income across 10 cities in Washington eviction laws County.
Q2

What court hears evictions in Washington County?

Kansas state court hears unlawful detainer or summary process actions in Washington County. See the Kansas eviction laws eviction-process guide for court name and procedure.