St. Mary's County, Maryland Eviction Risk: Elevated

St. Mary's County carries an average eviction-risk score of 5.6/10 (Elevated) across its 13 tracked cities, a reading that reflects real operating pressure for landlords in this Southern Maryland market. Maryland state law sets a baseline that applies countywide, but the on-the-ground experience varies considerably depending on which community you own in, with city scores running from 5.2 to 6.4 out of 10.

At the county level, roughly 34.9% of residents are renters paying an average of $1,829 per month, and the average rent-burden sits at 25.2% of household income. That combination, a meaningful renter share and moderate income strain, means delinquency risk is real but not extreme. Ranked 16th of 24 Maryland counties, St. Mary's actually lands in the lower-risk third of the state: 15 counties carry higher risk, and only 8 are more landlord-friendly.

The cities inside St. Mary's County

The highest-risk address in the county is Lexington Park, the largest city at roughly 13,252 residents, with a score of 7.7/10. It is the only location that tips the scale above the county average by a meaningful margin, and landlords there should plan for a more active collection and compliance workload. Close behind are California (5.5/10, population 13,136) and Wildewood (5.4/10, population 7,552), both sizeable communities where tenant turnover and delinquency indicators run notably above the county midpoint. Charlotte Hall also scores 6.4/10.

The lower end of the risk spectrum offers more breathing room. Leonardtown, the county seat, scores 5.5/10 and has a population of roughly 4,808, making it the most landlord-favorable city in the dataset. Golden Beach and Drum Point both sit at 5.6/10, a step below the riskiest tier. The spread from 6.3 to 7.7 underscores that risk in St. Mary's County is genuinely hyper-local: a landlord portfolio concentrated in Leonardtown faces a materially different operating environment than one concentrated in Lexington Park, even though both fall within the same county lines.

State-level laws that apply here

Every landlord in St. Mary's County operates under Maryland state law, specifically Md. Real Prop. § 8 (Landlord and Tenant). Notice requirements are tiered by cause: nonpayment of rent requires a 10-day notice under Md. Real Property § 8-401, a material lease violation triggers a 30-day notice under § 8-402.1, and ending a month-to-month tenancy requires 60 days under § 8-402. Maryland also requires just cause to terminate most tenancies, a meaningful constraint on landlord flexibility that investors should factor into their underwriting. Reviewing the full Maryland eviction process before acquiring rental property here will prevent costly missteps.

On the cost side, court filing fees run $50 to $60, sheriff lockout fees range from $40 to $150, and attorney fees commonly fall between $500 and $3,000, depending on complexity. An uncontested case typically resolves in 30 to 45 days; a contested matter can stretch to 45 to 120 days. Understanding Maryland eviction costs in full, before a dispute escalates, is essential for accurate holding-cost projections. Rent control is not in effect at the state level and Maryland does not preempt local ordinances on that front, though no local rent cap is noted for St. Mary's County in current data. Source of income is a protected class under Maryland law, which affects how landlords may screen applicants.

With a county poverty rate of 7.2% and just under 35% of households renting, St. Mary's County sits in a moderate-stress zone statewide; the city grid above breaks down where that pressure concentrates so you can target acquisitions or stress-test your existing portfolio at the neighborhood level.