Cedar County, Nebraska Eviction Risk: Very Low

Cedar County sits in the far northeastern corner of Nebraska, anchored by the Cedar River and bordered by South Dakota to the north. With a total renter population drawn from just 3,911 residents and an average rent of $633 per month, this is one of Nebraska eviction laws's most rural and most landlord-stable counties. The county carries a composite eviction risk score of 2.4/10 (Very Low), placing it 83rd of 93 Nebraska eviction laws counties - meaning only 10 counties in the state show a lower eviction risk profile. That ranking puts Cedar County firmly in the lower-risk of Nebraska eviction laws by eviction exposure, a position driven by the combination of low rent burden (19.7% of renter income on average), modest poverty rates (6.5%), and a small but stable rental market where just 19.1% of households rent rather than own.

The county seat of Hartington (population 1,621) is the economic hub and carries a score of 2.3/10 - one of the more landlord-favorable readings in the county. Randolph, the second-largest community at 877 residents, posts the county's lowest score at 2.2/10, reflecting its particularly stable rental dynamic. Coleridge (553 residents) scores 2.5/10, while smaller communities like Wynot (2.5/10) and Belden (2.4/10) cluster near the county average. The widest spread in the county runs from 2.2 to 3.2, a range that reflects genuine variation in local tenant-protection exposure rather than volatility - the top end is anchored by Fordyce (population 195), which scores 3.2/10 and represents the county's single outlier. Two additional small communities, Obert (3.1/10) and St. Helena (2.9/10), post elevated scores relative to their neighbors, though both remain well below the Nebraska state average of 2.9/10.

Nebraska's eviction framework under Neb. Rev. Stat. § 76-1401 et seq. (the Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act) governs all Cedar County landlord-tenant relationships. Non-payment of rent triggers a 7-day pay-or-quit notice; lease violations carry a 14-day cure window; and no-cause terminations at end of term require 30 days written notice. Court filing costs run $85 to $200, and an uncontested eviction can clear in as few as 21 days - though contested cases extend to 45-100 days when tenants dispute the action. Nebraska does not require just cause for eviction, does not protect source of income under fair housing statutes, and preempts any local rent control ordinance, leaving Cedar County landlords operating under a straightforward, landlord-leaning statutory framework with no patchwork of local rules to navigate.

Cedar County's 2.4/10 score reflects a rental market where low average rents ($633/month), a modest rent burden of 19.7%, and limited tenant-protection statutes combine to keep eviction risk at the low end of the Nebraska eviction laws spectrum. With counties in the state carrying higher risk scores and only posting lower ones, Cedar County is a consistent outlier on the landlord-favorable side of the Nebraska eviction laws distribution.