Dawson County, Nebraska Eviction Risk: Low

Dawson County, Nebraska eviction laws carries an average eviction-risk score of 2.6/10 (Low), but that headline figure covers a notably wide spread across its 8 cities, where scores range from 2.2 to 2.9. Despite the Low label, the county ranks 9th of 93 Nebraska counties by risk, meaning only 8 counties statewide are riskier, placing Dawson firmly in the higher-risk third of Nebraska. Landlords and investors should take that context seriously rather than reading "Low" as an unconditional green light.

The broader operating picture is mixed. Average rent sits at $921, renter-occupied units account for 36.8% of households, and the average rent-burden rate is 24.3%, meaning a meaningful share of tenants is already stretched. Add a poverty rate of 14.2%, and the risk of rent nonpayment is real enough to warrant careful tenant screening and lease management, even if outright evictions remain relatively infrequent countywide.

The cities inside Dawson County

Willow Island is the highest-risk city in the county at 2.9/10, with a population of 3,452, and it effectively sets the ceiling for landlord exposure here. Lexington, the county's largest city at 10,862 residents, follows at 2.6/10, matching the county average exactly. Cozad (3,937 residents) and Sumner (353 residents) both score 2.2/10. Risk in this county is genuinely hyper-local: a landlord operating in Gothenburg eviction risk faces conditions meaningfully different from one a short drive away.

The lower end of the spectrum tells a different story. Overton scores 2.4/10, Eddyville also 2.4/10, and Sumner reaches the county floor at 2.2/10. Farnam sits at 2.4/10. Investors who can tolerate smaller rental markets will find these smaller communities present considerably lower eviction-risk profiles than the county's larger trade centers.

State-level laws that apply here

Every landlord in Dawson County operates under the Nebraska Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 76-1401 et seq.). Notice requirements are straightforward: 7 days for nonpayment of rent, 14 days for a lease violation with an opportunity to cure, and 30 days for end-of-term or no-cause terminations. Nebraska does not require just cause for nonrenewal, and the state preempts any local rent-control ordinance, so Dawson County landlords face no patchwork of city-level restrictions. Entry requires 24 hours notice under state law. For a full breakdown of timelines and procedures, see the Nebraska eviction process guide.

When an eviction does become necessary, costs vary by case type. Court filing fees run $85 to $200, sheriff lockout fees add $40 to $150, and attorney fees range from $500 to $2,500 depending on complexity. Uncontested cases typically resolve in 21 to 45 days; contested matters can stretch to 45 to 100 days. For a closer look at what those numbers mean out of pocket, the Nebraska eviction costs guide breaks down each component. Nebraska's retaliation prohibition is codified at Neb. Rev. Stat. § 76-1439, and the habitability standard appears at Neb. Rev. Stat. § 76-1419, both of which landlords should keep in mind when managing repairs or lease disputes.

With a poverty rate of 14.2% and renters making up 36.8% of households, Dawson County's risk is real even if its score stays in the Low tier, and conditions shift meaningfully city by city, as the grid above makes clear.