Franklin County, Nebraska Eviction Risk: Low

Franklin County sits in south-central Nebraska along the Republican River valley, a sparsely populated agricultural county of roughly 2,118 residents spread across seven small communities. The county carries an eviction risk score of 2.6/10 (Low), placing it at rank 35th of 93 Nebraska counties - meaning 34 counties in the state show higher risk, and the county falls in the middle of the state. For landlords, that positioning reflects a tenant base shaped primarily by farm workers, retirees, and long-term rural renters rather than the high-turnover renter churn that drives risk upward in Nebraska's urban corridors.

Within the county, scores vary modestly across a range of 2.3 to 2.8 out of 10. The county seat of Franklin is the largest community at about 946 residents and carries the highest intra-county reading at 2.8/10 - a figure consistent with its role as the commercial hub where most of the county's rental housing is concentrated. Bloomington scores 2.6/10, while Hildreth (population 480) and Upland come in at 2.5/10 and 2.5/10 respectively. Campbell registers 2.4/10, and the smallest communities - Riverton and Naponee - both sit at the lower end of the county range at 2.3/10 and 2.3/10. The narrow spread county-wide tells landlords that Franklin County's risk profile is fairly uniform: no single pocket drives the average materially up or down.

The low renter share tells a good part of the story. Only 14.1% of Franklin County households rent - one of the lower tenure rates in Nebraska - which means the rental market here is thin, demand is limited, and disputes are relatively infrequent. Average rent runs around $795 per month, and renter cost burden averages 25.9%, sitting below the 30% federal threshold that signals housing stress. A county poverty rate of 12.1% does introduce some baseline financial fragility among renters, but Nebraska's streamlined eviction statutes keep the legal timeline predictable: a landlord serving a 7-day pay-or-quit notice under Neb. Rev. Stat. § 76-1401 et seq. for non-payment can typically reach judgment in 21 to 45 days on an uncontested case, with court filing fees running $85 to $200 and sheriff lockout fees between $40 and $150. Contested matters extend to 45 to 100 days, and attorney fees for a litigated eviction typically range from $500 to $2,500. Nebraska does not require just cause for non-renewal, and the state preempts local rent control, so there is no patchwork of municipal rules to navigate in Franklin County.

Franklin County's Low risk rating reflects a combination of low renter density, below-stress rent burden, and a landlord-protective state statute. The county ranks 35th of 93 in Nebraska, with 34 counties showing higher risk and 58 showing lower. Its score of 2.6/10 sits close to the Nebraska eviction laws state average of 2.9/10, consistent with a quiet rural rental market that moves slowly and sees few contested eviction proceedings.