Eviction Risk Score
Low
#65
of 93 NE counties
3.2 / 10
#65 of 93 counties in Nebraska for landlord eviction risk.
County brief·Updated August 23, 2026
Howard County, Nebraska Eviction Risk: Low
8 incorporated cities and unincorporated areas. The county Eviction Risk Score is held aloft by the city of St. Paul (4.1) and a small number of dense urban cores. Rent-control coverage varies by city.
In 2026
Risk score
3.2
LOW
Ranked #65 of 93 NE counties
4k residents · 8 cities · 2 tracts
1976–2026 · pop-weighted from cities
Howard County eviction risk score history
Min1.9
Average2.8
Now3.2
Key metrics
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Tenant beats landlord15.4%/ 100 outcomesIn court-decided eviction outcomes for Howard County, NE, tenants prevail in roughly 15.4% of contested cases. A higher number means landlords face stronger tenant defenses and longer calendars.
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Timeline30dfiling → judgmentFrom the moment an unlawful-detainer notice is filed in Howard County, NE until a money judgment is entered, a contested eviction takes about 30 days on average. Longer timelines mean more lost rent for landlords.
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Cost range$0.9–2.9klegal + lost rentA typical eviction in Howard County, NE costs landlords $922 to $2,937 all-in, covering court filing fees, process-server costs, attorney time, and lost rent.
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Average rent$73922% stretched on rentAverage gross rent in Howard County, NE is $739 per month per the U.S. Census American Community Survey. 22% of renter households here spend more than 30% of pre-tax income on rent.
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Renters25.9%of households25.9% of occupied housing units in Howard County, NE are renter-occupied. A higher renter share usually correlates with more eviction filings and a more active rental market.
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Poverty7.5%4.8% unemp.7.5% of Howard County, NE residents live below the federal poverty line, and unemployment runs at 4.8%. Both feed the economic-stress sub-score in our Eviction Risk Score model.
Time machine
Scrub 50 years
Howard County's 3.2/10 (Low) reflects a stable rural rental market with scores ranging from 3.1 to 4.1 across its eight communities. Ranked 65th of 93 Nebraska counties - 64 counties carry higher eviction risk.
How Howard County ranks in Nebraska
Cost of living
Low
#41
of 51 states (statewide)
90.1 index
Nebraska ranks #41 of 51 states on overall cost of living (9.9% cheaper than the U.S. avg).
Housing services cost
Low
#35
of 51 states (statewide)
75.2 index
Nebraska ranks #35 of 51 states on housing services (24.8% cheaper than the U.S. avg).
Income spent on rent
Elevated
#29
of 93 NE counties
27.2% of income
#29 of 93 counties in Nebraska on % of income spent on rent.
Landlord guides for Nebraska
Nebraska Eviction Costs →
Filing fees, attorney fees, lost rent, sheriff lockout
Nebraska Eviction Process →
Step-by-step timeline, notices, statute cites
Nebraska Rent Control →
Statewide caps, local ordinances, just-cause
Nebraska Tenant Screening →
Five-point protocol, legal rules, protected classes
Nebraska Tenant Protections →
Just cause, retaliation, habitability, entry
Cities in Howard County
Sorted by Eviction Risk Score · highest first
| City↕ | Population↕ | Risk↕ | % income on rent↕ | Average rent↕ | Lean↕ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 001 | St. Paul | 2,758 | 3.2 | 19.2% | $707 | Rep |
| 002 | St. Libory | 307 | 3.2 | 25.7% | $800 | Rep |
| 003 | Dannebrog | 235 | 3.3 | 23.8% | $813 | Rep |
| 004 | Howard City (Boelus) | 186 | 3.2 | 13.2% | $675 | Rep |
| 005 | Elba | 171 | 4.1 | 41.8% | $918 | Rep |
| 006 | Cushing | 112 | 3.2 | 42.7% | $973 | Rep |
| 007 | Farwell | 78 | 3.1 | 25.7% | $800 | Rep |
| 008 | Cotesfield | 27 | 3.2 | 25.7% | $800 | Rep |
County heatmap
Local landlord context
One county, multiple regulatory regimes.
Howard County sits in central Nebraska eviction laws's Loup River valley with a total population of roughly 3,874 residents, about 25.9% of whom rent their homes. The county's overall eviction-risk score is 3.2/10 (Low), placing it 65th out of 93 Nebraska counties - squarely in the lower-risk tier statewide. Scores across the county's eight tracked communities span a range of 3.1 to 4.1, reflecting modest but real variation between the county seat and its smaller rural villages. The Nebraska eviction laws average sits at 3.6/10, and Howard County's position relative to that benchmark reflects the state's broader landlord-friendly legal framework combined with a low-cost, low-tension rental market.
St. Paul, the county seat and by far the largest community at 2,758 residents, anchors the lower end of the risk range at 3.2/10. That score reflects affordable rents averaging around $739 per month, a rent-burden rate of just 21.6%, and a poverty rate of 7.5% - all indicators that tenants here are not financially stretched to a degree that typically drives eviction filings. Farwell and Howard City (Boelus) sit at the same floor, with 3.1/10 and 3.2/10 respectively, each serving small populations of under 200. Dannebrog, the Danish-heritage village of 235 people, comes in at 3.3/10, consistent with the rural-Nebraska eviction laws pattern of low landlord-tenant friction.
The top of the local risk range belongs to three small communities - Elba, Cushing, and Cotesfield - each scoring 4.1/10, 3.2/10, and 3.2/10. These villages have populations between 27 and 171, meaning their scores can shift meaningfully with even a handful of housing events. St. Libory, at 307 residents, sits just below that ceiling at 3.2/10. None of these figures signal acute tenant distress; even the highest scores remain well below the statewide upper range seen in Nebraska eviction laws's larger urban counties. Howard County has 64 Nebraska eviction laws counties ranked riskier and 28 ranked safer, a position that understates neither the county's relative calm nor its structural alignment with Nebraska eviction laws's landlord-protective statutory environment under Neb. Rev. Stat. § 76-1401 et seq.
Howard County's 3.2/10 score reflects stable rural housing conditions: modest average rents, low rent burden, and no local rent-control ordinances (Nebraska eviction laws state law preempts them). Court filing fees run $85-$200, and an uncontested eviction typically resolves in 21-45 days under Nebraska eviction laws procedure - costs and timelines consistent with a lean rural court docket rather than an overloaded urban one.
Historical eviction filings in Howard County
From 2000 to 2016, eviction filings in Howard County increased 100%. The peak was 9 filings in 2005.1
- 12000
- 9Peak (2005)
- 22016
Annual filings 2000–2016
No filing data published after 2018
Data covers 2000–2018, the full span of the Princeton Eviction Lab's national county court-records dataset.
How Howard County compares
Howard County's 3.2/10 (Low) puts it near the midpoint of Nebraska's 93 counties at rank 65th - 64 counties are riskier and 28 are calmer. Nearby peers such as Boone, Antelope, Thayer, Polk, and Chase Counties all land in a similar range; none stands out as dramatically higher- or lower-risk than Howard. Compared with the Nebraska statewide average of 3.6/10, Howard County tracks close to that benchmark, consistent with a rural county that has neither the concentrated poverty of some eastern Nebraska urban areas nor the rock-bottom scores of the state's most sparsely populated western counties.
Peer counties in Nebraska
Peer county
Antelope County eviction risk
3.2
/ 10 · Low
Pop. 3.8K
Peer county
Cedar County eviction risk
3.3
/ 10 · Low
Pop. 3.9K
Peer county
Thayer County eviction risk
3.3
/ 10 · Low
Pop. 3.6K
Peer county
Stanton County eviction risk
3.2
/ 10 · Low
Pop. 3.7K
Where eviction risk concentrates in Howard County
Top cities by population
Frequently asked
Frequently asked questions about Howard County
Q1
What is Howard County's eviction-risk score?
Howard County scores 3.2/10, rated Low risk. It ranks 65th of 93 Nebraska counties, with 64 counties carrying higher risk scores.
Q2
Which Howard County city has the highest eviction risk?
Elba, Cushing, and Cotesfield share the top local score at 4.1/10, 3.2/10, and 3.2/10 respectively. Each is a small village, so individual housing situations can move the score. St. Paul, the county seat, sits lower at 3.2/10.
Q3
How does Howard County compare to the Nebraska average?
Howard County's 3.2/10 can be compared directly against the Nebraska statewide average of 3.6/10. The county's low rent burden (21.6%) and modest poverty rate (7.5%) contribute to its position relative to the state figure.
Q4
How much does it cost to file an eviction in Howard County?
Nebraska eviction laws court filing fees run $85-$200. Add sheriff lockout fees of $40-$150 and attorney costs of $500-$2,500 if you retain counsel. An uncontested case typically concludes in 21-45 days; a contested one can take 45-100 days.
Q5
What notice is required before filing an eviction in Nebraska?
Nebraska eviction laws landlords must serve a 7-day pay-or-quit notice for non-payment of rent (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 76-1401 et seq.), a 14-day cure notice for lease violations, and a 30-day notice for no-cause end-of-term terminations. Howard County has no local ordinances that extend these timeframes.
Q6
Is there rent control in Howard County?
No. Nebraska eviction laws law preempts local rent-control ordinances statewide, and Howard County has no rent cap or just-cause eviction requirement. Landlords may raise rent without a statutory ceiling, provided proper notice is given before the end of a lease term.