Nuckolls County, Nebraska Eviction Risk: Low

Nuckolls County sits in the south-central Nebraska Rainbelt, a stretch of small agricultural communities running along the Kansas border. With a total population of roughly 2,967 and only 17.6% of households renting, this is one of the lowest-density renter markets in Nebraska. The county carries a composite eviction risk score of 3.2/10 (Low), placing it 90th out of 93 Nebraska counties -- firmly in the lower-risk band of the state's risk spectrum. Scores across the county's seven incorporated places range from 3.1 to 3.4, a narrow spread that reflects the uniformity of the local housing market rather than sharp neighborhood-level variation.

Superior (population 1,879) is both the county seat and the largest community, accounting for more than 60% of the county's residents. It scores 3.2/10, in line with the county average. The commercial strip along US-136 and the proximity to the Jewell County, Kansas eviction laws line give Superior a slightly more active rental market than the smaller towns nearby, yet rent burden stays low: renters here spend well below the national average share of income on housing, and the county-wide average gross rent of $648 per month is among the most affordable in the region. Nelson (487 residents, 3.2/10) is the second-largest community, a quiet farming town with a handful of rental homes and minimal court activity. Lawrence (223 residents) posts the highest risk reading in the county at 3.1/10 -- still solidly Low on a statewide basis -- while Hardy (3.4/10), Oak (3.2/10), and Nora (3.1/10) each cluster just above the county floor. Ruskin rounds out the list at 3.1/10.

Nebraska's Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 76-1401 et seq.) governs all residential tenancies in Nuckolls County. The state does not require just cause for non-renewal and preempts any local rent control ordinance, so landlords operate under a straightforward, statewide framework with no patchwork of local rules to navigate. For non-payment, landlords must serve a 7-day pay-or-quit notice before filing; lease-violation cure notices run 14 days; and month-to-month terminations require 30 days. Court filing fees in Nebraska district court run $85 to $200 for a forcible entry and detainer action, and uncontested cases typically resolve in 21 to 45 days from filing. The poverty rate of 8.7% and rent burden of 19.9% -- both below Nebraska norms -- point to a tenant base that is generally able to meet rent obligations, which aligns with the county's consistently low filing history.

Nuckolls County's 3.2/10 score sits modestly below the Nebraska statewide average of 3.6/10. With Nebraska eviction laws counties carrying higher risk scores and only carrying lower ones, Nuckolls falls near the bottom of the risk distribution -- a reflection of its sparse rental stock, low rent burden, and a statutory environment that favors straightforward landlord remedies with no local overlays.