Washington County, Nebraska Eviction Risk: Low

Washington County sits along the Missouri River bluffs northwest of Omaha, anchored by Blair, the county seat, and a cluster of smaller river-valley towns. For landlords operating here, the county's eviction environment is among the more active in Nebraska eviction laws despite its modest size: Washington County earns an overall eviction-risk score of 3.6/10 (Low), placing it 25th out of 93 counties statewide -- in the higher-risk third of Nebraska. That ranking means 24 counties present greater risk to landlords than Washington County does, while 68 are less risky.

Blair, the county's largest community at roughly 7,900 residents, drives much of that picture. It carries the county's highest city-level score at 3.6/10, a figure that reflects a combination of renter density, income constraints, and the limited tenant-protection infrastructure that characterizes eastern Nebraska eviction laws river towns. Fort Calhoun, a historic community of about 1,200 just south of Blair, scores 4/10, while Fontanelle -- a very small farming community -- comes in at 3.1/10. Moving further along the risk spectrum, Arlington (population 1,467) scores 3.2/10 and Herman scores 3.2/10. Kennard, the county's lowest-risk community, posts a 3.2/10, the floor of a county score range that runs from 3.1 to 4.

That compressed spread -- roughly six-tenths of a point separating the highest from lowest city -- reflects a county with relatively consistent rental conditions across its communities. The average rent in Washington County stands at $953 per month, with renters spending about 29.7% of income on housing on average. Renters make up just 26.4% of occupied units, a comparatively low share that concentrates rental activity in Blair and Fort Calhoun rather than distributing it broadly. The county's 9% poverty rate is modest by Nebraska standards, which partly explains why the county's overall score sits below the Nebraska average of 3.6/10. Nebraska's Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 76-1401 et seq.) governs landlord-tenant relations here with no local rent-control overlay -- the state preempts any such local ordinance -- and no just-cause eviction requirement. For landlords managing rental property in Washington County, that statutory framework provides a clear set of rules, but the county's position in the higher-risk third of the state still warrants careful attention to notice procedures and filing timelines.

Washington County's 3.6/10 score reflects a rental market where lower renter density, stable incomes, and a landlord-oriented state statute keep risk contained -- but where Blair eviction risk's concentration of rental activity and its higher city-level reading of 3.6/10 pull the county average toward the upper portion of Nebraska eviction laws's Low-risk tier. Renters occupy roughly 26.4% of units countywide, with average rents at $953/month and a rent burden of 29.7% -- figures that describe a market with limited financial cushion for tenants when income disruptions occur.