Foster County, North Dakota Eviction Risk: Low

Foster County sits in the heart of central North Dakota, home to roughly 2,387 residents spread across Carrington and four smaller communities. The county carries an eviction risk score of 3.3/10 (Low), placing it 31st out of 53 North Dakota counties -- well into the middle of the state. Forty counties statewide register higher risk scores, while 12 come in lower, which means landlords operating in Foster County face one of the more predictable, lower-friction regulatory environments in North Dakota.

Carrington, the county seat and by far its largest community at 2,168 residents, anchors the county with a score of 3.3/10. The smaller villages show modest variation: Grace City 3.1/10 is the highest-scoring community in the county, while Glenfield 3.2/10 and Courtenay 3.1/10 sit at the low end of the county range. McHenry 3.1/10 falls between those poles. Across all five communities, scores range from 3.1 to 3.3 -- a relatively tight band reflecting the county's uniformly landlord-favorable statutory environment rather than significant local policy variation. The statewide average of 3.4/10 gives useful context: Foster County lands at or below that figure depending on the community, consistent with its lower-risk profile.

Several structural features of North Dakota landlord-tenant law drive the county's favorable reading. The state operates under N.D.C.C. § 47-16 (Leasing of Real Property) with no just-cause eviction requirement and no local rent control -- North Dakota preempts municipalities from enacting rent regulations entirely. Landlords must give only 3 days' notice for nonpayment of rent or lease violations, and 30 days for no-cause terminations. Court filing fees run $75 to $150, and uncontested matters typically resolve in 21 to 40 days; contested cases stretch to 45 to 100 days, still relatively compact compared with high-cost metros elsewhere in the country. At an average rent of $778 per month and a rent burden of 28.2% -- meaning the average renter household spends just over a quarter of income on housing -- the financial pressure on tenants is moderate but not extreme. Renter households account for about 27.8% of occupied units, and 11% of the population lives below the poverty line, both figures consistent with a small, agriculture-oriented rural county.

Foster County's 3.3/10 score reflects a statutory framework built around landlord flexibility: no rent caps, no just-cause requirement, a 3-day cure period for nonpayment, and court costs that keep eviction proceedings accessible. The county's low population and predominantly owner-occupied housing stock mean that rental market dynamics stay relatively stable year to year, with limited tenant-advocacy infrastructure to shift the regulatory balance.