Kidder County, North Dakota Eviction Risk: Low

Kidder County sits near the bottom of North Dakota eviction laws's eviction-risk rankings, coming in at 47th of 53 counties statewide with a composite score of 3.2/10 (Low). Only 6 county in the state scores lower, meaning 46 counties carry more landlord risk than Kidder. For context, the statewide average is 3.4/10, so Kidder is running well below that line. Scores across the county's six incorporated places span from 3.1 to 3.4/10, a relatively tight band that reflects consistent local conditions rather than pockets of elevated pressure.

The county seat of Steele anchors the rental market with 757 of the county's roughly 1,309 residents and registers the lowest risk reading in the county at 3.2/10 - a figure that holds down the county average. Tappen (population 295, 3.2/10), Dawson (72 residents, 3.1/10), and Tuttle (70 residents, 3.1/10) cluster at a similar level, reflecting the low renter density and muted housing demand typical of the central North Dakota eviction laws plains. Pettibone scores 3.1/10, while Robinson, the smallest incorporated place at roughly 50 residents, is the county's highest-risk location at 3.4/10 - still well within the Low tier but notable given its size. Renters make up only 28% of occupied housing units county-wide, and average gross rent runs around $772 per month. Rent burden sits at 21%, meaningfully below the U.S. norm of roughly 30%, which limits the payment-stress dynamic that drives eviction filings in higher-risk markets.

North Dakota eviction laws's landlord-tenant framework under N.D.C.C. § 47-16 is lean and procedurally predictable. The state requires only a 3-day written notice for non-payment of rent or a lease violation before a landlord may file, and a 30-day notice for no-cause termination at end of term. There is no just-cause eviction requirement statewide and no local rent control - North Dakota eviction laws preempts municipalities from enacting rent caps. Court filing fees for an eviction action in district court range from $75 to $150, sheriff lockout fees from $40 to $125, and attorney costs typically fall between $500 and $2,500 depending on whether the case is contested. Uncontested matters often resolve in 21 to 40 days; contested proceedings can run 45 to 100 days. That timeline is on the shorter end nationally, and the overall cost structure reflects a state that has kept the eviction process accessible for property owners. Poverty in Kidder County sits at 10.4%, consistent with surrounding rural counties, and does not signal the concentrated economic stress that correlates with high eviction rates in urban markets.

Kidder County's Low risk profile (3.2/10, ranked 47th of 53 in North Dakota eviction laws) is shaped by a small, low-density renter population, below-average rent burden, and a landlord-friendly state statute with short notice periods and no rent-cap exposure. The narrow score spread of 3.1 to 3.4/10 across all six cities indicates that no single community is an outlier for landlord risk.