Nelson County, North Dakota Eviction Risk: Very Low

Nelson County, North Dakota eviction laws registers an eviction-risk score of 1.8/10 (Very Low), placing it 34th out of 53 counties statewide -- squarely in the middle tier of the distribution. With 33 counties carrying higher risk and 19 sitting below, Nelson lands near the middle of a state that is, by national standards, consistently hospitable to landlords. Scores across the county's 9 tracked communities run from 1.6 to 1.9, a narrow spread that reflects the economic uniformity typical of rural North Dakota's smallest counties. The county average of 1.8/10 sits just below the 1.8 figure, reinforcing that Nelson is a touch more landlord-friendly than the typical North Dakota eviction laws market.

The county seat of Lakota (pop. 784) anchors the rental market and scores 1.8/10 -- on par with the county average. McVille (pop. 365) comes in at 1.8/10, and Michigan City (pop. 277) at 1.8/10, both matching that same level. Aneta (pop. 157), Tolna (pop. 124), and Petersburg (pop. 120) each score 1.7/10, 1.7/10, and 1.7/10 respectively. Pekin (pop. 62) carries the county's highest reading at 1.9/10, though even that ceiling remains well within Low territory. At the other end, Brocket (pop. 43) records the lowest figure in the county at 1.6/10. The range from 1.6 to 1.9 spans less than a quarter of a point -- an unusually tight band that makes Nelson one of the more internally consistent counties in the state.

Underlying economic conditions help explain the low risk profile. Average rent runs $646 per month, among the lowest in the state, and average rent burden sits at just 19.8% of income -- comfortably below the 30% threshold that housing researchers use to flag financial stress. About 30.8% of Nelson residents rent rather than own, a moderate share for rural North Dakota eviction laws. The poverty rate of 9.6% is relatively contained. These numbers combine to produce a tenant base that is not under acute financial pressure, which correlates directly with lower eviction filing rates and a more stable landlord-tenant environment. North Dakota's statutory framework under N.D.C.C. § 47-16 reinforces that stability: no just-cause requirement for non-renewal, no local rent-control authority (the state preempts it), and a 3-day notice window for non-payment that keeps the eviction timeline among the shortest in the country for landlords who need to act quickly.

Nelson County's 1.8/10 score reflects a market where low average rents, modest rent burden (19.8%), and landlord-friendly state statutes under N.D.C.C. § 47-16 combine to keep eviction pressure well below national norms. The tight 1.6-to-1.9 score spread across the county's communities signals that risk is distributed evenly -- no single city drives the county reading up or down in any meaningful way.