Slope County, North Dakota Eviction Risk: Low

Slope County sits in the extreme southwestern corner of North Dakota eviction laws - sparsely populated badlands terrain that keeps its rental market small and its eviction exposure among the lowest in the state. The county carries an eviction risk score of 3.2/10 (Low), placing it 49th out of 53 North Dakota counties by risk. Only 4 counties statewide rank as landlord-friendlier, and 48 counties carry higher risk than Slope - putting this county firmly in the lower-risk of North Dakota eviction laws's risk distribution. Scores across the county's two incorporated places range narrowly from 3.1 to 3.2, reflecting how little regulatory or economic variation exists across such a small population base.

The county seat, Amidon, is one of the least-populated county seats in the entire United States, with a current estimated population of 6. Its eviction risk score sits at 3.1/10 - the higher of the two local readings, though still well within Low territory. Marmarth, the county's largest community at around 100 residents and a former railroad town near the Montana line, scores 3.2/10. Together these two places represent essentially all of Slope County's 106 residents, and the rental market reflects that scale: average rents run approximately $538 per month, and the average rent burden sits at just 12.1% of household income - among the lowest rent-stress figures in North Dakota eviction laws. About 30.9% of occupied housing units are renter-occupied, a proportion that is somewhat higher than many rural Great Plains counties, but the absolute number of renter households remains tiny.

North Dakota's statutory framework under N.D.C.C. § 47-16 is already landlord-favorable statewide, and Slope County operates entirely within that baseline - there is no local rent control, no just-cause eviction requirement, and state law preempts any municipality from imposing either. Non-payment and lease-violation notices require only a 3-day cure period before proceedings can begin. Uncontested evictions typically resolve in 21 to 40 days; contested cases extend to 45 to 100 days. Court filing fees range from $75 to $150, sheriff lockout fees from $40 to $125, and attorney costs from $500 to $2,500 depending on case complexity. The poverty rate in Slope County is 8.4%, which - combined with the very low rent burden - suggests tenant financial stress is not a significant driver of eviction activity. For a landlord with one or two units in Marmarth or Amidon, the practical eviction exposure here is minimal by any measure.

Slope County's 3.2/10 score reflects a combination of North Dakota eviction laws's landlord-favorable statutes, very low rent burden (12.1%), minimal local regulatory overlay, and a rental market too small to generate the kind of chronic turnover pressure seen in larger metros. The narrow 3.1-to-3.2 score spread across both local communities confirms there is virtually no intra-county variation in eviction exposure.