Stark County, North Dakota Eviction Risk: Very Low

Stark County carries a county-wide average eviction-risk score of 2/10 (Low), placing it among the higher-risk third of North Dakota's 53 counties, ranked 8th of 53 statewide, where rank 1 is the highest risk. That means 7 counties in North Dakota score riskier than Stark, and 45 score better for landlords. Across the county's 6 cities and a total population of roughly 27,722, operating conditions are generally manageable, but landlords should not treat a Low label as uniformly low pressure, since local variation inside the county is real and consequential.

Average rent sits at $934 per month, with renters making up 36.9% of occupied households. Rent burden averages 26.1% of income, a figure that leaves a modest buffer before tenants start struggling with monthly obligations. For investors evaluating Stark County, that rent-to-income relationship is one of the more useful indicators of collection stability, and it currently reads as workable rather than stressed.

The cities inside Stark County

Dickinson anchors the county, with a population of 25,357 and a risk score of 2/10, making it the highest-risk city in the county and the dominant rental market by a wide margin. Its score matches the county average exactly, which reflects just how much of Stark County's renter population is concentrated there. Landlords with holdings in Dickinson should track local economic conditions closely, since swings in that city's labor market ripple across the entire county picture.

Below Dickinson, Richardton, Belfield, Gladstone, and Taylor each score 1.6/10, a step lower in risk and a meaningful difference for landlords comparing submarkets. Richardton (population 768) and Belfield (population 685) are the next largest, while Gladstone and Taylor serve very small renter populations. Richardton records the lowest risk in the county at 1.6/10, with a population of 503. The range from 1.6 to 2.1 across these six cities illustrates that risk in Stark County is genuinely hyper-local, and city-level data rather than county averages should drive property-selection decisions.

State-level laws that apply here

Under North Dakota state law (N.D.C.C. § 47-16), landlords may serve a 3-day notice for non-payment of rent or a lease violation, and a 30-day notice is required to terminate a month-to-month tenancy without cause. No just-cause eviction requirement exists in North Dakota, and the state preempts local rent control, meaning no city within Stark County can impose its own rent caps. Court filing fees run $75 to $150, sheriff lockout fees add $40 to $125, and attorney fees typically range from $500 to $2,500 depending on complexity. Uncontested cases generally resolve in 21 to 40 days, while contested proceedings can stretch to 45 to 100 days. For a complete breakdown, see the North Dakota eviction process and North Dakota eviction costs guides, which detail timelines and fee structures across all state counties.

With a county-wide poverty rate of 11.7% and renters comprising 36.9% of households, Stark County's risk profile is shaped primarily by Dickinson eviction risk, where nearly all of the county's rental activity is concentrated; the city scores in the table above let you compare each market directly before committing capital.