Towner County, North Dakota Eviction Risk: Very Low

Towner County sits in the lower-risk of North Dakota eviction laws counties for eviction risk, scoring 1.7/10 (Very Low) and ranking 40th of 53 statewide. With a total population of roughly 1,481 and an average asking rent of $738 per month, the rental market here is thin but stable. Rent burden averages just 21.7% of household income -- well below the 30% threshold that typically signals financial stress for renters -- and the renter share of occupied housing sits at 32.7%. Those numbers leave little structural pressure driving eviction filings, which is the main reason the county lands where it does on the risk scale.

Across Towner County's 9 scored communities, risk scores range from 1.5 to 2.4 out of 10. Cando, the county seat and by far the largest community with 1,164 residents, comes in at 1.7/10 -- essentially at the county average. Rocklake, the second-largest community at 102 residents, is the least strained in the county at 1.5/10. At the other end of the local range, Bisbee registers the county's highest score at 2.4/10, reflecting a higher renter concentration and tighter housing stock relative to its small population of 85. Hansboro (1.9/10), Egeland (1.8/10), and Sarles (1.8/10) each sit modestly above the county average, though all remain in Low territory. Calio (1.6/10) and Perth (1.6/10) round out the lower end, consistent with communities where owner-occupancy dominates and rental turnover is rare.

North Dakota eviction laws's landlord-tenant statutes under N.D.C.C. § 47-16 are among the most landlord-friendly frameworks in the country. There is no statewide rent control, and the legislature has preempted cities and counties from enacting local rent caps. Eviction for non-payment or lease violation requires only a 3-day notice; a no-cause end-of-term termination requires 30 days. Court filing fees for an eviction action run $75 to $150, and uncontested cases typically resolve in 21 to 40 days -- a relatively fast timeline that limits the financial exposure landlords face during the process. Source-of-income discrimination is not protected under state law, giving landlords full discretion on applicant screening beyond federal fair-housing categories. Poverty stands at 10.8% countywide, meaning a modest share of renters carry meaningful financial fragility, but the low average rent keeps that fragility from translating into widespread non-payment events. Taken together, Towner County's legal environment and economic fundamentals make it one of the lower-friction rental markets in North Dakota eviction laws.

Towner County's 1.7/10 average reflects a rural market where affordable rents, low rent burden (21.7%), and a strongly landlord-favorable state statute combine to suppress eviction risk. The county's score spread from 1.5 to 2.4 is narrow, meaning no individual community pulls sharply away from the baseline -- the county is consistent rather than polarized.