Walsh County, North Dakota Eviction Risk: Very Low

Walsh County sits in northeastern North Dakota along the Manitoba border, a largely agricultural region of about 7,343 residents where renters make up roughly 30% of occupied households. The county carries an eviction risk score of 1.9/10 (Very Low), placing it 19th out of 53 North Dakota counties - squarely in the middle tier of the state. That ranking reflects genuine landlord-friendliness: North Dakota's statewide framework under N.D.C.C. § 47-16 requires no just cause for non-renewal, imposes no rent caps anywhere in the state (local rent control is preempted by statute), and permits a 3-day notice for both non-payment and lease violations. Scores across Walsh County's 14 cities range from a low of 1.5/10 to a high of 2.2/10, a tight band that signals consistent baseline risk rather than sharp neighborhood-level volatility.

Grafton, the county seat and by far the largest community at 4,102 residents, scores 1.9/10 - right at the county average. Average rent in Grafton eviction risk and across the county runs roughly $742 per month, and the average rent burden sits at 21.3% of household income, well below the national stress threshold of 30%. That relatively manageable burden matters operationally: tenants who spend a modest share of income on rent are statistically less likely to fall behind in the first place, reducing the frequency of formal eviction proceedings. Park River, the second-largest city at 1,458 residents, scores 1.8/10, and smaller communities like Hoople score 1.8/10 and Fordville scores 1.5/10 - the lowest point in the county.

The riskiest corners of Walsh County are Minto (2.2/10) and Milton (2.2/10), both at the county ceiling of 2.2/10. Adams scores 2.1/10. These scores remain well within the Low tier and do not indicate meaningful landlord exposure - rather, they reflect slightly higher concentrations of cost-burdened renters or lower local income levels relative to the county baseline. The poverty rate across Walsh County averages 12.1%, which is a relevant backdrop: in tighter economic conditions, even a landlord-friendly legal framework cannot fully eliminate non-payment risk. Landlords operating in Minto or Milton should budget for the same 3-day notice timeline as elsewhere in the state, but may see somewhat higher rates of contested proceedings. Court filing fees run $75 to $150 for an eviction action in North Dakota, with uncontested cases typically resolving in 21 to 40 days and contested matters taking 45 to 100 days. Sheriff lockout fees add $40 to $125 on top of that. Budget $500 to $2,500 for attorney fees if the case is defended. All told, Walsh County represents one of the more straightforward landlord operating environments in the northern plains, with a clear statutory framework, no local regulatory overlay, and a rent market where tenant income coverage is adequate in most situations.

Walsh County's Very Low eviction risk score of 1.9/10 reflects a combination of low regulatory burden - no rent caps, no just-cause requirement, and state preemption of any future local rent control - and moderate economic fundamentals. At 21.3% average rent burden and $742 average monthly rent, most Walsh County tenants are not under acute financial pressure, which holds down the practical frequency of eviction proceedings even in a state that already makes the process relatively fast and inexpensive.