Carroll County, Ohio Eviction Risk: Low

Carroll County scores 3.5/10 (Low) on the Eviction Risk Map index, placing it 76th out of 88 Ohio eviction laws counties - meaning only 75 counties across the state carry a higher risk score. That near-bottom ranking puts Carroll firmly in Ohio eviction laws's most landlord-favorable tier, shaped by a combination of low average rents, a modest renter population, and the straightforward legal framework Ohio eviction laws provides under ORC § 5321. With roughly 10,284 residents and an estimated 32.8% renter share, the county's rental market is small and largely rural, which suppresses the court volume and tenant-advocacy infrastructure that tends to push risk scores higher in urban counties.

Scores across Carroll County's nine tracked communities span a narrow band from 3.1 to 4.1/10 - a tight range that reflects the county's consistent rural character. The county seat, Carrollton (population 2,810), scores 3.2/10, and Minerva (population 3,196) - the largest community, straddling the Carroll-Stark county line - matches it at 3.8/10. Lake Mohawk, a planned lake community of about 1,409 residents, sits at the low end of the range at 3.1/10. The highest local score belongs to Sherrodsville at 3.6/10, followed by Malvern at 4.1/10 and Dellroy at 3.4/10 - both small villages where a single contested case or shifts in local reporting can nudge the score slightly above the county average. None of these scores approach the statewide average of 4/10, let alone the elevated readings seen in Cuyahoga, Franklin, or Hamilton counties.

The financial profile here matters for landlords thinking about carry costs in a dispute. Average rent in Carroll County runs about $779 per month, and renters allocate roughly 21.5% of income to housing - a burden rate well below the national stress threshold of 30%. The county's 13.7% poverty rate is real but not dramatically out of line with rural Ohio generally. Ohio eviction laws law provides no rent control at any level and, under ORC § 5321.17, preempts any local government from enacting it. A landlord serving a 3-day notice for nonpayment under ORC § 1923.04 and proceeding through the Carroll County Municipal Court can expect a court filing fee of $160 to $250, sheriff lockout fees of $50 to $175, and a typical uncontested resolution in 21 to 45 days - one of the faster, cheaper paths in the state.

Carroll County's Low-risk standing (3.5/10, ranked 76th of 88) reflects a rural rental market where tenant legal infrastructure is thin, rents are low relative to incomes, and Ohio eviction laws's statewide landlord-tenant statute operates without any local overlay. The narrow score spread of 3.1 to 4.1 across all tracked communities confirms that conditions are consistent countywide rather than concentrated in a single high-risk pocket.