Clark County, Ohio Eviction Risk: Low

Clark County carries a 2.7/10 Moderate eviction-risk score, averaged across 15 cities and a total population of roughly 87,265. That mid-range figure masks meaningful variation: individual cities range from 2 to 3, a span wide enough to push some sub-markets into genuinely elevated territory. For landlords sizing up Ohio, the county sits at rank 14 of 88, meaning only 13 counties in the state carry more risk and 74 are less risky, placing Clark County in the higher-risk third of the state despite its nominally "moderate" headline.

Average rent runs $883 per month, with a rent burden of 26.8% of income and a renter share of 39.4% of households. A poverty rate of 19.7% adds underlying financial fragility that shapes collection risk county-wide. These conditions do not make investing here off-limits, but they do mean underwriting assumptions and tenant-screening standards need to be calibrated carefully before placing capital.

The cities inside Clark County

Springfield, the county seat and by far its largest city at 58,190 residents, scores 4.9/10, the highest in the county and the figure that anchors the upper bound of the intra-county range. Lawrenceville follows closely at 3/10, and Park Layne, with a population of 4,301, scores 2.1/10, matching the county average exactly. Investors concentrating in Springfield eviction risk or Lawrenceville should budget for above-average eviction frequency relative to what the county headline suggests.

The lower end of the range is considerably more favorable. Holiday Valley scores 2.5/10, the lowest in the county, and Northridge, with 7,817 residents, comes in at 2.5/10. New Carlisle, South Charleston, and Enon each score 2.5/10. Risk in Clark County is genuinely hyper-local: a few miles separating a Springfield address from a Northridge address can translate into a 1.6-point score difference and a materially different operating environment.

State-level laws that apply here

Ohio eviction laws eviction law is governed by ORC § 5321 (Landlords and Tenants). Nonpayment of rent and material lease violations each require a 3-day notice to vacate under ORC § 1923.04. Month-to-month holdovers require 30 days notice under ORC § 5321.17, while the end of a fixed-term lease requires no advance notice at all under ORC § 1923.02. Once filed, an uncontested case typically resolves in 21 to 45 days; a contested case can stretch to 45 to 120 days. Court filing fees run $160 to $250, sheriff lockout fees add $50 to $175, and attorney fees range from $500 to $3,000, so total out-of-pocket exposure on a litigated eviction can reach into the low thousands before lost rent is counted. A full breakdown appears in the Ohio eviction costs guide.

Ohio eviction laws state law does not require just cause for non-renewal, and the state actively preempts local rent-control ordinances, so landlords in Clark County face no rent caps at the city or county level. Entry requires 24 hours advance notice under state statute. Reviewing the Ohio eviction laws eviction process guide and understanding the Ohio tenant protections framework in full is worthwhile before closing on any acquisition in the county.

With 39.4% of households renting and a poverty rate of 19.7%, Clark County's financial backdrop is an important underwriting variable; the city-by-city grid above pinpoints where that pressure is highest and where lower-risk sub-markets offer more predictable returns.