Jackson County, Ohio Eviction Risk: Low

Jackson County, Ohio scores 4/10 (Low) on average eviction risk, placing it among the lower-risk third of Ohio eviction laws's 88 counties. Ranked 61 of 88, 60 counties carry higher risk and only 27 are more landlord-friendly statewide, which means Jackson County is a relatively stable operating environment without being the easiest market in the state. Across the county's 4 cities, risk scores run a narrow band of 3.4 to 5.9, so the overall low-risk picture holds regardless of which community an investor targets.

Average rent sits at $666 per month and rent burden averages 26.6% of income, a figure that stays below the commonly cited 30% stress threshold. That cushion reduces the probability of nonpayment-driven evictions for investors holding stabilized units, though a 23.6% poverty rate countywide reminds operators that tenant financial fragility is real and warrants thorough screening up front.

The cities inside Jackson County

Wellston, with a population of 5,452 and a score of 3.4/10, carries the highest individual risk in the county and is the city where underwriting discipline matters most. Directly behind it is the county seat of Jackson (population 6,231), scoring 4/10, nearly identical to the county average. Both cities together account for the bulk of the county's renter population, so investors concentrating there should expect conditions that closely mirror the countywide profile.

On the lower end of the range, Oak Hill scores 4/10 and Coalton scores 5.9/10, both comfortably below the county average. These smaller communities, with populations of 1,545 and 588 respectively, present a meaningfully quieter risk picture. The spread from 3 in Oak Hill to 3.7 in Wellston is a reminder that even within a single low-risk county, risk is hyper-local, and city-level scores should drive underwriting, not just the county headline.

State-level laws that apply here

Ohio eviction process rules under ORC § 5321 and ORC § 1923 apply uniformly across Jackson County. For nonpayment of rent or a material lease violation, landlords must serve a 3-day notice under ORC § 1923.04 before filing. A month-to-month holdover requires a 30-day notice under ORC § 5321.17, while the end of a fixed-term lease requires no advance notice under ORC § 1923.02. Once filed, an uncontested case resolves in roughly 21 to 45 days; a contested case extends to 45 to 120 days. Court filing fees run $160 to $250, sheriff lockout fees add $50 to $175, and attorney fees typically range $500 to $3,000, making the realistic all-in cost of a contested eviction a significant line item even in this low-risk county.

Ohio eviction costs are shaped by a landlord-friendly statutory framework: Ohio eviction laws requires no just cause to end a tenancy at lease expiration, and state law preempts any local rent-control ordinance, so Jackson County landlords face no local rent caps. Ohio security deposit limits are set at the state level as well, with no additional local restrictions layered on top. Landlords must provide 24-hour notice before entry under ORC § 5321.04, and retaliatory eviction is prohibited under ORC § 5321.02.

With 36.2% of residents renting and a poverty rate of 23.6%, Jackson County has a meaningful renter base relative to its size; the city-level scores in the grid above show exactly where within the county that risk concentrates.