Coal County, Oklahoma Eviction Risk: Low

Coal County scores 1.8/10 (Low) for eviction risk, placing it among the more landlord-favorable markets in Oklahoma eviction laws. Ranked 61 of 77 counties statewide, 60 counties carry higher risk than Coal County, and only 16 rank with lower risk. Across the county's 8 cities and a total population of roughly 3,069, average rent runs $748 per month with an average rent burden of 22.3%, a combination that points to a modest but relatively stable tenant base for landlords willing to operate at these rent levels.

The intra-county spread runs from 1.5 to 2.1, a range that is narrow in absolute terms but still meaningful when selecting specific assets. A score this low signals that market-level eviction pressure, regulatory friction, and structural rent stress are all below most of what Oklahoma eviction laws presents elsewhere, giving patient investors a framework they can underwrite with reasonable confidence.

The cities inside Coal County

Cottonwood carries the highest individual score in the county at 2.1/10, followed by Lehigh at 2/10 (population 223). Both of these small communities sit above the county average, and landlords acquiring assets there should size their reserves accordingly, even though neither number approaches a high-risk threshold by statewide standards.

Coalgate, the county seat and its most populous city at 1,894 residents, scores 1.8/10, right at the county average. Tupelo (population 401) scores 1.7/10, while Phillips, the county's lowest-risk market, scores 1.5/10. Risk is genuinely hyper-local here: two cities separated by a few miles register scores that differ by as much as 0.6 points, which is the difference between the county's easiest and most difficult operating conditions.

State-level laws that apply here

All Oklahoma landlords, including those in Coal County, operate under 41 O.S. § 101 et seq. (Residential Landlord and Tenant Act). Non-payment of rent triggers a 5-day notice; lease violations subject to cure require a 10-day notice; and a no-cause termination at end of term requires 30 days. Court filing fees range from $75 to $175, sheriff lockout fees from $40 to $125, and attorney fees from $500 to $2,500. An uncontested eviction typically resolves in 21 to 45 days, while a contested case can extend to 45 to 100 days. Reviewing the full Oklahoma eviction laws eviction process before your first filing here will help avoid procedural delays that lengthen that timeline.

Oklahoma eviction laws imposes no rent control and requires no just cause for non-renewal, and state law preempts any local rent control ordinance, so Coal County jurisdictions cannot impose rent caps independently. Oklahoma security deposit limits and other tenant-protection rules governed by 41 O.S. § 118 (habitability) and 41 O.S. § 127 (retaliation) apply uniformly across the state. Source of income is not a protected class under Oklahoma state law, which simplifies screening decisions for landlords.

With an average poverty rate of 28.1% and a renter share of 39.8% across Coal County, landlords should price vacancies and screen carefully, though the low overall risk score suggests the market is workable. The city-by-city grid above breaks down individual scores for all 8 cities, from Cottonwood at the top of the range to Phillips at the bottom.