Anderson County, Tennessee Eviction Risk: Very Low

Anderson County, Tennessee eviction laws carries an average eviction-risk score of 2.3/10 (Low) across its 7 incorporated cities, yet that headline figure conceals meaningful local variation. Individual city scores run from 2.7 to 3.9 out of 10, a range wide enough to shift your underwriting calculus depending on exactly where a property sits. Despite the Low label, the county's state rank of 5 of 95 means only 4 Tennessee counties carry more risk, placing Anderson County firmly in the higher-risk third of the state, a nuance worth keeping in mind when comparing it to peers.

Demand fundamentals are modest but stable. The average rent runs $1,038 per month, and 35.2% of households are renters. Rent burden averages 27.9% of income, which keeps most tenants within manageable territory, though the 14.6% poverty rate signals a segment of the renter pool that can be financially fragile during economic disruptions.

The cities inside Anderson County

Rocky Top is the county's highest-risk city at 3.9/10, followed by Oak Ridge (population 32,693) and Clinton (population 10,239), both scoring 2.3/10. Oak Ridge eviction risk dominates the county's population and rental market, so its risk profile effectively sets the floor for portfolio-level exposure in Anderson County. Oliver Springs comes in at 3.7/10 with a population of 3,281, while Norris scores a comparatively lower 3.5/10.

The county's quietest markets from a risk standpoint are Andersonville at 2.8/10 and Briceville at 2.7/10, both small communities well below the county average. The spread from Briceville to Rocky Top underscores that eviction risk is hyperlocal here. A landlord with properties in Briceville and Rocky Top is effectively operating in two different risk environments despite both sitting within Anderson County lines.

State-level laws that apply here

Anderson County falls under Tennessee eviction laws's Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act, codified at T.C.A. § 66-28. For nonpayment of rent, landlords must serve a 7-day notice to pay or vacate under TCA § 66-28-505 (as amended by SB-1088). A material lease breach requires a 14-day cure notice under the same chapter, while a non-curable breach triggers a shorter 3-day notice under TCA § 66-28-517. Full details on notice sequencing and timeline expectations are covered in the Tennessee eviction laws eviction process guide.

Once a case is filed, an uncontested matter typically resolves in 21 to 45 days; a contested proceeding can stretch to 45 to 120 days. Court filing fees run $200 to $300, sheriff lockout fees add $40 to $150, and attorney fees commonly fall between $500 and $2,500 depending on complexity. Tennessee eviction laws imposes no rent control and requires no just cause to terminate a tenancy at lease end, and the state preempts any local government from enacting rent caps. For a full breakdown of what a filing costs, see the Tennessee eviction costs guide. Neither source-of-income nor local rent ordinances are available to tenants here, which is a meaningful pro-landlord feature of the Tennessee eviction laws statutory framework.

With a poverty rate of 14.6% and roughly 35.2% of households renting, Anderson County's risk is concentrated in specific cities rather than spread evenly, making the city-level grid above the most reliable starting point for any acquisition or portfolio review in this market.