Cumberland County, Tennessee Eviction Risk: Very Low

Cumberland County carries an average eviction-risk score of 2.3/10 (Low), placing it 49th of 95 Tennessee counties, meaning 48 counties carry more risk and 46 are friendlier to landlords. Across all 7 incorporated places in the county, conditions are broadly stable: renter households represent only 26.7% of the housing stock, average rent sits at $1,020 per month, and the average rent burden of 27.3% of income stays below the threshold that typically drives payment stress. For investors evaluating Tennessee markets, Cumberland County reads as a low-volatility operating environment.

That said, the county is not monolithic. Scores range from a low of 1.9/10 to a high of 2.7/10 depending on the city, a spread of 0.8 points that can matter when sizing up individual acquisitions. The total combined population across these cities is 28,633, with the bulk concentrated in the county seat, making it a smaller, plateau-region market rather than a high-volume urban one.

The cities inside Cumberland County

Crossville anchors the county both in size and in risk. With a population of 12,428 it is by far the largest city, and it also carries the highest score at 2.7/10. That figure still qualifies as Low risk, but landlords acquiring in Crossville should recognize it sits at the upper boundary of the county range. Pleasant Hill comes in at 2.3/10, and Fairfield Glade (population 9,487) and Crab Orchard both score 2.4/10, a cluster that reflects modest but consistent rent-burden exposure.

At the opposite end, Bowman posts the county's lowest score at 1.9/10, followed by Mayland at 2.2/10 and Lake Tansi at 2.3/10. Risk is genuinely hyper-local here: Crossville reads about 42% higher than Bowman on this scale, and those two cities sit within the same county lines. Investors targeting the quietest operating conditions should look beyond the county seat to these smaller communities.

State-level laws that apply here

Every landlord in Cumberland County operates under Tennessee state law as codified in T.C.A. § 66-28 (Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act). For nonpayment of rent in URLTA counties, the required notice is 7 days under TCA § 66-28-505 (as amended by SB-1088); a material breach carries a 14-day notice, and a non-curable breach requires only 3 days under TCA § 66-28-517. Where a county falls outside URLTA coverage (population under 75,000), the applicable notice extends to 30 days under TCA Title 29 Chapter 18. Uncontested cases typically resolve in 21 to 45 days; contested proceedings can run 45 to 120 days. Tennessee requires no just cause for non-renewal, and state law preempts any local rent-control measure, so no cap on increases applies here.

Understanding the Tennessee eviction process matters at the cost level as much as the timeline level. Court filing fees run $200 to $300, sheriff lockout fees add another $40 to $150, and attorney fees typically range from $500 to $2,500, meaning total out-of-pocket exposure for a contested removal can reach meaningful four-figure territory. Landlords comparing markets should also weigh Tennessee security deposit limits and Tennessee eviction costs against peer-state rules before committing capital to a new region.

With a 14% average poverty rate across the county, financial stress among renters exists but remains contained relative to higher-risk Tennessee markets; review the city grid above to pinpoint which of the 7 communities best fits your risk tolerance before underwriting a specific acquisition.