Hamblen County, Tennessee Eviction Risk: Low

Hamblen County carries an average eviction-risk score of 2.6/10 (Low), placing it 17th out of 95 counties in Tennessee. That ranking means 16 counties in the state carry higher risk, and 78 are less risky, so landlords here are operating in the higher-risk third of Tennessee even though the absolute score reads low. Across the county's 2 cities, the range runs from 2.2 to 3.1, meaning conditions are meaningfully different depending on exactly where a rental property sits. With an average rent of $878 and a rent burden sitting at 27.2%, many tenants are spending a sizable share of income on housing, which can put rent collections under pressure when economic shocks hit.

The county's 44.6% renter share is substantial enough that landlords have a real tenant pool to work with, but a 25.2% poverty rate signals that credit and income screening should be rigorous. Investors comparing Hamblen County against peer counties such as Gibson County (2.6/10), McMinn County (3.0/10), and Tipton County (3.3/10) will find it broadly in the same tier, though the intra-county spread here is worth noting before committing capital to a specific neighborhood.

The cities inside Hamblen County

Morristown eviction risk dominates the county's rental market with a population of 31,527 and an eviction-risk score of 2.6/10, matching the county average exactly. As the urban core, Morristown eviction risk concentrates both the rental inventory and the risk factors, from higher tenant turnover to the economic pressures that drive nonpayment. Investors targeting multi-unit properties will almost certainly be operating within Morristown's boundaries, and its score should set the baseline assumption for underwriting.

Russellville, with a population of just 684, scores 2.2/10, the most landlord-favorable reading in the county. That nearly one-full-point gap illustrates how hyper-local eviction risk can be even within a small county. A landlord owning a single-family rental in Russellville is operating in a materially different risk environment than a landlord holding units in Morristown, despite the two cities sharing the same county zoning framework and court system.

State-level laws that apply here

Because Hamblen County falls under Tennessee's Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (T.C.A. § 66-28), the shorter URLTA notice periods govern most residential evictions here. A nonpayment of rent case requires a 7-day notice under TCA § 66-28-505 (as amended by SB-1088); a material lease breach triggers a 14-day notice under the same statute; and a non-curable breach can be addressed with just a 3-day notice under TCA § 66-28-517. Understanding the Tennessee eviction process matters because those notice clocks run before any court filing can begin, and an uncontested case still takes 21 to 45 days from filing to resolution, with contested cases stretching 45 to 120 days.

Tennessee eviction costs stack up quickly. Court filing fees run $200 to $300, sheriff lockout fees add another $40 to $150, and attorney fees for contested cases range from $500 to $2,500. Tennessee state law does not require just cause to terminate a tenancy, and the state preempts any local rent-control ordinance, so landlords face no rent-cap exposure in Hamblen County. Source-of-income is not a protected class under Tennessee state law, though federal fair housing rules still apply through the Tennessee Human Rights Commission.

With a poverty rate of 25.2% and nearly 44.6% of residents renting, the risk profile in Hamblen County is driven more by tenant economic fragility than by tenant-protection statutes. Review the city grid above to compare Morristown and Russellville side by side before deciding where to concentrate investment.