Henry County, Tennessee Eviction Risk: Low

Henry County sits in northwest Tennessee on the Kentucky border, anchored by Paris, the county seat and by far its largest community with roughly 10,338 residents. The county scores 3.8/10 (Low) on the Eviction Risk Map index, placing it 43rd out of 95 Tennessee eviction laws counties - well into the middle portion of the state. With 42 counties carrying higher scores and only 52 scoring lower, Henry County represents one of the more landlord-stable markets in Tennessee eviction laws. Scores across the county's six incorporated places run from 3.2 to 4.3, a narrow spread that reflects the rural, economically consistent character of the area.

Paris, which houses the overwhelming majority of the county's rental population, scores 3.8/10 - matching the county average almost exactly. Puryear (pop. 736) also comes in at 3.2/10. The highest-scoring localities are Cottage Grove at 3.2/10 and the town of Henry at 4.3/10; both are small communities (60 and 534 residents respectively) where a handful of distressed rental units can move the needle more sharply than in a larger market. On the lower end, Buchanan scores 3.2/10 and Whitlock - the county's smallest incorporated place at 18 residents - posts the county's floor at 4.2/10. Against the Tennessee statewide average of 3.7/10, Henry County comes in notably below, underscoring its position among the state's lower-risk markets for landlords and renters alike.

Henry County falls below the 75,000-population threshold that triggers coverage under Tennessee's Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (URLTA, T.C.A. § 66-28). That matters in a practical sense: landlords here must provide a 30-day written notice before filing for nonpayment of rent under TCA Title 29, Chapter 18 - compared to the 7-day cure-or-quit period that applies in larger URLTA counties. Average rent across the county sits at $773/month, and renters dedicate roughly 26.4% of income to housing costs - a burden rate that, while meaningful, sits below the 30% threshold commonly used to define housing stress. About 41.2% of occupied units are renter-occupied, and the county's 24.4% poverty rate is the sharpest risk factor in the profile, contributing to the underlying vulnerability that shows up in the score even at its current low level. Court filing fees for an eviction action run $200-$300, sheriff lockout service costs $40-$150, and uncontested cases typically resolve in 21-45 days under local practice.

Henry County's 4.3/10 score reflects a rural northwest Tennessee eviction laws market with modest rents, limited tenant-protection statutes, and a non-URLTA legal framework that gives landlords a predictable 30-day notice process. The primary risk driver is a 24.4% poverty rate rather than regulatory complexity - there is no local rent control, no source-of-income protection, and no just-cause eviction requirement anywhere in the county.