Madison County, Tennessee Eviction Risk: Very Low

Madison County, Tennessee scores 2.1/10 on average across its 6 municipalities, placing it in the Low risk tier and ranking 82nd of 95 Tennessee eviction laws counties, meaning 81 counties in the state carry higher eviction risk. For landlords and investors evaluating Middle West Tennessee markets, that ranking signals a genuinely favorable operating environment, one where tenant-stability indicators and state-law timelines combine to reduce exposure relative to most of the state. The county's average rent of $1,155 and an average renter share of 47.1% support meaningful rental demand without the concentrated distress metrics that drive high-risk readings elsewhere in Tennessee.

The intra-county spread runs from 1.9 to 2.7, a range narrow enough to reflect consistent conditions but wide enough to matter when choosing a specific submarket. Landlords comparing Madison County to peers such as Coffee County (2.3/10) or Sevier County (2.43/10) will find it competitive, though the city-level variation described below means underwriting to the county average alone can still miss meaningful pockets of difference.

The cities inside Madison County

Jackson anchors the county by a wide margin, with a population of 68,435 and a score of 2.1/10. Because Jackson accounts for the overwhelming share of the county's 71,774 total residents, its risk profile effectively sets the county average. Investors concentrating on Jackson can largely rely on the county-wide read as a reliable proxy for local conditions.

At the higher end of the county's range, Three Way (2.7/10, population 2,008) and Medon (2.7/10) carry the most elevated risk scores in the county, though both remain well within the Low tier by statewide standards. Pinson and Mercer each score 2.2/10. The lowest-risk location in the county is Beech Bluff at 1.9/10. Even at the riskiest end of the local spectrum, the gap between Three Way's 2.7 and Beech Bluff's 1.9 underscores that eviction risk is hyper-local: operating in one Madison County community rather than another can meaningfully shift a portfolio's risk profile.

State-level laws that apply here

Tennessee state law governs the eviction framework for all landlords in Madison County. Under the Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (T.C.A. § 66-28), the required notice for nonpayment of rent is 7 days (TCA § 66-28-505, as amended by SB-1088), a material lease breach triggers a 14-day notice, and a non-curable breach carries a 3-day notice. Landlords should note that because Madison County's total population exceeds 75,000, it falls under URLTA, not the 30-day notice track that applies to smaller counties under TCA Title 29 Chapter 18. An uncontested case typically resolves in 21 to 45 days; a contested matter can run 45 to 120 days. Full out-of-pocket costs, covering court filing fees of $200 to $300, sheriff lockout fees of $40 to $150, and attorney fees of $500 to $2,500, mean a contested eviction can cost well into the thousands before a unit is recovered. Understanding the Tennessee eviction process and budgeting for realistic Tennessee eviction costs should be standard practice for any investor entering this market. Tennessee state law imposes no rent control and requires no just cause for termination, and state preemption prevents any local jurisdiction from imposing rent caps, a structural advantage for landlords that holds across every city in Madison County.

With an average poverty rate of 21.8% across the county's tracked areas, some degree of tenant financial stress is present and worth factoring into screening standards. The city-by-city grid above provides the granular scores you need to compare Jackson, Three Way, Beech Bluff, and the other communities before committing capital.