Pickett County, Tennessee Eviction Risk: Low

Pickett County sits in the remote Upper Cumberland plateau of northern Tennessee, bordering Kentucky along the shores of Dale Hollow Lake. With a total population of roughly 1,141 residents, it ranks among the smallest counties in the state by headcount -- and that small scale shapes nearly every aspect of the rental market here. The county carries an eviction-risk score of 3.9/10 (Low), placing it 26th out of 95 Tennessee counties, where rank 1 represents the highest risk to landlords. That position means 25 counties across the state carry more eviction risk than Pickett, and only 69 are rated lower. In short, Pickett County sits firmly in the higher-risk of Tennessee's landlord-risk landscape.

Byrdstown is the county seat and the only incorporated municipality tracked here, scoring 3.9/10 -- identical to the county average, given that it accounts for essentially the entire rental base in Pickett. Average rents run just $307 per month, one of the lowest figures you will find anywhere in Tennessee, reflecting both the rural character of the market and the extremely limited housing stock. About 48.6% of households rent rather than own, which is notably high for a county this sparsely settled, and the average rent burden sits at 27.1% of income -- meaning a meaningful share of renters are spending close to the conventional 30% threshold. The poverty rate of 27% underscores the economic fragility of the tenant pool, a factor that landlords in this market cite most often when evaluating collections risk.

From a statutory standpoint, Pickett County falls outside the reach of the Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (URLTA, T.C.A. § 66-28) because its population stays well below the 75,000-person threshold. That matters in practice: instead of the 7-day pay-or-vacate notice that URLTA counties use for nonpayment, Pickett landlords must serve a 30-day notice under TCA Title 29 Chapter 18 before filing any eviction action. Once in court, uncontested cases resolve in roughly 21 to 45 days from filing, with court costs running $200 to $300 and sheriff lockout fees adding another $40 to $150. The state of Tennessee preempts local rent-control ordinances statewide, so there is no cap on rent increases in Pickett County, and no just-cause requirement applies before a landlord terminates a tenancy. Source-of-income status -- such as a housing voucher -- is also not a protected class under state law. Combined, those factors contribute to Pickett County's low overall risk rating relative to the Tennessee average of 3.7/10.

Pickett County's Low rating reflects the absence of tenant-protective statutes, no local rent control, and a small rural rental market where landlord-tenant disputes rarely involve organized legal advocacy. The primary practical risk for landlords is economic -- a 27% poverty rate and tight wages mean that late-payment events are possible even when tenants are acting in good faith, making thorough income screening at lease-up the most effective risk-management tool available.