Union County, Tennessee Eviction Risk: Low

Union County sits in the lower-risk tier of Tennessee eviction laws's 95 counties, earning a county-wide eviction risk score of 3.6/10 (Low) and ranking 70th of 95 statewide - meaning 69 counties carry higher eviction risk than Union County does. That position reflects the county's relatively small renter population (roughly 28.9% of households rent) and a modest average rent of $792 per month, which keeps rent burden near 24.3% - well below thresholds that typically precede eviction spikes. With a total population of around 6,144, Union County is one of Tennessee eviction laws's smaller rural counties, and its housing market behaves accordingly: turnover is low, lease terms tend to be informal, and landlord-tenant disputes rarely escalate to court.

Within the county, scores range from 3.2 to 4 across its three tracked communities. Maynardville - the county seat and largest city at roughly 2,528 residents - carries the highest local score at 4/10, reflecting modestly higher renter concentration and slightly elevated poverty (the county average sits at 14.9%). Luttrell, with about 1,158 residents, falls in the middle at 3.2/10. Plainview scores at the low end of the range, 3.3/10, consistent with its status as one of the county's quieter residential communities. None of these figures approach the stress levels common in Tennessee's urban counties - Union County's risk profile looks closer to its rural neighbors than to Knox or Shelby County to the west.

A key structural factor shaping eviction dynamics here is that Union County falls outside the scope of the Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (URLTA). Because the county's population sits under 75,000, landlord-tenant relationships are governed by TCA Title 29 Chapter 18 rather than the URLTA framework that applies in larger jurisdictions. That means the standard notice period for non-payment or lease violations is 30 days - longer than the 7-day nonpayment notice that applies in URLTA counties. For landlords, that difference matters: you have less flexibility for rapid action but also face a more predictable, slower-moving process. Court filing costs run $200 to $300 at the general sessions level, and uncontested cases typically resolve within 21 to 45 days. Contested disputes can run 45 to 120 days depending on docket congestion in the Fourth Judicial District.

Union County's 3.6/10 score places it in the lower-risk of Tennessee eviction laws counties by eviction risk. With 69 of 95 counties scoring higher and only 25 scoring lower, landlords operating here face a more stable environment than most of the state, though rural poverty at 14.9% and limited local legal aid resources mean individual eviction cases can still carry unpredictable timelines once contested.