Skip to content
Eviction risk map of White County, Tennessee showing a 2.2/10 (Very Low) county average with city-level scores ranging from 2.2 to 2.7
County brief·Updated July 28, 2026

White County, Tennessee Eviction Risk: Very Low

3 incorporated cities and unincorporated areas. The county Eviction Risk Score is held aloft by the city of Sparta (2.7) and a small number of dense urban cores. Rent-control coverage varies by city.

In 2026
Risk score
2.2
VERY LOW

Ranked #58 of 95 TN counties

6k residents · 3 cities · 6 tracts

1976–2026 · pop-weighted from cities

White County eviction risk score history

Min2.1 Average2.7 Now2.2
10 5 1976 · score 3.2 1977 · score 3.3 1978 · score 3.2 1979 · score 3.3 1980 · score 3.3 1981 · score 3.3 1982 · score 3.3 1983 · score 3.2 1984 · score 3.1 1985 · score 3.0 1986 · score 2.9 1987 · score 2.8 1988 · score 2.7 1989 · score 2.2 1990 · score 2.2 1991 · score 2.2 1992 · score 2.8 1993 · score 2.8 1994 · score 2.8 1995 · score 2.8 1996 · score 2.8 1997 · score 2.8 1998 · score 2.8 1999 · score 2.8 2000 · score 2.7 2001 · score 2.8 2002 · score 2.9 2003 · score 2.9 2004 · score 2.8 2005 · score 2.7 2006 · score 2.7 2007 · score 2.6 2008 · score 2.7 2009 · score 2.8 2010 · score 2.8 2011 · score 2.8 2012 · score 2.6 2013 · score 2.6 2014 · score 2.4 2015 · score 2.4 2016 · score 2.3 2017 · score 2.2 2018 · score 2.1 2019 · score 2.1 2020 · score 2.9 2021 · score 3.1 2022 · score 2.2 2023 · score 2.2 2024 · score 2.3 2025 · score 2.3 2026 · score 2.2

Key metrics

Time machine

Scrub 50 years

2026
● LIVE · today ◀ REPLAY · historical

White County's 2.2/10 (Very Low) spans a local range of 2.2-2.7 across its three tracked cities -- a compressed spread that reflects the county's uniform rural market conditions. Ranked 58th of 95 Tennessee counties -- 57 counties carry higher eviction risk, 37 carry less.

How White County ranks in Tennessee

Lower number means more extreme, where #1 is the most
Eviction Risk Score
Low
#58 of 95 TN counties 2.2 / 10
Eviction Risk Score, 39th percentileLowHigh
#58 of 95 counties in Tennessee for landlord eviction risk.
Cost of living
Low
#38 of 51 states (statewide) 91.9 index
Cost of living, 26th percentileLowHigh
Tennessee ranks #38 of 51 states on overall cost of living (8.1% cheaper than the U.S. avg).
Housing services cost
Low
#33 of 51 states (statewide) 79.1 index
Housing services cost, 36th percentileLowHigh
Tennessee ranks #33 of 51 states on housing services (20.9% cheaper than the U.S. avg).
Income spent on rent
Very High
#7 of 95 TN counties 33.7% of income
Income spent on rent, 94th percentileLowHigh
#7 of 95 counties in Tennessee on % of income spent on rent.

Landlord guides for Tennessee

State-specific playbooks
Tennessee Eviction Costs →
Filing fees, attorney fees, lost rent, sheriff lockout
Tennessee Eviction Process →
Step-by-step timeline, notices, statute cites
Tennessee Rent Control →
Statewide caps, local ordinances, just-cause
Tennessee Tenant Screening →
Five-point protocol, legal rules, protected classes
Tennessee Tenant Protections →
Just cause, retaliation, habitability, entry
Cities in White County
Sorted by Eviction Risk Score · highest first
Map view
CityPopulationRisk% income on rentAverage rentLean
001 Sparta Pop 4,939 · 22.0% income · $731 rent · Rep 4,939 2.2 22.0% $731 Rep
002 Doyle Pop 532 · 51.0% income · $1,005 rent · Rep 532 2.3 51.0% $1,005 Rep
003 Bon Air Pop 205 · 28.1% income · $890 rent · Rep 205 2.7 28.1% $890 Rep

County heatmap

Geographic distribution
Local landlord context

One county, multiple regulatory regimes.

White County sits in Tennessee eviction laws's Upper Cumberland plateau, a rural stretch of about 5,676 renters and owners where the rental market moves at a quieter pace than the state's urban corridors. The county's overall eviction risk scores 2.2/10 (Very Low), placing it 58th out of 95 Tennessee eviction laws counties -- putting it squarely in the middle of the state for landlord-tenant friction. Of Tennessee eviction laws's 95 counties, 57 carry higher eviction risk and 37 carry less. That positioning matters: landlords here operate in a framework that leans toward straightforward recovery, while renters face limited statutory protections beyond the baseline floor set by state law.

The county seat of Sparta -- home to roughly 4,939 residents and the largest rental concentration in the county -- scores 2.2/10, consistent with the county average. Doyle, a smaller community of about 532, scores 2.3/10, modestly above the county floor. The highest-risk reading in the county belongs to Bon Air (pop. 205), at 2.7/10 -- still within the Low tier but representing the widest end of the local spread, which runs from 2.2 to 2.7 across all tracked cities. That compressed range signals a county with relatively uniform market conditions rather than the sharp neighborhood-to-neighborhood volatility seen in metro areas.

White County's population falls below the 75,000-resident threshold that triggers coverage under Tennessee eviction laws's Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (T.C.A. § 66-28). That means landlords here operate under the older TCA Title 29 Chapter 18 framework, which requires a 30-day notice to vacate rather than the 7-day nonpayment notice available in URLTA-covered counties like Shelby or Knox. Court filing fees in the county run $200-$300, and an uncontested eviction case typically wraps in 21 to 45 days from filing -- with contested matters stretching to 45-120 days. Tennessee eviction laws state law preempts any local rent control ordinance, and White County has none. There is no just-cause requirement for non-renewal, and source of income is not a protected class under state fair housing rules. Renters with complaints about discrimination can contact the Tennessee Human Rights Commission. Average rent across the county runs about $762 per month, against an average rent burden of 24.9% -- below the 30% threshold that typically signals housing stress -- though a poverty rate of 15.9% and a renter share of 32.5% mean a meaningful fraction of households operate with limited financial cushion when disputes arise.

White County's 2.2/10 score reflects a rural market with limited tenant-protective legislation, below-average rent burden, and a population that falls outside Tennessee eviction laws's stronger URLTA framework -- a combination that keeps eviction friction relatively low compared to the state as a whole, even though other Tennessee eviction laws counties rank higher on the risk scale.

How White County compares

White County's 2.2/10 (Very Low) comes in below the Tennessee statewide average of 2.4/10. Nearby peer counties -- Wayne, Moore, Union, Morgan, and Chester -- all land in a similar band, reflecting the Upper Cumberland region's broadly uniform risk profile rather than any outlier condition in White County specifically. Within Tennessee eviction laws's full 95-county spread, White County sits 58th overall, placing it in the middle of the distribution: landlord-tenant friction here is neither the lowest nor the highest the state produces.

Peer counties in Tennessee

Same state, closest by population and Eviction Risk Score
Peer county
Wayne County eviction risk
2.2
/ 10 · Low
Pop. 6.0K
Peer county
Moore County eviction risk
2.2
/ 10 · Low
Pop. 6.5K
Peer county
Union County eviction risk
2.2
/ 10 · Low
Pop. 6.1K
Peer county
Morgan County eviction risk
2.2
/ 10 · Low
Pop. 5.3K

Where eviction risk concentrates in White County

Top cities + top neighborhoods · click any card for the full breakdown

Top cities by population

Frequently asked

Frequently asked questions about White County

Q1

How is the White County eviction risk score computed?

Each of the 3 cities in the county is independently scored on nine sub-factors. The county-wide 2.2/10 average reflects a population-weighted mean of those municipal scores.
Q2

Does White County have rent control?

Rent control is determined by state law and city ordinance. Tennessee state framework applies. See the Tennessee eviction laws rent-control guide for details.
Q3

What is the political climate in White County?

White County voted Republican by 62.7 points in 2020.