Wilson County, Tennessee Eviction Risk: Low

Wilson County carries an average eviction-risk score of 3.5/10 (Low) across its 10 cities, yet that county-wide figure masks real variation on the ground. The intra-county range runs from 2.2 to 3.6, a spread wide enough to matter when you are choosing between submarkets. Relative to the rest of Tennessee, the county ranks 8th of 95, meaning only 7 counties in the state carry higher risk, which places Wilson County squarely in the higher-risk third despite its nominally Low label. Landlords and investors should treat the county average as a floor estimate, not a ceiling.

Operating conditions here are generally workable: the average rent is $1,623, the rent-burden rate is 29.2%, and the poverty rate is a relatively contained 8.6%. A renter share of 30.3% means demand is steady without the concentrated tenant-base pressures that push risk scores higher in denser markets. The combination of moderate incomes and sub-30% renter penetration tends to produce a stable, if unspectacular, landlord environment.

The cities inside Wilson County

Lebanon is the county seat and its largest city at 44,788 residents, and it also carries the highest risk score in the county at 3.6/10. Close behind are Green Hill (3.5/10) and Watertown (3.5/10). Mount Juliet, the county's second-largest city at 42,073 people, scores 3.4/10, reflecting its fast-growing suburban character and the churn that comes with rapid in-migration. These four cities account for the bulk of the county's rental inventory, so the portfolio-level risk for most investors will track closer to the 3.4 to 3.6 band than to the county average.

At the other end of the spectrum, Statesville scores 2.2/10, the lowest in the county, and Tuckers Crossroads scores 2.3/10. Rural Hill comes in at 2.7/10. These smaller communities have far fewer rental units in circulation, so the lower scores reflect limited eviction pressure as much as favorable landlord conditions. Risk is genuinely hyper-local here: two cities separated by a short drive can differ by more than a full point on the scale.

State-level laws that apply here

Wilson County is governed by the Tennessee eviction laws Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (T.C.A. § 66-28), which sets clear, landlord-accessible procedures. For nonpayment of rent, Tennessee law requires a 7-day notice to pay or quit (TCA § 66-28-505, as amended by SB-1088). A material lease breach triggers a 14-day notice, and a non-curable breach requires only a 3-day notice under TCA § 66-28-517. Understanding the Tennessee eviction process matters here because an uncontested filing resolves in roughly 21 to 45 days, while a contested case can stretch to 45 to 120 days. Court filing fees run $200 to $300, sheriff lockout fees add $40 to $150, and attorney fees for a contested case typically fall in the $500 to $2,500 range. Tennessee eviction costs can therefore total several thousand dollars in a hard-fought case, making tenant screening the most cost-effective risk-reduction tool available.

Tennessee imposes no just-cause requirement for terminating a tenancy, and state law preempts any local rent-control ordinance, so landlords face no rent-cap exposure anywhere in the county. Source-of-income is not a protected class under Tennessee state law, though fair housing obligations enforced by the Tennessee Human Rights Commission still apply. Reviewing Tennessee tenant protections and Tennessee security deposit limits before lease execution remains best practice.

With a poverty rate of 8.6% and a renter share of 30.3%, Wilson County's tenant base is relatively stable; the city-by-city grid above breaks out scores individually so you can pinpoint the specific submarket that fits your risk tolerance before committing capital.