Atascosa County, Texas Eviction Risk: Very Low

Atascosa County, Texas eviction laws earns an average eviction-risk score of 2.4/10 (Low), placing it among the higher-risk third of all 254 Texas counties: 45 counties are riskier and 208 are less risky, which means landlords here face meaningfully elevated exposure compared to most of the state. Across the county's 7 cities, scores span a range of 2 to 3.1, so while the headline number looks modest, conditions inside Atascosa County vary enough to matter for portfolio decisions. An average rent of $1,035 and a rent-burden rate of 30.3% suggest tenants are stretching their budgets, a pattern that tends to pressure collections even in markets that otherwise look stable.

For investors sizing up this corner of South Texas, the Low label warrants a closer look at the specific city, not just the county-wide average. A 30.4% renter share and a 14.3% poverty rate create a tenant base where cash-flow disruptions are more common than the aggregate score alone would suggest. The spread from 2 to 3.1 across just seven municipalities is a strong signal that submarket selection, not county-level generalizations, drives actual outcomes here.

The cities inside Atascosa County

The county seat, Jourdanton (population 4,407), carries the highest risk reading in Atascosa County at 3.1/10. That score sits well above the county average and, for a city of its size, represents real operational exposure: slower lease-up in a downturn, a tenant pool with limited financial cushion, and a collections environment that rewards careful screening. Poteet (population 2,910) follows at 2.8/10, and Christine at 2.5/10, making the southern and western reaches of the county the highest-friction operating zone.

On the other end of the spectrum, Pleasanton (population 11,011) scores the lowest in the county at 2/10, making it the most landlord-friendly jurisdiction within Atascosa County by a clear margin. Lytle (2.2/10, population 2,492) and Leming (2.2/10) also sit well below the county midpoint. The risk gap between Pleasanton at 2 and Jourdanton at 3.1 is wide enough that two investors operating in the same county can face materially different eviction-filing frequencies and lease-enforcement climates. City-level due diligence is not optional here.

State-level laws that apply here

Texas state law sets the procedural framework for every landlord in Atascosa County. Under Tex. Prop. Code § 24.005, the required notice period is 3 days for nonpayment of rent (whether a first-time or habitual delinquent), lease violations, and holdover tenants alike. Squatters and unauthorized occupants can be addressed without any notice period under Tex. Prop. Code § 24.011, as added by SB-38. Texas does not require just cause for nonrenewal and, under TX Local Gov Code § 214.902, the state preempts any local rent-control ordinance, so no city within Atascosa County can impose a rent cap. Understanding the full Texas eviction process, including the sequence from notice to constable lockout, is essential before filing.

Cost matters as much as timeline. Court filing fees run $54 to $125, sheriff or constable lockout fees add $50 to $175, and attorney fees for contested matters range from $500 to $3,500. An uncontested case typically resolves in 21 to 30 days; a contested hearing can stretch to 45 to 90 days. Landlords should review Texas eviction costs carefully before assuming a low-risk score translates into a cheap or fast proceeding. Texas security deposit limits and Texas tenant protections, including the retaliation statute at Tex. Prop. Code § 92.331 and the habitability statute at § 92.052, apply uniformly across every city in the county.

With a poverty rate of 14.3% and a renter share of 30.4%, the tenant base across Atascosa County is narrower and more financially strained than statewide averages, making city-by-city score comparisons, shown in the grid above, the most reliable guide to where operating risk is actually concentrated.