Austin County, Texas Eviction Risk: Very Low

Austin County carries a county-wide average eviction-risk score of 2/10, placing it in the Low risk tier and landing at rank 110 of 254 Texas counties, right in the middle third of the state. That means 109 counties are riskier for landlords and 144 are more landlord-friendly, a position that reflects genuinely moderate operating conditions rather than either a standout safe haven or a trouble spot. Across all 7 incorporated places in the county, the picture is consistently calm, with an average rent of $1,137 and a rent-burden rate of 34.9%. For investors weighing Texas eviction laws markets, Austin County represents a workable, low-friction operating environment with few of the structural stressors that drive eviction activity in higher-risk markets.

Scores across the county range from 1.1 at the low end to 2.3 at the high end, a 1.2-point spread that confirms risk is not uniform. Landlords should evaluate specific cities rather than treating the county as a monolith. Property management in Austin County is a practical consideration given those intra-county differences, and working with Austin County property managers who know the local rental dynamics can help investors position portfolios in the lower-risk pockets of the market.

The cities inside Austin County

The two highest-scoring cities are Sealy and Wallis, each at 2.3/10. Sealy is the county's largest city by population at 7,053 residents, while Wallis has a population of 1,701. Both sit at the top of the county's risk range, though a 2.3 remains firmly in the Low tier by any statewide comparison. San Felipe comes in next at 1.8/10 with a population of 1,334, followed by Bellville at 1.5/10 with 4,221 residents, the county seat and second-largest city.

At the far low-risk end, Industry scores 1.2/10, South Frydek scores 1.2/10, and New Ulm scores 1.1/10, the lowest reading in the county. These smaller communities carry minimal eviction-risk signals, though their rental markets are correspondingly thin. The spread between Sealy at 2.3 and New Ulm at 1.1 underscores that city-level analysis matters even in a uniformly low-risk county like this one.

State-level laws that apply here

Texas state law governs all residential tenancies in Austin County under Tex. Prop. Code § 91 and § 92. For non-payment of rent, both first-time and habitually delinquent tenants receive a 3-day notice to vacate under Tex. Prop. Code § 24.005. Lease violations and holdover situations also carry a 3-day notice requirement, while squatters and unauthorized occupants can be addressed without any notice period under Tex. Prop. Code § 24.011 as added by SB-38. Understanding the full Texas eviction process is essential before acting, because uncontested cases typically resolve in 21 to 30 days while contested matters can run 45 to 90 days.

On costs, landlords should budget for court filing fees of $54 to $125, sheriff lockout fees of $50 to $175, and attorney fees that commonly range from $500 to $3,500 depending on case complexity. Texas eviction costs therefore vary widely based on whether a tenant contests the action. Texas does not require just cause for non-renewal, imposes no rent caps, and through TX Local Gov Code § 214.902 the state preempts any local rent-control ordinance, so Austin County cities cannot independently restrict rent increases. Retaliation protections for tenants are codified at Tex. Prop. Code § 92.331, and habitability obligations fall under Tex. Prop. Code § 92.052.

With an average poverty rate of 22.1% and a renter share of 32.4% across the county, Austin County's rental pool is relatively modest in size but carries a meaningful share of cost-burdened households; reviewing the city grid above will help landlords identify which specific markets within the county carry the most, and least, exposure.