Baylor County, Texas Eviction Risk: Low

Baylor County is a sparsely populated ranching and agricultural county in north-central Texas, anchored by its county seat of Seymour (population 2,623). With a composite eviction risk score of 2.5/10 (Low), Baylor County ranks 85th of 254 Texas counties on this index, placing it in the middle of the state. That ranking reflects 84 counties carrying more tenant-protection weight than Baylor and 169 counties that sit even lower on the scale. Seymour, the county's only incorporated city tracked by this index, scores 2.5/10 - consistent with the countywide average and the low-risk, landlord-friendly character typical of small rural Texas markets.

The low risk score here traces directly to Texas's statewide legal framework. Texas does not require just cause for eviction and does not protect source of income as a fair-housing category. The state preempts local rent control under TX Local Gov Code §214.902, which means no city or county in Texas - including Seymour - can impose rent caps or stabilization ordinances. Landlords issue a 3-day notice to vacate under Tex. Prop. Code § 24.005 for non-payment, lease violations, or holdover situations, with no mandatory cure period extending beyond that window for habitually delinquent tenants. For squatters and unauthorized occupants, Texas SB-38 (codified at Tex. Prop. Code § 24.011) requires no notice period at all, allowing immediate legal action. Court filing fees at the Justice of the Peace level run $54 to $125, and sheriff lockout fees add $50 to $175 - both among the more affordable cost structures in the state. Uncontested cases typically wrap in 21 to 30 days; contested matters extend to 45 to 90 days depending on scheduling and appeals.

Rental market conditions in Baylor County are modest but carry a notable poverty dimension. Average rent sits at $530 per month, and the average rent burden for renter households is 28.6% of income - below the 30% threshold conventionally used to define cost stress, though the county's 26.2% poverty rate means a meaningful share of renters are operating close to that edge. Approximately 36.6% of households rent rather than own, a ratio reflective of the county's small-town rural character. Landlords in Seymour tend to work without property management intermediaries, dealing directly with tenants - which keeps overhead low but also means disputes go to the JP court quickly when they arise. The Texas Workforce Commission's Civil Rights Division handles fair housing complaints statewide, and the habitability duties under Tex. Prop. Code § 92.052 apply here as in all Texas counties, requiring landlords to maintain safe and livable conditions as a baseline regardless of the low regulatory burden otherwise.

Baylor County's 2.5/10 score sits well below the Texas eviction laws statewide average of 2.6/10, confirming this is one of the more landlord-favorable rural counties in a state that already tilts toward owner rights. The score range across the county's tracked cities spans 2.5 to 2.5/10, reflecting a single-city market with no intra-county variation. Landlords operating in Seymour face the same straightforward statewide Texas eviction laws eviction code that applies everywhere in the state, with no local overlay complicating the process.