Calhoun County, Texas Eviction Risk: Low

Calhoun County, Texas eviction laws earns an average eviction-risk score of 3.4/10 (Low), placing it among the more landlord-friendly markets in the state. With 173 of Texas's 254 counties carrying higher risk scores, Calhoun sits comfortably in the lower-risk third statewide, ranked 174 of 254. For landlords operating across the county's 7 cities and an estimated total population of 13,857, the environment is generally stable: average rent runs $904 per month, rent burden averages 24.2% of renter income, and the renter share of housing is a modest 28.2%.

That said, a county average can mask meaningful differences at street level. Scores within Calhoun County range from 1.4 to 2.7, a spread that matters when screening a new acquisition or deciding where to concentrate a portfolio. The operating climate here is calm relative to most Texas counties, but landlords should understand exactly where within the county they are placing capital.

The cities inside Calhoun County

The highest-risk location in the county is Seadrift, scoring 3.2/10 with a population of 1,239. That score is still in the Low range on an absolute basis, but it is nearly double the county floor, and landlords there should expect a tenant pool with relatively more stress indicators. Point Comfort follows at 3.2/10 (population 304), and Austwell sits at 3.1/10 (population 149). These three smaller communities represent the elevated end of the county's risk distribution and warrant tighter screening practices and stronger lease documentation.

Port Lavaca, the county seat and by far the largest city at 11,358 residents, carries the lowest score in the county at 3.4/10, making it the clear anchor for stable landlord operations. Port O'Connor scores 3.1/10, matching the county average, while Magnolia Beach and Alamo Beach both come in at 3.1/10. Risk is genuinely hyper-local here: the difference between Seadrift and Port Lavaca is nearly a full point on a 10-point scale, which translates to real differences in eviction frequency and tenant financial stability.

State-level laws that apply here

Every landlord in Calhoun County operates under Texas state law, specifically Tex. Prop. Code § 91 and § 92 (Residential Tenancies). Texas requires only a 3-day notice to vacate for non-payment of rent, lease violations, and holdover tenants, one of the shorter notice windows in the country. Squatters and unauthorized occupants can be addressed under Tex. Prop. Code § 24.011 with no advance notice period. An uncontested eviction typically resolves in 21 to 30 days; a contested case can run 45 to 90 days. Understanding the full Texas eviction process before your first filing here will save both time and money.

On costs, the Texas eviction costs a landlord can expect range from a court filing fee of $54 to $125, a sheriff lockout fee of $50 to $175, and attorney fees typically running $500 to $3,500 depending on case complexity. Texas has no just-cause eviction requirement and, critically, state law preempts local rent control under TX Local Gov Code § 214.902, so no city in Calhoun County can impose rent caps. There are no Texas security deposit limits set by statute beyond the general requirement that deposits be returned or accounted for within 30 days of move-out, and Texas tenant protections, while covering habitability and retaliation (Tex. Prop. Code § 92.052 and § 92.331), do not include source-of-income protections.

With a poverty rate of 10.3% and renters making up 28.2% of occupied housing units, Calhoun County's fundamentals are relatively stable; consult the city grid above to compare individual market scores before committing to a specific location within the county.