Crosby County, Texas Eviction Risk: Low

Crosby County sits on the southern Llano Estacado in West Texas, covering roughly 900 square miles of High Plains farmland with a total population of about 4,071 residents. The county's rental market is compact -- only about 34.6% of households rent -- and average gross rent runs approximately $639 per month, well below both the Texas state average and national benchmarks. Despite a poverty rate of 26.4%, the legal environment for landlords is shaped almost entirely by state law, because Texas preempts local rent control under TX Local Gov Code §214.902 and does not require just cause to terminate a tenancy. That combination keeps eviction procedures predictable and landlord-friendly across the county.

Crosby County's eviction risk scores 3.8/10 (Low), placing it at rank 70th of 254 Texas counties, with 69 counties carrying higher risk and 184 carrying lower risk. Score variation across the county's three tracked communities is tight: scores span from 3.4 to 4, giving landlords a consistent operating picture regardless of which city their property is in. Lorenzo leads slightly at 3.4/10 (pop. 834), while Crosbyton -- the county seat and the largest community at 1,774 residents -- scores 4/10, and Ralls (pop. 1,463) matches the county floor at 3.7/10. None of the three cities departs meaningfully from the county average, which itself sits comfortably in the Low tier.

From a procedural standpoint, Texas's eviction statutes (primarily Tex. Prop. Code § 91 & § 92) impose minimal tenant-side protections relative to most other states. Non-payment evictions require only a 3-day written notice under Tex. Prop. Code § 24.005(a-1) before a landlord can file in justice court, with filing fees ranging from $54 to $125. Uncontested cases typically resolve in 21-30 days; contested proceedings can run 45-90 days. Sheriff lockout fees add $50-$175, and attorney costs for straightforward evictions generally fall between $500 and $3,500. Source-of-income protections do not apply in Texas, and the Texas Workforce Commission's Civil Rights Division handles fair-housing complaints. For landlords, Crosby County's combination of below-average rent levels, a small but stable tenant pool, and a predictable, state-governed legal framework keeps risk genuinely low -- a picture reflected in its 3.8/10 score and Low classification.

Crosby County's 3.8/10 score reflects a flat, state-governed risk environment: Texas eviction laws law caps the notice clock at 3 days for most eviction triggers, preempts local rent ordinances, and imposes no just-cause requirement, leaving limited room for tenant-side friction even in a county where poverty rates (26.4%) run high relative to the Texas eviction laws average. The narrow spread between 3.4 and 4 across all three cities confirms that local variation is minimal.