Falls County, Texas Eviction Risk: Low

Falls County sits in central Texas along the Brazos River, about 30 miles northeast of Waco, with a total population of roughly 8,640 residents. Approximately 32.4% of households rent their homes, and the county's average asking rent of $758 per month sits well below statewide averages - a reflection of a rural economy anchored by agriculture and small-scale manufacturing rather than the high-demand urban corridors that push rents higher elsewhere in Texas eviction laws. The county's eviction-risk profile comes in at 2.7/10 (Low), placing it 40th of 254 Texas counties, meaning 39 counties statewide carry a higher risk score. That positions Falls in the higher-risk third of the state, though its absolute score remains low on the 10-point scale.

Risk is not distributed evenly across Falls County's five incorporated places. Marlin - the county seat and by far the largest community, with about 5,516 residents - carries the highest individual score at 2.9/10. Marlin's numbers are shaped by a poverty rate well above the county average and a rental market that has historically seen higher turnover following the closure of large employers over the past two decades. Chilton follows at 2.8/10, a small community of about 698 people whose rental profile is driven partly by agricultural workforce housing. The smaller western communities of Golinda (2.2/10) and Lott (2.1/10) land lower, and Rosebud records the county's floor score at 2/10 - the lowest in the county despite a population of around 1,007. Across all five cities, county scores range from 2 to 2.9, a relatively tight band that reflects shared economic and demographic conditions across this rural footprint.

For landlords operating in Falls County, the governing framework is Texas state law - specifically Tex. Prop. Code § 91 and § 92 (Residential Tenancies) - because Texas preempts local rent control under TX Local Gov Code §214.902, so no city or county in the state may enact rent caps or local just-cause-eviction rules. That means Falls County landlords operate under the same streamlined notice-and-filing system used statewide: a 3-day notice to vacate covers non-payment of rent, lease violations, and holdover tenants alike (Tex. Prop. Code § 24.005). Court filing fees at the Justice of the Peace level run $54 to $125, sheriff lockout fees range from $50 to $175, and uncontested cases typically close in 21 to 30 days - among the fastest timelines in the country. The county's 19.7% poverty rate and a rent burden averaging 25.7% of income are the primary drivers pushing the risk score above the state floor, reflecting the financial fragility of a meaningful share of renters in this market.

Falls County's 2.7/10 score reflects a low-risk operating environment by Texas eviction laws standards, though its 40th/254 ranking and the higher-risk third designation signal that poverty concentration and limited renter income stability put it somewhat above the state's most landlord-favorable rural markets. Marlin's elevated sub-score (2.9/10) is the single biggest contributor to the county average.