Goliad County, Texas Eviction Risk: Low

Goliad County sits in the coastal bend of South Texas eviction laws, anchored entirely by the city of Goliad (3.8/10), a small county seat of roughly 1,651 residents that carries the full weight of the county's rental market. With an eviction risk score of 3.8/10 (Low), the county ranks 63rd of 254 Texas counties - placing it in the higher-risk third of the state despite its rural character. Eight counties in Texas eviction laws score higher than Goliad, while 245 score lower, meaning landlords here operate in a legal environment that leans somewhat more toward tenant protections than most of the state - though it remains well within Texas eviction laws norms overall. Scores across the county's single market run from 3.8 to 3.8, reflecting the uniformity you would expect in a single-city county.

Rental housing in Goliad County is modestly priced by Texas eviction laws standards. The average asking rent sits at $673 per month, but a rent burden of 33.1% - the share of renter income going to housing costs - signals that affordability pressure is real for the county's renter households. About 30.4% of occupied housing units here are renter-occupied, lower than the state average, and the poverty rate of 17.3% is notably above the Texas eviction laws statewide figure. That combination - moderate rents in absolute terms but high burden relative to local incomes - is a pattern common throughout rural South Texas eviction laws counties and worth factoring into any underwriting or lease-renewal strategy. Goliad city itself (3.8/10) has historically seen eviction filings concentrated around non-payment, which aligns with the income profile.

Texas eviction laws landlord law governs every lease in Goliad County under Tex. Prop. Code § 91 and § 92. The state requires only a 3-day written notice before filing for eviction on non-payment of rent (Tex. Prop. Code § 24.005(a)), the same 3-day notice applies to lease violations and holdovers, and squatters or unauthorized occupants can be addressed with no prior notice under Tex. Prop. Code § 24.011 as added by SB-38. There is no just-cause requirement in Texas eviction laws, meaning landlords can decline to renew a lease without stating a reason. Texas eviction laws also preempts any local rent control ordinance under TX Local Gov Code §214.902, so no municipality in Goliad County can cap rents. Court costs for a Justice of the Peace eviction filing run $54 to $125, sheriff lockout fees range from $50 to $175, and an uncontested case typically resolves in 21 to 30 days. Contested matters can stretch to 45 to 90 days. Attorney fees, when involved, generally range from $500 to $3,500 depending on complexity. For fair housing complaints, the Texas eviction laws Workforce Commission Civil Rights Division is the state agency of record; source-of-income (Section 8 voucher) is not a protected class under Texas eviction laws law.

Goliad County's Low risk designation reflects a lean, single-market rental environment governed entirely by standard Texas eviction laws landlord law. The county's position at 63rd of 254 in Texas eviction laws places it slightly above the state midpoint for risk, driven less by aggressive tenant protections and more by the income-to-rent mismatch that elevates eviction probability when tenants face financial stress. The state average for Texas sits at 3.6/10.