Gregg County, Texas Eviction Risk: Very Low

Gregg County carries an average eviction-risk score of 2.3/10 (Low), but that headline figure covers a meaningful spread. Across the county's 9 cities, scores run from 2.2 to 3.3, which means a landlord's experience in a quieter bedroom community can look quite different from one operating in the county seat. At rank 19 of 254 Texas eviction laws counties, Gregg sits in the higher-risk third of the state -- only 18 counties score worse, while 235 are less risky or more landlord-friendly. For investors sizing up the East Texas market, that context matters: conditions here are not hostile by national standards, but they are decidedly not as forgiving as the majority of Texas counties.

Renters make up 40.9% of Gregg County households and pay an average of $1,103 per month, with a rent-burden rate of 30.4%. A poverty rate of 17.4% creates real collection pressure in the lower-priced submarkets. Investors accustomed to the looser conditions found in most of the state should model those dynamics carefully before acquiring here.

The cities inside Gregg County

The highest-risk locations in the county are White Oak and Lakeport, each scoring 3.3/10. White Oak is the larger of the two at a population of 6,235, while Lakeport has about 1,170 residents. Both sit at the county ceiling and warrant tighter tenant screening and cash-flow cushions relative to the county average. Longview, the county's dominant market at 82,923 residents, comes in at 2.9/10 -- above the county average and the market where most investors will actually concentrate their portfolios. The sheer scale of Longview means its risk profile has an outsized effect on any portfolio concentrated in Gregg County.

On the more favorable end, Liberty City scores 2.2/10 and Kilgore scores 2.4/10 (population 13,470). These lower-scoring markets offer relatively better collection conditions, though even the most landlord-friendly city in the county still sits in moderate-risk territory. The variation across just a few miles underscores that risk in Gregg County is hyper-local: a city-level score, not the county average, should drive underwriting decisions.

State-level laws that apply here

Every landlord in Gregg County operates under Texas state law, specifically Tex. Prop. Code § 91 and § 92 (Residential Tenancies). The notice period is uniformly 3 days for non-payment of rent (whether the tenant is first-time or habitually delinquent), lease violations, holdover situations, and end-of-lease terminations. Squatters and unauthorized occupants can be addressed with no prior notice under Tex. Prop. Code § 24.011. Understanding the Texas eviction process from notice through writ of possession is essential before filing, because even an uncontested case typically resolves in 21 to 30 days, while a contested matter can stretch 45 to 90 days.

On the cost side, Texas eviction costs add up quickly once attorney fees enter the picture. Court filing fees run $54 to $125, sheriff lockout fees range from $50 to $175, and attorney fees can run from $500 to $3,500 depending on case complexity. Texas does not require just cause for non-renewal, and state law preempts any local rent-control ordinance under TX Local Gov Code § 214.902, so there is no city-level rent cap to track anywhere in Gregg County. Retaliation protections for tenants are codified at Tex. Prop. Code § 92.331, and habitability standards fall under Tex. Prop. Code § 92.052. Source-of-income is not a protected class under state law, though investors should confirm any applicable local ordinances independently.

With a poverty rate of 17.4% and renters making up more than two in five households, collection risk varies considerably across Gregg County's nine cities -- use the city grid above to compare scores before committing to a specific submarket.