Hood County, Texas Eviction Risk: Very Low

Hood County carries an average eviction-risk score of 2.2/10 (Low) across its 11 incorporated places, placing it at rank 75 of 254 Texas counties, meaning 74 counties in the state post higher risk scores and only 179 sit in safer territory. That position, in the higher-risk third of the state, deserves attention even though the absolute score looks modest: the county's renter share is just 22.9% of households, keeping overall exposure contained, but landlords who treat this as a sleepy market may be surprised by how much intra-county variation affects individual properties.

The score range inside Hood County runs from 1.4 to 2.5 on a 10-point scale, a spread of 1.1 points across a relatively small population of 32,422. Average rent county-wide is $1,652 per month, with renters spending an average of 32.5% of income on housing, a burden rate that nudges default risk higher than the headline score alone might suggest. Investors sizing up a buy-and-hold position in Hood County should weigh both the favorable statewide ranking and the localized pressure points documented below.

The cities inside Hood County

Granbury, the county seat and by far the largest city at 12,136 residents, also carries the highest risk score in the county at 2.5/10. Cresson follows at 2.4/10 and Tolar at 2.3/10, forming a cluster of higher-exposure markets concentrated along the county's more commercially active corridors. Canyon Creek and Lipan each score 2.2/10, matching the county average exactly.

At the other end of the range, Dennis scores 1.4/10, the lowest reading in the county, while DeCordova (1.6/10, population 3,152) and Pecan Plantation (2.0/10, population 6,452) occupy the middle ground. Oak Trail Shores comes in at 2.1/10. The gap between Granbury and Dennis is a full 1.1 points, which underscores that a county-level average conceals meaningful operating differences block by block. Investors should evaluate risk at the city level rather than relying on the county composite when underwriting individual assets.

State-level laws that apply here

Under Texas state law, specifically Tex. Prop. Code § 24.005, landlords can issue a 3-day notice to vacate for non-payment of rent (whether the tenant is a first-time or habitual delinquent), for lease violations unrelated to rent, and for holdover after lease expiration. Squatters and unauthorized occupants receive a 0-day notice under Tex. Prop. Code § 24.011 as added by SB-38. Texas requires no just cause to terminate a tenancy and, under TX Local Gov Code § 214.902, state law preempts any local attempt to impose rent control, so Hood County landlords face no local rent caps. Understanding the full Texas eviction process is essential before serving a notice, because timelines from filing to writ vary: uncontested cases resolve in 21 to 30 days, while contested matters can stretch 45 to 90 days.

On the cost side, Texas eviction costs include court filing fees of $54 to $125, sheriff or constable lockout fees of $50 to $175, and attorney fees that typically run $500 to $3,500 depending on complexity. Reviewing Texas security deposit limits is also worthwhile before lease signing, since deposit handling rules interact with retaliation protections under Tex. Prop. Code § 92.331. Source of income is not a protected class under Texas state law, and no entry-notice hours are mandated at the state level.

With a county-wide poverty rate of 9% and renters making up just 22.9% of occupied units, Hood County's risk exposure is narrower than most Texas markets, but the city grid above shows that Granbury and Cresson carry meaningfully higher pressure than quieter areas like Dennis and DeCordova.