Hudspeth County, Texas Eviction Risk: Low

Hudspeth County sits along the Rio Grande in far West Texas, stretching roughly 100 miles from the El Paso county line east to the Culberson County border. With a total population of about 2,190 and only four recognized communities, it is one of the most sparsely settled counties in the continental United States. That thinness of settlement shapes every number on this page: a county this remote has a very narrow rental market, a poverty rate of 23.2%, and an average asking rent of $702 per month, yet a rent burden average of only 20.4% because many residents pay little or no formal rent at all. Against that backdrop, Hudspeth County earns an eviction risk score of 3.4/10 (Low), placing it 156th out of 254 Texas counties, firmly in the middle of the state.

The four towns in the county spread across a wide score range, from 3.1 to 3.9, reflecting differences in housing stock, tenant demographics, and proximity to the major highway corridors. Fort Hancock (population 1,345, the county seat area and largest community) carries a score of 3.2/10, the lowest in the county, a figure that reflects the town's predominantly owner-occupied or family-held housing and limited formal landlord-tenant activity. About 35 miles to the east along Interstate 10, Sierra Blanca (population 734) scores 3.9/10, the highest in the county, driven in part by slightly higher renter shares and proximity to the county courthouse that makes formal filings more practical. Dell City, a small agricultural community in the Diablo Plateau north of the Sierra Blanca road, scores 3.2/10, while the tiny community of Acala records 3.1/10. Together these numbers produce a county average of 3.1/10, well below the Texas statewide average of 3.6/10.

For landlords, the Low tier score in Hudspeth County reflects a legal environment that is straightforwardly landlord-friendly even by Texas standards. Texas imposes a 3-day pay-or-quit notice requirement under Tex. Prop. Code § 24.005(a) for non-payment cases and the same 3 days for lease violations, one of the shortest notice windows in the country. The state preempts any local rent control ordinance under TX Local Gov Code §214.902, so no municipality in Hudspeth County can cap rents or require just cause for termination. Justice of the peace court filing fees in the county run $54 to $125, and an uncontested eviction typically resolves in 21 to 30 days. Attorney fees for a straightforward case range from $500 to $3,500. The combination of short notice periods, low filing costs, fast processing, no rent caps, and no just-cause requirement keeps the eviction risk score well below the state average, and the county's remote geography and thin rental market reduce the frequency of formal proceedings even further.

Hudspeth County's 3.4/10 average (Low) reflects a predominantly rural, very low-density rental market operating under Texas eviction laws's landlord-favorable statutory framework. With 32% of households renting and an average rent of $702, the county sits far below the Texas eviction laws statewide average of 3.6/10, making it one of the more operationally straightforward counties in the state for landlords who do hold rental property here.