Irion County, Texas Eviction Risk: Low

Irion County sits in the rolling ranch country of west Texas, covering roughly 1,136 square miles with a total population of just 764 residents. It is one of the least densely populated counties in the state, and its rental market reflects that scale. The county's only incorporated place, Mertzon, accounts for all tracked rental activity and carries an eviction-risk score of 3.4/10 -- the same as the county average of 3.4/10. That score earns Irion County a Low designation and places it at 167th of 254 Texas eviction laws counties on our risk index, meaning only 87 counties in the state present a lower eviction-risk environment for landlords.

The numbers behind that score are straightforward. Average asking rent in Irion County is $2,633 per month -- high relative to the county's median incomes -- yet the average rent burden sits at just 18.7%, well below the 30% threshold that typically signals tenant financial stress. The renter share of occupied housing is 19.7%, and the poverty rate is 5.4%. Together, these figures point to a tenant population that is small, financially stable relative to its rent obligations, and operating in a market with very limited housing stock. When vacancies arise, they tend to fill without prolonged friction, which suppresses the conditions that drive eviction filings in larger markets.

Texas eviction laws state law governs the entire landlord-tenant framework in Irion County. Under Tex. Prop. Code § 91 & § 92, landlords may issue a 3-day notice to vacate for non-payment of rent (including habitually delinquent tenants under § 24.005(a)), lease violations, holdover situations, and end-of-lease terminations. Squatters and unauthorized occupants can be removed without any cure period under Tex. Prop. Code § 24.011 as added by SB-38. Justice court filing fees run $54 to $125, and sheriff lockout fees add $50 to $175. An uncontested eviction typically resolves in 21 to 30 days; a contested case can stretch 45 to 90 days. Texas eviction laws also preempts all local rent control ordinances under TX Local Gov Code § 214.902, so no municipality within the county can impose rent caps or just-cause eviction requirements. Source-of-income discrimination is not a protected class under state law, giving landlords full discretion over rental criteria beyond federal fair housing categories.

Irion County's Low risk rating (3.4/10) reflects a convergence of favorable conditions: a tiny renter pool, a below-average rent burden of 18.7%, a poverty rate of just 5.4%, and a state legal framework that enforces short notice periods and prohibits local rent ordinances. Landlords operating here face some of the least regulatory friction in Texas.