Jefferson County, Texas Eviction Risk: Low

Jefferson County carries a county-wide eviction-risk average of 2.2/10 (Low) across its 13 cities, placing it at rank 68 of 254 Texas eviction laws counties, meaning 67 counties are riskier and 186 are more landlord-friendly. That Low aggregate is not a blanket green light: conditions within the county span a real range, from a floor of 2/10 to a ceiling of 3.6/10, and that intra-county spread is wide enough to meaningfully shift your underwriting depending on which community you target. Investors should treat the county average as a starting point, not a final answer.

The broader operating picture for Jefferson County landlords includes an average rent of $1,119, a renter share of 38.7%, and an average rent burden of 31.6%, all of which point to a market with genuine rental demand but tenants who are stretched. A poverty rate of 19.5% signals that collections risk is real even in lower-scoring cities. Texas eviction laws state law governs every unit here, and its landlord-friendly procedural framework helps offset some of that demand-side stress.

The county sits in the higher-risk third of the state. Landlords who are accustomed to the more permissive climate of suburban Houston eviction risk-area markets such as Brazoria County (2.22/10) or Montgomery County (2.26/10) will find Jefferson County broadly comparable, though the local poverty rate and rent burden deserve a closer look before committing to a specific submarket.

The cities inside Jefferson County

The riskiest city in Jefferson County is China at 3.6/10, followed by Central Gardens at 3.3/10 (population 3,976) and Stowell at 2.9/10. Those three communities are materially above the county average and warrant tighter tenant screening and stronger cash reserves. Beaumont, the county seat and by far the largest city at a population of 113,279, scores a flat 2/10, the lowest risk reading in the county, making it the anchor for most large-portfolio strategies here. Port Arthur (population 55,828) comes in at 2.4/10, a moderate figure for a city of that size, while Nederland (population 18,381) scores 2.5/10. The takeaway is straightforward: risk in Jefferson County is hyper-local, and a two-mile difference in ZIP code can move the needle by more than a full point.

Smaller communities such as Hamshire, Beauxart Gardens, and Taylor Landing each score 2.6/10, sitting above the county average but below the outlier threshold. Groves (2.2/10, population 16,976) and Port Neches (2.3/10, population 13,664) are the quietest markets in the mid-tier, comparable in profile to Beaumont eviction risk in terms of risk but with smaller rental pools.

State-level laws that apply here

Every landlord operating in Jefferson County is governed by Texas eviction laws state law under Tex. Prop. Code §91 and §92 (Residential Tenancies). Texas requires only a 3-day notice for non-payment of rent, lease violations, end-of-lease holdovers, and habitually delinquent tenants, and a 0-day notice for squatters or unauthorized occupants under Tex. Prop. Code §24.011. Those are among the shortest notice periods in the country and give landlords a meaningful procedural advantage. An uncontested eviction typically resolves in 21 to 30 days, while a contested case runs 45 to 90 days. For a full walkthrough of the procedure, see the Texas eviction laws eviction process guide. Just-cause eviction is not required under Texas eviction laws law, and state preemption under TX Local Gov Code §214.902 blocks any city or county from imposing local rent control, so Jefferson County landlords face no local caps on rent increases.

Cost exposure under Texas law is manageable but not trivial. Court filing fees run $54 to $125, sheriff lockout fees add $50 to $175, and attorney fees range from $500 to $3,500 depending on complexity, for a fully litigated case the total can reach several thousand dollars. Source of income is not a protected class under Texas fair housing statute, and retaliation protections are codified at Tex. Prop. Code §92.331. For a breakdown of what an eviction will actually cost you, consult the Texas eviction costs guide before underwriting a new acquisition here.

With a poverty rate of 19.5% and 38.7% of residents renting, Jefferson County has a meaningful tenant base but also elevated collections exposure, so the city-by-city scores in the grid above are worth reviewing carefully before choosing a submarket.