Jim Wells County, Texas Eviction Risk: Very Low

Jim Wells County carries a county-wide average eviction-risk score of 3/10 (Low) across its 15 cities, but that single figure can mislead a landlord sizing up a specific deal. Texas ranks this county 13th riskiest of 254, meaning only 12 counties in the state present greater landlord exposure, placing Jim Wells firmly in the higher-risk third statewide. Combine a 28% average poverty rate with an average rent burden of 37.6% of income, and the county's underlying tenant-stress indicators are more demanding than the Low label might suggest.

The intra-county spread runs from 2.1 to 3.4 out of 10, a 1.3-point range that means the choice of city, not just county, drives real differences in collection risk, vacancy exposure, and the likelihood of contested eviction proceedings. Average market rent sits at $932 per month for a total county population of roughly 31,709, a relatively thin tenant pool where a bad placement cycle has outsized consequences for a landlord's cash flow.

The cities inside Jim Wells County

The two highest-risk cities in the county both score 3.4/10: Premont (population 2,428) and Orange Grove (population 1,089). At the county seat level, Alice, the largest city with a population of 17,707, scores 3.3/10, making it the dominant rental market and also one of the more challenging ones. Ben Bolt scores 3.1/10. These four communities account for the bulk of the county's rental inventory, and their above-average scores reflect the poverty and rent-burden dynamics that make tenant distress more common.

On the lower-risk end, San Diego scores 2.1/10 (population 3,675), the most landlord-favorable environment in the county by a meaningful margin. Rancho Alegre and Coyote Acres each score 2.4/10. Risk inside Jim Wells County is genuinely hyper-local: a landlord with units in San Diego operates in a fundamentally different environment than one with units in Premont, even though both addresses fall under the same county average.

State-level laws that apply here

Every landlord in Jim Wells County operates under Texas eviction laws state law, specifically Tex. Prop. Code § 91 and § 92 (Residential Tenancies). Texas sets a 3-day notice period for non-payment of rent, lease violations, and holdover tenancies. Squatters and unauthorized occupants can be removed without a notice period 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, expressly preempts any local rent-control ordinance, so Jim Wells County cannot impose rent caps of any kind. Understanding the full Texas eviction process, from notice through writ of possession, matters because even uncontested cases take 21 to 30 days to resolve, with contested matters running 45 to 90 days.

The out-of-pocket cost to pursue an eviction in Texas ranges from modest to substantial depending on whether the tenant contests. Court filing fees run $54 to $125, sheriff lockout fees add $50 to $175, and attorney fees range from $500 to $3,500 if counsel is retained. A full review of Texas eviction costs and Texas security deposit limits, both governed by state statute, should be part of every landlord's due-diligence checklist before acquiring rental property here.

With 36.6% of residents renting and a poverty rate of 28%, Jim Wells County's tenant base carries above-average financial stress; review each city's individual score in the grid above to pinpoint where that pressure is concentrated before committing capital.