Kinney County, Texas Eviction Risk: Very Low

Kinney County sits in the rugged Hill Country borderlands of southwest Texas, where the Nueces River cuts limestone canyons and the county seat of Brackettville anchors a sparse but stable rental market. With a total population of roughly 5,811 and only about 22.9% of households renting, this is one of the smallest rental markets in the state. The county carries an eviction-risk score of 2.1/10 (Very Low), placing it 216th out of 254 Texas counties - well into the lower-risk tier of the state. Of Texas's 254 counties, 215 carry higher scores and only 38 sit lower, which tells you quickly that Kinney County presents a notably landlord-favorable operating environment by any statewide comparison.

The four incorporated communities tracked here span a narrow risk band from 1.9 to 2.4/10. Brackettville, the county seat and largest rental hub with roughly 1,595 residents, carries the county's highest individual score at 2.4/10 - still comfortably within the Low tier. Val Verde Park (population 3,139), the most populous community, scores 2.1/10 and accounts for the largest share of local rental units. Fort Clark Springs, a historic former Army post-turned-private community with 1,048 residents, scores 1.9/10 alongside Spofford at 1.9/10. Average rent across the county runs $856 per month - well below Texas urban benchmarks - and rent burden sits at 26% of household income on average, a figure that tracks closely with the statewide average and keeps rent-nonpayment disputes relatively contained. The county's 15.9% poverty rate is worth monitoring, but the combination of low rents and a very small renter population keeps turnover and eviction-court activity minimal in most years.

Texas law (Tex. Prop. Code § 91 & § 92) governs all residential tenancies here with no local overlay: Kinney County has no rent control ordinance and cannot enact one under TX Local Gov Code §214.902, which preempts local rent-stabilization measures statewide. Landlords serve a 3-day notice to vacate for non-payment, lease violations, and holdover situations under Tex. Prop. Code § 24.005. Squatters receive no notice period at all under § 24.011 (SB-38). Uncontested cases typically clear justice court in 21 to 30 days; contested proceedings run 45 to 90 days. Court filing costs between $54 and $125, and a sheriff's lockout carries an additional $50 to $175 fee. These are among the most streamlined eviction procedures in the country, which is reflected directly in the county's Very Low risk score of 2.1/10 compared to the Texas statewide average of 2.6/10.

Kinney County's 2.1/10 score reflects a combination of factors that work in landlords' favor: a small and stable renter population (22.9% of households), below-average rents of $856/month, a rent burden of 26%, and unambiguous state law that sets a 3-day notice floor and bars local rent regulations. The narrow intra-county spread from 1.9 to 2.4/10 means conditions are consistent across all four communities, with Brackettville at 2.4/10 representing the upper bound and Fort Clark Springs and Spofford both at 1.9/10 at the lower end.