Lee County, Texas Eviction Risk: Low

Lee County, Texas eviction laws registers an eviction risk score of 2.7/10 (Low), placing it at 32nd of 254 counties in the state -- in the higher-risk third of Texas when measured against all 254 counties. Only 31 counties carry more tenant-side pressure than Lee County, while 222 rank as less landlord-friendly. For a rural county of roughly 6,661 residents where about 37.7% of households rent, that standing reflects a combination of statewide legal structure and local economic conditions rather than any single dramatic policy factor.

The county seat of Giddings, home to more than 5,100 residents and the commercial center of the county, comes in at 2.7/10 -- essentially even with the county average. Lexington, the county's second-largest community with about 1,365 residents, is the highest-risk city in Lee County at 2.8/10. That slight elevation above the county figure tracks with Lexington's smaller renter pool, where individual eviction filings can move aggregate risk indicators more noticeably than they would in a larger city. At the opposite end of the spectrum, Dime Box -- a community of around 145 residents in the eastern part of the county -- scores 1.9/10, well below the county average and among the most landlord-friendly readings in the area. The spread from 1.9 to 2.8 across Lee County's three tracked cities is relatively narrow, which is consistent with a county operating almost entirely under uniform state law with no local overlay regulations.

Average rent in Lee County runs around $1,206 per month, and renters here dedicate an average of 31.1% of household income to housing -- a level that places many households close to the 30% affordability threshold used by federal housing analysts. The county's 15.5% poverty rate adds a layer of financial fragility that can translate to elevated eviction vulnerability even where legal risk scores remain in the low range. Against the Texas eviction laws average of 2.6/10, Lee County sits in a zone where the statutory environment -- rather than local protections -- is the primary driver of tenant exposure.

Lee County operates entirely under Texas eviction laws state landlord-tenant law (Tex. Prop. Code § 91 and § 92), with no local rent control, just-cause eviction requirements, or source-of-income protections. The state preempts any local rent control ordinance under TX Local Gov Code §214.902, so neither Giddings nor any other Lee County municipality can enact tenant protections beyond what Austin eviction risk allows. That framework, combined with a 3-day notice period for non-payment under Tex. Prop. Code § 24.005, means the timeline from missed rent to formal eviction filing is among the shortest in the country. Court filing fees range from $54 to $125, and uncontested cases typically resolve in 21 to 30 days -- making the process relatively low-friction for landlords.