Matagorda County, Texas Eviction Risk: Very Low

Matagorda County carries an average eviction-risk score of 1.7/10 (Low) across its 9 cities, placing it at rank 159 of 254 Texas counties, meaning 158 counties in Texas are riskier and 95 are less risky, putting Matagorda squarely in the middle third of the state. For landlords and investors, a Low rating signals that the structural drivers of eviction pressure, including poverty concentration, rent burden, and renter instability, are comparatively contained relative to most Texas markets, though conditions vary meaningfully within county lines.

The countywide average rent of $983 and a rent burden of 33.8% (the share of renter income going to housing costs) suggest tenants here are stretched but not at the extreme levels seen in Texas urban cores. The county renter share sits at 40%, and a poverty rate of 22.3% is worth watching, as it creates a meaningful subset of renters with thin financial cushions. Taken together, the fundamentals support stable landlord operations in most of the county, with localized pockets that deserve sharper due diligence.

The cities inside Matagorda County

Risk in Matagorda County is not uniform, and the spread between the lowest and highest city scores, 1.3 to 2.7, reflects real differences in tenant stability across communities. Bay City, the county seat and by far the largest city at 17,730 residents, posts the lowest risk score of 1.3/10, making it the most landlord-favorable market in the county and a natural anchor for investors who want scale alongside lower eviction exposure.

At the other end, Palacios (population 4,388) leads the riskiest-city list with a score of 2.7/10, followed by Van Vleck (population 1,763, score 2.5/10). The city of Matagorda scores 2/10, while Markham and Blessing both come in at 1.9/10. These are still Low-range scores in absolute terms, but they represent meaningfully elevated exposure compared to Bay City, and investors acquiring rental units in Palacios or Van Vleck should price that difference into their underwriting assumptions. Risk is hyper-local here: two properties in different parts of the county can face a very different operating environment.

State-level laws that apply here

All landlords in Matagorda County operate under Texas state law, specifically Tex. Prop. Code § 91 and § 92 (Residential Tenancies). Texas is one of the faster-moving eviction states: the required notice period is 3 days for non-payment of rent (both first-time and habitually delinquent tenants), lease violations, and holdover situations. Squatters and unauthorized occupants can be addressed with no notice period at all under Tex. Prop. Code § 24.011. Once filed, an uncontested case typically resolves in 21 to 30 days; a contested case extends to 45 to 90 days. Investors researching the full Texas eviction process will find that the notice-to-writ timeline is among the shorter ones nationally.

Court filing fees run $54 to $125, sheriff lockout fees add another $50 to $175, and attorney fees for a contested matter range from $500 to $3,500, making Texas eviction costs relatively predictable to budget for. Texas does not require just cause for non-renewal, and state law preempts local rent control under TX Local Gov Code § 214.902, so no city inside Matagorda County can impose rent caps or stricter eviction rules than the state floor. Understanding Texas security deposit limits and Texas tenant protections is still essential for staying compliant with habitability and retaliation statutes such as Tex. Prop. Code § 92.052 and § 92.331.

With a poverty rate of 22.3% and a renter share of 40%, landlords in Matagorda County should build conservative screening and reserve practices into their operations; the city grid above breaks down risk scores city by city so you can pinpoint which communities carry the most exposure before committing capital.