McLennan County, Texas Eviction Risk: Low

McLennan County carries an average eviction-risk score of 2.6/10 (Low), placing it 31st out of 254 Texas counties on the risk scale, where rank 1 is the highest-risk county in the state. That position means 30 counties are riskier for landlords than McLennan, while 223 are more landlord-friendly, putting this county in the higher-risk third of Texas eviction laws overall. Spread across 21 cities and a total population of roughly 224,165, the county offers a mixed picture: average rent sits at $1,209 per month, renters make up 42.7% of occupied units, and average rent burden runs 33.8% of income, a figure that tends to pressure tenants and elevate delinquency risk in softer economic stretches.

The county average of 2.6/10 masks real variation city to city. Scores across the 21 municipalities range from 2.3 on the low end to 3.7 at the high end, a spread that matters when choosing specific submarkets. Investors accustomed to operating as though all of McLennan County behaves the same will likely underprice risk in a handful of communities while passing over genuinely stable ones.

The cities inside McLennan County

The highest-risk city in the county is Bellmead, scoring 3.7/10 with a population of 10,566. Close behind is Lacy-Lakeview at 3.5/10 (population 7,274), followed by Beverly Hills at 3.3/10 and Hewitt at 3.2/10 (population 16,432). These smaller, denser communities north and east of Waco eviction risk show meaningfully higher eviction-risk profiles than the county average, driven by tenant income volatility and rent-burden pressures.

On the other end of the spectrum, the county seat of Waco itself scores 2.3/10 despite a population of 143,570, making it the lowest-risk market in the county by score. McGregor also scores 2.3/10. Woodway comes in at 2.9/10 and Robinson at 3/10. The data makes clear that risk is hyper-local within McLennan County, and city-level scores should drive acquisition and underwriting decisions rather than the county average alone.

State-level laws that apply here

Every landlord operating in McLennan County operates under Texas eviction laws state law, specifically Tex. Prop. Code SS 91 and SS 92 (Residential Tenancies). Texas eviction laws is a landlord-favorable jurisdiction in several respects: the state requires no just cause to terminate a tenancy, imposes no rent control, and through TX Local Gov Code SS 214.902 explicitly preempts any local government from enacting rent-control ordinances. Understanding the Texas eviction laws eviction process is essential before placing a tenant, because while the statutory framework is favorable, execution costs can add up quickly. For non-payment of rent, a 3-day notice is required whether the tenant is a first-time or habitual delinquent; the same 3-day notice applies to lease violations and holdover situations. Squatters and unauthorized occupants can be addressed with no notice period at all under Tex. Prop. Code SS 24.011.

On the cost side, the Texas eviction costs a landlord can realistically expect include court filing fees of $54 to $125, sheriff lockout fees of $50 to $175, and attorney fees ranging from $500 to $3,500 depending on complexity. An uncontested case typically resolves in 21 to 30 days; a contested proceeding can stretch to 45 to 90 days. Source of income is not a protected class under state law, and the Texas eviction laws Workforce Commission, Civil Rights Division, handles fair-housing enforcement.

With a poverty rate of 18.8% and renters representing 42.7% of the occupied housing stock, tenant financial fragility is a real operating factor in McLennan County; review the city grid above to identify which of the 21 cities fall closest to your target risk tolerance before committing capital.