Medina County, Texas Eviction Risk: Low

Medina County, Texas eviction laws carries an average eviction-risk score of 2.1/10 (Low) across its 7 incorporated cities, placing it at rank 79 of 254 Texas counties. That ranking puts it in the higher-risk third of the state: 78 counties score worse, but 175 score better, so landlords and investors should not treat this market as uniformly safe. The county-wide average masks a genuine spread, with individual cities ranging from 1.7 to 2.6 on the 10-point scale. At 31% renter share and an average rent of $1,195, the tenant pool is meaningful but not dominant, and a rent-burden figure of 36.6% of income going toward housing signals that a portion of renters are financially stretched, a condition that can elevate delinquency exposure even in a nominally low-risk county.

Operating conditions in Medina County are generally workable for landlords, but the local poverty rate of 17.6% introduces real credit and payment risk that underwriting should account for. Investors evaluating this market should look past the county average and drill into city-level scores, because the gap between the most and least risky cities here is wide enough to materially change deal economics.

The cities inside Medina County

The highest-risk jurisdictions are Devine (population 4,476, score 2.6/10) and D'Hanis (population 480, score 2.6/10), tied at the top of the county's risk range. Natalia (2.5/10) and LaCoste (2.4/10) follow closely, forming a cluster of smaller communities where tenant financial stress and payment instability are comparatively elevated. Landlords acquiring in any of these four cities should stress-test cash flow against higher-than-average delinquency assumptions.

At the other end of the county, Yancey scores 1.7/10, the lowest in Medina County, while Castroville (population 3,092) comes in at 1.8/10 and Hondo, the county seat with a population of 8,713, sits at 1.9/10. These three represent the more landlord-favorable corners of the market, with more stable renter profiles relative to the county's higher-risk cities. The takeaway is that risk in Medina County is hyper-local: a few miles and a city-limit line can shift the operating calculus by nearly a full point on the risk scale.

State-level laws that apply here

Every landlord in Medina County operates under Texas eviction laws state law, specifically Tex. Prop. Code §91 and §92 (Residential Tenancies). Texas requires only a 3-day notice to vacate for non-payment of rent, lease violations, end-of-lease holdovers, and habitually delinquent tenants. Unauthorized occupants and squatters carry a 0-day notice period under Tex. Prop. Code §24.011, as added by SB-38. An uncontested eviction typically resolves in 21 to 30 days, while a contested case can stretch to 45 to 90 days. Court filing fees run $54 to $125, sheriff lockout fees add $50 to $175, and attorney fees range from $500 to $3,500 depending on case complexity. Landlords budgeting for an eviction should use those component ranges rather than a single total figure. A full breakdown is available in the Texas eviction costs guide. Texas does not require just cause to terminate a tenancy, and the state preempts local rent control under TX Local Gov Code §214.902, meaning no city in Medina County can impose its own rent caps. For a complete walkthrough of timelines, notice requirements, and filings, the Texas eviction process guide covers each step. Texas also prohibits retaliation against tenants who assert habitability rights under Tex. Prop. Code §92.331 and §92.052, which landlords should review before any adverse action tied to a maintenance complaint.

With a county poverty rate of 17.6% and roughly 31% of households renting, the risk picture in Medina County is uneven, and the city-by-city scores in the grid above are the most reliable guide to where that risk actually concentrates.