San Patricio County, Texas Eviction Risk: Very Low

San Patricio County carries an average eviction-risk score of 2.3/10 (Low) across its 20 incorporated places, placing it at rank 53 of 254 Texas counties. That ranking means 52 counties are riskier and 201 are less risky, which puts San Patricio in the higher-risk third of the state despite its nominally low label. For landlords and investors operating here, the county average signals a market that is workable but not frictionless, with conditions that vary meaningfully depending on exactly which community a property sits in.

The intra-county range runs from 1.5 to 3/10, a span of 1.5 points that is wide enough to make the overall average a rough guide at best. An investor comparing two properties a few miles apart could be looking at meaningfully different tenant stability, poverty exposure, and rent-burden profiles. The county's average rent of $1,287 and rent-burden rate of 29.5% tell a story of modest affordability pressure overall, but that aggregate conceals the pockets of elevated stress that drive the higher-scoring cities.

The cities inside San Patricio County

The highest-risk location tracked in the county is Taft Southwest, scoring 3/10, followed by Taft at 2.9/10 (population 2,871) and Odem also at 2.9/10 (population 2,102). Gregory comes in at 2.8/10 and Mathis at 2.6/10 (population 4,308). These smaller inland communities share characteristics common to higher-risk rural Texas markets: smaller renter pools, lower average incomes, and above-average poverty exposure. Landlords acquiring in these cities should underwrite carefully and maintain tighter screening standards than the county average might suggest.

On the lower end, Ingleside scores 2/10 (population 9,997) and Aransas Pass scores 2.1/10 (population 8,972), both coastal communities where economic conditions and renter stability compare more favorably. Portland, the county's largest city at 20,543 residents, sits right at the county average of 2.3/10. Risk is genuinely hyper-local here: the gap between the county's best and worst markets is 1.5 full points, which in practical terms means the difference between a market with manageable turnover and one with chronic rent-collection problems.

State-level laws that apply here

Under the Texas eviction process, landlords serve a 3-day notice to vacate for non-payment of rent (whether the tenant is a first-time or habitual delinquent), lease violations, or holdover situations, all governed by Tex. Prop. Code. Squatters and unauthorized occupants can be served with a 0-day notice under the SB-38 provisions. Once notice lapses and the tenant does not cure or leave, an uncontested eviction typically resolves in 21 to 30 days; a contested case stretches to 45 to 90 days. Court filing fees run $54 to $125, sheriff lockout fees add $50 to $175, and attorney fees, if needed, range from $500 to $3,500. Landlords should budget for the full range of those components rather than assuming the low end.

Texas state law does not require just cause for non-renewal, and the state actively preempts local rent-control ordinances under TX Local Gov Code §214.902, meaning no city in San Patricio County can cap rents independently. Reviewing Texas eviction costs and understanding Texas tenant protections before acquiring here will clarify which obligations attach at the state level versus what local custom may add in practice. Texas security deposit limits and the 3-day notice structure make the procedural framework relatively landlord-accessible compared to many other states, provided paperwork is handled correctly from the first step.

With a poverty rate of 16.2% and a renter share of 36.2% across the county, the risk picture is uneven enough that the city-level grid above is the essential starting point for any serious site-selection or due-diligence exercise in San Patricio County.