Sutton County, Texas Eviction Risk: Low

Sutton County is a sparsely populated county in the Texas Hill Country and Edwards Plateau region, home to roughly 2,691 residents. Its sole incorporated place is Sonora, which scores 3.2/10 on the Eviction Risk Map scale - the same figure that defines the county average of 3.2/10 (Low). That places Sutton 230th of 254 Texas counties, landing it squarely in the lower-risk tier statewide. With just one city and a renter population that makes up only 28.8% of households, the local rental market is small but shaped by the same statewide legal framework that governs all 254 Texas counties.

Renters in Sutton County pay an average of $772 per month - well below the statewide average - and carry a rent burden of 26.4%, meaning roughly a quarter of renter income goes toward housing costs. The county poverty rate sits at 13.9%, which is notable in a market this size because a relatively small number of households facing financial distress can still produce a meaningful share of local eviction filings. Texas landlord-tenant law (Tex. Prop. Code § 91 & § 92) governs all residential tenancies here with no local overlay: Sonora and Sutton County cannot enact rent control because TX Local Gov Code §214.902 preempts any such local ordinance statewide. There is no just-cause eviction requirement, and source-of-income is not a protected class under Texas law, so landlords retain broad discretion over lease renewals and applicant screening.

On the procedural side, the Texas eviction timeline in Sutton County is one of the faster ones nationally. Non-payment of rent triggers a mandatory 3-day written notice under Tex. Prop. Code § 24.005(a), after which a landlord may file in Justice of the Peace court. Court filing fees run $54 to $125, and an uncontested eviction typically resolves in 21 to 30 days from filing. Contested cases extend to 45 to 90 days. Sheriff lockout fees add $50 to $175 on top of that. For tenants, the key protections are the habitability warranty under Tex. Prop. Code § 92.052 - which obligates landlords to maintain fit conditions - and the anti-retaliation provision at Tex. Prop. Code § 92.331, which bars adverse action against tenants who report code violations. The Texas Workforce Commission, Civil Rights Division handles fair housing complaints. Understanding both sides of these rules is essential in a small market like Sonora, where a single landlord may control a substantial share of available rental units.

Sutton County's 3.2/10 (Low) eviction risk score reflects a combination of low rent burden relative to Texas eviction laws norms, minimal regulatory complexity, and a tiny renter population in Sonora. The county ranks 230th of 254 in Texas, with 229 counties carrying higher risk scores and 24 counties registering lower ones. The statewide average is 3.6/10. Because the county has only one city, the score spread from 3.2 to 3.2 is effectively a single data point anchored to Sonora's market conditions.