Wilbarger County, Texas Eviction Risk: Low

Wilbarger County sits in the Red River region of north-central Texas eviction laws, centered on Vernon -- a small but economically self-contained county seat of roughly 9,848 residents and the largest rental market within the county's 10,253-person population. The Eviction Risk Map research team scores the county at 2.7/10 (Low), placing it at 37th of 254 Texas eviction laws counties, meaning 36 counties carry higher eviction pressure than Wilbarger. That position in the higher-risk third of the state is worth examining closely, because the absolute score remains low; the relative ranking reflects structural conditions -- a 19% poverty rate, a 26.3% average rent burden, and a renter share of 36.1% -- that modestly elevate risk compared with more affluent rural Texas eviction laws counties.

Within the county the spread is narrow: city scores run from 2.4 to 2.8/10. Oklaunion, with only 132 residents, touches the high end at 2.8/10. Vernon, which accounts for the overwhelming majority of rental units, comes in at 2.7/10 -- essentially at the county average. Lockett registers 2.6/10 and Harrold, the smallest tracked community at 78 residents, lands at the low end with 2.4/10. The tight band between 2.4 and 2.8 tells a consistent story: no single community in Wilbarger County is dramatically more or less landlord-friendly than the next, and Texas eviction laws state law largely sets the terms everywhere in the county regardless of local variation. Average rent is $943 per month across the county, well below statewide urban averages, which helps keep absolute rent burden manageable even where incomes are limited.

The legal framework governing Wilbarger County landlord-tenant relationships is Texas eviction laws statute, primarily Tex. Prop. Code § 91 and § 92. Texas eviction laws gives landlords one of the most streamlined eviction processes in the nation. Notice periods are just 3 days for non-payment, lease violations, holdover tenancies, and end-of-term situations under Tex. Prop. Code § 24.005. Unauthorized occupants can be removed with no notice period at all under § 24.011 as added by SB-38. Once filed, uncontested eviction cases typically conclude in 21 to 30 days; contested proceedings run 45 to 90 days. Court filing fees range from $54 to $125 -- among the lowest of any major state -- and sheriff lockout fees run $50 to $175. Texas eviction laws does not require just cause for eviction, imposes no rent control (and under TX Local Gov Code §214.902 actively preempts any local government from enacting it), and does not protect source of income in fair housing decisions. The combination of short notice windows, fast courts, low filing fees, and no rent cap creates a landlord-favorable baseline across all of Wilbarger County, which is the primary reason the overall eviction risk score, while not the lowest in Texas eviction laws, remains in the Low band.

Wilbarger County's 2.7/10 score reflects a rural north Texas eviction laws environment where Texas eviction laws state law provides landlords clear procedural advantages -- 3-day notices, sub-$125 filing fees, and no rent cap -- while moderate poverty (19%) and a 26.3% rent burden introduce some tenant financial stress that can lengthen contested proceedings and produce occasional judgment-collection difficulty. The county's rank of 37th of 254 places it in the higher-risk third statewide, though that framing is relative: in absolute terms, Low means landlord operations are straightforward for owners who follow proper notice procedures.