Eviction Risk Score
Very Low
#233
of 254 TX counties
3.2 / 10
#233 of 254 counties in Texas for landlord eviction risk.
County brief·Updated October 13, 2026
Yoakum County, Texas Eviction Risk: Low
2 incorporated cities and unincorporated areas. The county Eviction Risk Score is held aloft by the city of Denver City (3.2) and a small number of dense urban cores. Rent-control coverage varies by city.
In 2026
Risk score
3.2
LOW
Ranked #233 of 254 TX counties
6k residents · 2 cities · 2 tracts
1976–2026 · pop-weighted from cities
Yoakum County eviction risk score history
Min1.7
Average3.0
Now3.2
Key metrics
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Tenant beats landlord10.3%/ 100 outcomesIn court-decided eviction outcomes for Yoakum County, TX, tenants prevail in roughly 10.3% of contested cases. A higher number means landlords face stronger tenant defenses and longer calendars.
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Timeline24dfiling → judgmentFrom the moment an unlawful-detainer notice is filed in Yoakum County, TX until a money judgment is entered, a contested eviction takes about 24 days on average. Longer timelines mean more lost rent for landlords.
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Cost range$1.0–3.3klegal + lost rentA typical eviction in Yoakum County, TX costs landlords $963 to $3,347 all-in, covering court filing fees, process-server costs, attorney time, and lost rent.
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Average rent$99314% stretched on rentAverage gross rent in Yoakum County, TX is $993 per month per the U.S. Census American Community Survey. 14% of renter households here spend more than 30% of pre-tax income on rent.
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Renters30.7%of households30.7% of occupied housing units in Yoakum County, TX are renter-occupied. A higher renter share usually correlates with more eviction filings and a more active rental market.
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Poverty12.1%6.0% unemp.12.1% of Yoakum County, TX residents live below the federal poverty line, and unemployment runs at 6.0%. Both feed the economic-stress sub-score in our Eviction Risk Score model.
Time machine
Scrub 50 years
Yoakum County scores 3.2/10 (Low), with individual cities ranging from 3.2 to 3.2. The county sits 233rd of 254 Texas counties on the eviction-risk scale. Ranked 233rd of 254 Texas counties - in the lower-risk, with 232 counties carrying higher risk scores.
How Yoakum County ranks in Texas
Cost of living
Moderate
#25
of 51 states (statewide)
97.1 index
Texas ranks #25 of 51 states on overall cost of living (2.9% cheaper than the U.S. avg).
Housing services cost
Elevated
#20
of 51 states (statewide)
96.5 index
Texas ranks #20 of 51 states on housing services (3.5% cheaper than the U.S. avg).
Income spent on rent
Very Low
#251
of 254 TX counties
13.8% of income
#251 of 254 counties in Texas on % of income spent on rent.
Landlord guides for Texas
Texas Eviction Costs →
Filing fees, attorney fees, lost rent, sheriff lockout
Texas Eviction Process →
Step-by-step timeline, notices, statute cites
Texas Rent Control →
Statewide caps, local ordinances, just-cause
Texas Tenant Screening →
Five-point protocol, legal rules, protected classes
Texas Tenant Protections →
Just cause, retaliation, habitability, entry
Cities in Yoakum County
Sorted by Eviction Risk Score · highest first
| City↕ | Population↕ | Risk↕ | % income on rent↕ | Average rent↕ | Lean↕ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 001 | Denver City | 4,368 | 3.2 | 14.8% | $1,030 | Rep |
| 002 | Plains | 1,235 | 3.2 | 12.7% | $864 | Rep |
County heatmap
Local landlord context
One county, multiple regulatory regimes.
Yoakum County sits in the high plains of West Texas eviction laws - a sparsely populated oil-patch and agricultural county of about 5,603 residents where landlord-tenant dynamics look very different from the state's major metros. The county earns an eviction-risk score of 3.2/10 (Low), placing it 233rd out of 254 Texas counties and firmly in the lower-risk of the state for risk. With 211 Texas eviction laws counties carrying higher risk scores than Yoakum, the practical message for landlords here is straightforward: this is one of the least legally complicated rental markets in the state.
The county's two incorporated communities anchor two distinct slices of the local rental market. Denver City, the county seat and by far the largest community at roughly 4,368 residents, carries an eviction-risk score of 3.2/10. Plains, the smaller of the two cities at about 1,235 residents, comes in at 3.2/10 - the higher of the two and the county's ceiling for risk exposure. Scores across the county range from 3.2 to 3.2, a tight spread that reflects how uniformly landlord-friendly conditions are throughout Yoakum County's rental stock. That tight band means landlords operating in both communities face essentially the same legal environment - there are no pockets of elevated tenant-protection law to plan around.
Renters represent about 30.7% of Yoakum County households, with an average rent of $993 per month and a rent burden of just 14.3% - well below the 30% threshold that typically signals affordability stress. The county's 12.1% poverty rate is moderate by West Texas eviction laws standards, but the low rent burden suggests the rental market here is not generating the financial pressure that tends to drive disputes and eviction filings. Texas eviction laws law governs the entire landlord-tenant relationship under Tex. Prop. Code § 91 & § 92 (Residential Tenancies), and Yoakum County has no local ordinances that modify those baseline rules. The state's blanket preemption of local rent control under TX Local Gov Code § 214.902 means no city in the county can cap rents, and no just-cause requirement applies before a landlord can pursue an eviction. The result is a market where Texas eviction laws's already landlord-favorable statutes apply without local modification - which is precisely why the county's risk score sits where it does.
Yoakum County's 3.2/10 Low score reflects the combination of West Texas eviction laws's low rent burden, minimal tenant-protection legislation at both state and local levels, and a small, stable rental population concentrated in two communities. The score is 233rd of 254 statewide, with scores in the county ranging from 3.2 to 3.2 between Denver City and Plains.
Historical eviction filings in Yoakum County
From 2000 to 2018, eviction filings in Yoakum County increased 400%. The peak was 16 filings in 2016.1
- 32000
- 16Peak (2016)
- 152018
Annual filings 2000–2018
No filing data published after 2018
Data covers 2000–2018, the full span of the Princeton Eviction Lab's national county court-records dataset.
How Yoakum County compares
Yoakum County's 3.2/10 score places it in the lower-risk of Texas eviction laws counties by eviction risk, ranking 233rd of 254 statewide. The county's score falls below the 3.6 Texas eviction laws statewide average, consistent with its profile as a small, low-rent-burden West Texas eviction laws market with no local tenant-protection ordinances. Nearby peer counties - including Bailey County to the north, Castro County to the northeast, and Kinney, Mitchell, and Childress counties elsewhere in the West Texas eviction laws region - all carry risk scores in roughly the same low range, reflecting the uniformly landlord-favorable legal landscape across this part of the state. None of these peers have enacted local protections that differ meaningfully from state law, so risk levels across the region cluster tightly together.
Peer counties in Texas
Peer county
Bailey County eviction risk
3.2
/ 10 · Low
Pop. 5.7K
Peer county
Childress County eviction risk
3.2
/ 10 · Low
Pop. 5.9K
Peer county
Archer County eviction risk
3.2
/ 10 · Low
Pop. 5.6K
Peer county
Kinney County eviction risk
3.2
/ 10 · Low
Pop. 5.8K
Where eviction risk concentrates in Yoakum County
Top cities by population
Frequently asked
Frequently asked questions about Yoakum County
Q1
What is Yoakum County's current eviction-risk score?
Yoakum County carries an eviction-risk score of 3.2/10, which places it in the Low risk category. It ranks 233rd out of 254 Texas counties, meaning 232 counties in the state have higher risk scores. Scores within the county range from 3.2 in Denver City to 3.2 in Plains.
Q2
How long does the eviction process take in Yoakum County, Texas?
Texas eviction laws law requires only a 3-day written notice before a landlord can file for eviction, whether the cause is non-payment of rent or a lease violation (Tex. Prop. Code § 24.005). Once filed in justice court, uncontested cases in West Texas eviction laws markets like Yoakum County typically resolve in 21 to 30 days from filing. Contested cases where the tenant appears and disputes the claim can extend to 45 to 90 days, particularly if either party appeals to county court.
Q3
What does it cost to file an eviction in Yoakum County?
Court filing fees in Texas eviction laws justice courts typically run $54 to $125, depending on the precinct. If a sheriff or constable must carry out a physical lockout after a judgment, that service costs an additional $50 to $175. Attorney fees for an uncontested eviction generally start around $500, while contested or appeal-track cases can reach $3,500 or more.
Q4
Is there rent control in Yoakum County or in Denver City or Plains?
No. Texas eviction laws state law under TX Local Gov Code § 214.902 expressly preempts any local government from enacting rent control ordinances. Neither Yoakum County nor any city within it - including Denver City and Plains - has the legal authority to cap rents. Landlords may raise rents at lease renewal without restriction beyond whatever terms the lease itself specifies.
Q5
Does Texas require just cause to evict a tenant in Yoakum County?
No just-cause requirement applies anywhere in Texas. A landlord can decline to renew a lease or issue a notice to vacate at the end of a term without stating a specific reason, as long as proper notice is given (Tex. Prop. Code § 24.005(b) requires a 3-day notice for holdover tenants). This applies throughout Yoakum County, including Denver City and Plains.
Q6
How does Yoakum County compare to the Texas statewide average for eviction risk?
Yoakum County's 3.2/10 score sits below the 3.6 statewide average, which reflects the county's low rent burden, absence of local tenant-protection laws, and small rental market. The county's 233rd of 254 ranking places it solidly in the lower-risk third of Texas counties.