Garfield County, Utah Eviction Risk: Very Low

Garfield County, Utah eviction laws carries an average eviction-risk score of 1.6/10 (Low), placing it among the more landlord-friendly corners of the state. Ranked 21st of 29 Utah counties, 20 counties are riskier, and only 8 are less risky, putting Garfield firmly in the lower-risk third statewide. For landlords and investors, that translates to a small, stable rental market where tenant disputes are comparatively rare and the legal environment is predictable.

The county's total population of roughly 3,583 is spread across 5 communities, and renters make up about 31.3% of households. Average rent runs $1,026 per month, and rent burden sits at 20.3%, meaning the typical renter here is not financially stretched to a breaking point, which tends to correlate with fewer payment-related eviction triggers. Conditions within those 5 cities, however, vary enough that a city-level look is essential before committing capital.

The cities inside Garfield County

Escalante is the highest-risk city in the county at 2.2/10, with a population of 604. While still a Low rating in absolute terms, it stands a full point above the county floor and warrants more careful screening and lease structuring. Panguitch, the county seat and by far the largest community at 1,701 residents, scores 1.6/10, exactly at the county average, making it the most representative barometer of typical operating conditions here.

At the opposite end of the range, Teasdale scores 1.2/10 and Navajo Mountain scores 1.3/10, the two least-risky communities in the county. Boulder comes in at 1.5/10. That spread, from 1.2 to 2.2, is a real one: landlords in Escalante face operating conditions meaningfully different from those in Teasdale, even though both sit within the same county lines. Risk is genuinely hyper-local here, and aggregated county figures should be the starting point, not the whole analysis.

State-level laws that apply here

Utah state law governs all landlords in Garfield County under Utah Code § 57-17 and § 78B-6-801 et seq. For non-payment of rent or a lease violation, the required notice period is just 3 days. A no-cause termination at end of term requires 30 days notice. No just-cause requirement exists under Utah law, and the state preempts any local rent-control ordinance, so there is no rent cap to navigate at the city level. Understanding the full Utah eviction process before filing is worthwhile: an uncontested eviction typically resolves in 21 to 45 days, while a contested case can run 45 to 120 days.

On costs, Utah eviction costs include a court filing fee of $360 to $460, a sheriff lockout fee of $50 to $175, and attorney fees ranging from $750 to $3,500 depending on case complexity. Landlords should also be aware that Utah requires 24 hours notice before entry. Reviewing Utah security deposit limits and Utah tenant protections in advance will help avoid procedural missteps that can delay an otherwise straightforward case. Source-of-income is not a protected class under Utah state fair housing law as administered by the Utah Antidiscrimination and Labor Division.

With a poverty rate of 24% among residents, Garfield County carries meaningful economic vulnerability beneath its low aggregate risk score; the city breakdown above is the most reliable guide to where that vulnerability concentrates and which markets within the county offer the steadiest operating conditions.