Bourbon County, Kansas Eviction Risk: Very Low

Bourbon County sits in the middle third of Kansas eviction laws counties by eviction risk, scoring 2.1/10 (Low) on the Eviction Risk Map. Of 105 Kansas counties, 54 rank riskier and 50 rank less risky, placing Bourbon County right at the midpoint of the state. With a total population of roughly 9,031 spread across 8 incorporated places, the county's rental market is small but stable. Average asking rent of $767 per month is well below statewide urban figures, and an average rent burden of 27.9% of household income sits near the conventional affordability threshold of 30%, signaling that most renters here are not in distress - though they have limited cushion against sudden rent increases or job loss.

Fort Scott is the county seat and by far its largest community, home to about 7,555 residents and carrying the same 2.1/10 score as the county average. The riskiest city in the county is Bronson at 2.5/10, followed by Uniontown at 2.2/10. At the other end of the range, Fulton and Garland both score 1.7/10, the lowest in the county. The spread from 1.7 to 2.5 is narrow, which reflects how uniformly low eviction pressure runs across Bourbon County's communities. An average renter share of 31.5% of households means roughly one in three households is a renter, and an average poverty rate of 11.9% underscores that while the area is lower-cost, a meaningful share of tenants operate close to financial margins.

Kansas eviction laws landlord-tenant law under K.S.A. § 58-2540 et seq. (Residential Landlord and Tenant Act) governs all residential leases in Bourbon County. The statute requires a 3-day notice for non-payment of rent, a 14-day notice to cure a lease violation, and a 30-day notice for no-cause end-of-term terminations. Court filing fees for an eviction action run $120 to $200, with sheriff lockout fees adding another $40 to $150. Attorney costs in contested cases typically fall between $500 and $2,500. An uncontested case resolves in roughly 21 to 45 days; a contested case can run 45 to 100 days. Kansas eviction laws state law preempts any local rent control ordinance, so no municipality in Bourbon County can cap rents - and there is no just-cause eviction requirement, meaning landlords can end a tenancy at term without stating a reason. Tenants do have a protected right to habitable conditions under K.S.A. § 58-2553, and retaliation against a tenant for asserting those rights is prohibited under K.S.A. § 58-2572.

Bourbon County's 2.1/10 score reflects a rental market with low eviction pressure, affordable rents averaging $767/month, and a legal framework that gives landlords straightforward remedies under Kansas law.