Bourbon County, Kentucky Eviction Risk: Very Low

Bourbon County, Kentucky earns a Low eviction risk score of 2.4/10, placing it at rank 60 out of 120 Kentucky counties - meaning 59 counties carry higher risk and 60 carry less. That middle-of-the-pack position reflects a county where the legal framework is straightforward but economic pressures on renters are real. With 46% of residents renting and an average poverty rate of 18.2%, a meaningful share of the roughly 11,658 residents depend on rental housing while carrying thin financial margins.

The county seat of Paris anchors most of the rental activity, with a population of 10,160 and a risk score of 2.4/10. Millersburg, the county's highest-scoring city at 2.5/10, is a small community of 819 residents where a single contested eviction can have outsized visibility. North Middletown, the third incorporated place in the county, scores 2.4/10 with 679 residents. Average rent across the county sits at $826 per month, and renters on average spend 25.7% of income on rent - below the 30% threshold that signals severe burden, but close enough that job loss or a medical expense can quickly tip a household into arrears. At 18.2% poverty, Bourbon County sits well above national averages, and that underlying economic fragility is a consistent driver of eviction filings even in low-risk jurisdictions.

Kentucky's eviction statute, KRS § 383.500 et seq. (Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act), governs the process statewide. Landlords must serve a 7-day notice for non-payment of rent, a 14-day cure notice for lease violations, and a 30-day no-cause notice at end of term. Court filing fees run $150 to $250, and sheriff lockout fees add another $40 to $150. Attorney fees typically range from $500 to $2,500 depending on whether the case is contested. An uncontested matter resolves in roughly 21-45 days; a contested case can stretch to 120 days. Kentucky's state preemption law bars municipalities from enacting local rent control, so there is no local ordinance to track in Bourbon County. Source of income is not a protected class under Kentucky fair housing law - landlords may lawfully screen on that basis, though the Kentucky Commission on Human Rights remains the enforcement body for all other fair housing complaints. KRS § 383.705 prohibits retaliation against tenants who assert legal rights, and KRS § 383.595 codifies the landlord's implied warranty of habitability - both remain live obligations regardless of the county's low aggregate score.

Bourbon County's Low risk rating reflects Kentucky eviction laws's landlord-favorable statutory framework and a relatively modest rent level, though an 18.2% poverty rate and 46% renter share mean individual landlords should still budget for collection risk and the occasional contested filing.