Bracken County, Kentucky Eviction Risk: Low

Bracken County sits in the northern Kentucky eviction laws hill country along the Ohio eviction laws River, and its eviction risk profile reflects a small, rural rental market that operates well within the bounds of a landlord-friendly state framework. The county scores 2.5/10 on the Eviction Risk Map scale - a Low rating - and ranks 39th out of 120 Kentucky eviction laws counties, placing it in the higher-risk third of the state. That context matters: 38 Kentucky counties carry more risk than Bracken, while 81 are less risky. For a landlord evaluating this market, the Low score indicates a manageable legal environment, though the county's concentrated poverty and above-average rent burden deserve attention before signing leases.

The two incorporated places in the county anchor the rental data. Augusta, the larger community at 1,510 residents, scores 2.7/10 - the highest point in the county. Brooksville, the county seat at 883 residents, scores 2.2/10. Together they account for roughly 2,393 residents countywide. Average rent runs $734 per month, which sits below most Kentucky urban benchmarks and reflects the rural character of the market. Despite that modest rent level, the average rent burden reaches 31.8% of renter household income - a figure that edges above the standard 30% affordability threshold and signals that a meaningful share of tenants are already stretched thin. Add a 27.9% average poverty rate and the picture becomes sharper: a sizable portion of the renter population has limited financial cushion, which can translate to a higher-than-average rate of late or missed payments even when nominal rents look affordable. With 42.6% of residents renting, the county has a notably high renter share for a county of its size.

The governing statute is KRS § 383.500 et seq. (Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act), which defines the notice and filing procedures a landlord must follow in Bracken County. For non-payment of rent, a landlord must serve a 7-day notice before filing. A lease violation triggers a 14-day notice to cure, while a no-cause termination at end of term requires 30 days. Court filing fees run $150 to $250, sheriff lockout fees range from $40 to $150, and attorney costs typically fall between $500 and $2,500 for a straightforward case. An uncontested eviction resolves in 21 to 45 days; a contested case can stretch to 45 to 120 days. Kentucky state law preempts any local rent control ordinance, so no municipality in Bracken County can impose rent caps - a meaningful structural protection for landlords. There is no just-cause requirement for non-renewal, and source of income is not a protected class under Kentucky fair housing law. The Kentucky Commission on Human Rights handles fair housing complaints. Retaliation protections for tenants fall under KRS § 383.705, and habitability standards are set by KRS § 383.595.

Bracken County's Low eviction risk score reflects a state legal framework that is among the more landlord-friendly in the region, combined with a small rural rental market where low nominal rents mask a high rent-burden rate and a poverty rate that elevates payment-default risk.