Carroll County, Kentucky Eviction Risk: Moderate

Carroll County sits in northern Kentucky along the Ohio River with a total population of roughly 4,569 and four incorporated places - Carrollton, Ghent, Prestonville, and Worthville. The county carries a Low eviction risk score of 3.4/10, placing it 71st out of 120 Kentucky counties. That rank means 70 counties statewide carry higher risk, so Carroll County lands in the middle third of Kentucky - neither the safest nor the most challenging market for landlords or renters.

Housing costs here remain well below state and national averages. Average rent lands at $921 per month, and the average rent burden sits at just 18.5% of renter income - well inside the 30% threshold that housing researchers use to flag financial stress. Still, 60.4% of households are renters and the average poverty rate is 15.5%, so while cost pressure is modest, the renter population carries meaningful economic vulnerability. Landlords operating here should treat that poverty figure as a leading indicator: a spike in local unemployment or a loss of a major employer can shift payment patterns quickly in a small county of this size.

Carrollton is the county seat and by far the largest city, with 3,915 residents and a risk score of 4/10. Prestonville scores the highest in the county at 4.5/10 despite having only 192 residents - a reminder that small-town risk scores can swing on just a handful of rental units. Ghent scores the lowest at 4.3/10 with 286 residents. Kentucky's eviction framework under KRS § 383.500 et seq. (Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act) applies uniformly across all four cities: landlords must serve a 7-day notice for non-payment of rent, a 14-day notice for lease violations, and a 30-day no-cause notice at term end. Court filing fees run $150 to $250, sheriff lockout fees add another $40 to $150, and attorney costs range from $500 to $2,500 for contested matters. Uncontested cases typically resolve in 21 to 45 days; contested cases can stretch 45 to 120 days. Kentucky does not require just cause for eviction and state law preempts any local rent control ordinance, so Carroll County municipalities cannot impose rent caps regardless of future political pressure.

Carroll County's Low risk rating reflects limited regulatory exposure under Kentucky eviction laws's landlord-friendly statute, but the 15.5% poverty rate and 60.4% renter share mean that economic shocks can translate into payment defaults faster than the score alone suggests.