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Oneida, Kentucky eviction risk overview
City brief · 49 residents

Oneida, KY Eviction Risk: VERY LOW

Clay County · Population 49

In 2026
Risk score
2.3
VERY LOW

53th percentile, Kentucky.

50-yr Eviction Risk Score history

1976 to 2026 · climbing fast since 2010

Min1.9 Average2.6 Now2.3
3.3 1.9 1976 · score 3.0 1977 · score 3.0 1978 · score 3.0 1979 · score 3.0 1980 · score 3.1 1981 · score 3.1 1982 · score 3.1 1983 · score 3.0 1984 · score 2.6 1985 · score 2.5 1986 · score 2.4 1987 · score 2.3 1988 · score 2.2 1989 · score 2.1 1990 · score 2.1 1991 · score 2.2 1992 · score 2.7 1993 · score 2.8 1994 · score 2.8 1995 · score 2.8 1996 · score 2.8 1997 · score 2.7 1998 · score 2.7 1999 · score 2.8 2000 · score 2.7 2001 · score 2.7 2002 · score 2.7 2003 · score 2.6 2004 · score 2.5 2005 · score 2.4 2006 · score 2.4 2007 · score 2.3 2008 · score 2.5 2009 · score 2.7 2010 · score 2.7 2011 · score 2.7 2012 · score 2.5 2013 · score 2.4 2014 · score 2.3 2015 · score 2.2 2016 · score 2.1 2017 · score 2.1 2018 · score 2.0 2019 · score 1.9 2020 · score 3.1 2021 · score 3.3 2022 · score 2.4 2023 · score 2.1 2024 · score 2.3 2025 · score 2.3 2026 · score 2.3

Key metrics

Estimated values: The U.S. Census suppresses field-level data for small places. Estimated from constituent census tracts, pop-weighted from real underlying ACS data.
Time machine

Scrub 50 years

2026
● LIVE · today ◀ REPLAY · historical

Nine-axis profile

9-axis profile · today

Shape of the risk surface

1 landlord · 10 tenant
Local 2.0 Regional 2.0 State 2.1 Economic 4.7 Supply 9.9 Rent Control 1.0 Eviction 1.5 Tenant 9.9 Housing 1.6 2.3 VERY LOW
Sub-scores · with sparkline

Where the score comes from

1 → 10 scale
  1. Local political climate
    GOP margin +80.3% (2024)
    2.0
  2. Regional political climate
    County-weighted neighbor mix
    2.0
  3. State political climate
    Kentucky legislature & governorship
    2.1
  4. Economic stress
    28.5% poverty · 8.5% unemp.
    4.7
  5. Supply constraint
    $596 average · 13.9% renters
    9.9
  6. Rent Control risk
    19.3% of income on rent
    1.0
  7. Eviction process difficulty
    32 days filing → judgment
    1.5
  8. Tenant organizing strength
    13.9% renters
    9.9
  9. Housing court bias
    County bench composition
    1.6
Geographic context

Risk heat across Oneida and the region

Click any city to see its score

How Oneida compares

Risk score vs. peers, county, state, and the U.S.
Rank in Clay County
Very Low
#2 of 2 cities
Rank in county, 0th percentileLowHigh
#2 of 2 cities in Clay County for landlord eviction risk.
Rank in Kentucky
Moderate
#304 of 553 cities
Rank in state, 45th percentileLowHigh
#304 of 553 cities in Kentucky for landlord eviction risk.
vs. county · state · U.S.
Oneida risk score vs. county / state / U.S.Oneida: 2.32.3OneidaThis cityCounty: 2.62.6Countyavg in countyState: 2.52.5Stateavg in stateU.S.: 4.74.7U.S.national avg
Score story

Six-stop tour of the risk profile

  1. 2.3
    / 10 · VERY LOW
    The verdict

    A Very low-tier market.

    Composite 2.3/10. Mid-range market; standard documentation usually wins. The 50-year curve shows a slow, steady climb.

    50-yr trend-0.7 over 50 yr
    197620012026

    Steady ratchet · no large swings

  2. 32d
    Typical timeline
    The money

    What renting (and evicting) looks like.

    Rent published at $596/mo. A contested eviction takes 32 days and costs $1,304–$3,257 per case.

    50-yr trendCalendar drag rising since '15
    197620012026

    Court-clerk data lands in the next release.

  3. 13.9%
    Renters
    The renters

    Who you'll be renting to.

    Out of 49 residents, 13.9% rent. 19% are spending 30%+ income on rent, 28.5% below the poverty line.

    50-yr trendRenter share rising
    197620012026

    ACS 1970-present · once the migration overlay is in.

  4. 2
    Local + regional
    The politics

    Light-statute interior market.

    Local & regional political climate score 2 and 2 (GOP margin +80.3% (2024)). State climate at 2.1, a mid-range statehouse.

    50-yr trendTracks county vote margin
    197620012026

    Built on 50-yr presidential margins back to 1976.

  5. 2.1
    State politics
    The process

    Moderate calendar, moderate friction.

    State political climate 2.1/10 sets the legislative ceiling for landlord remedies, and it shows up in the process. Eviction process difficulty reads 1.5, housing court bias 1.6, rent-control risk 1. Standard process speed for the state.

    50-yr trendProcess difficulty +-3.5 since '00
    197620012026

    Court-clerk data lands in the next release.

  6. 4.7
    Economic stress
    The stress

    Economic pressure is the background risk.

    Economic stress: 4.7. Supply constraint: 9.9. The numbers behind those: 28.5% poverty, 8.5% unemployment, 19% of income on rent.

    50-yr trendTwo visible dips · '08 + COVID
    197620012026

    Mirrors BLS unemployment series.

US eviction landscape · timeline × all-in cost

Oneida sits in the quick & cheap quadrant

Bubble size = population · color = risk score
QUICK BUT COSTLY fast docket · high all-in loss SLOW & EXPENSIVE long calendar · high all-in loss QUICK & CHEAP fast docket · low all-in loss SLOW BUT CHEAP long calendar · low all-in loss 30d 50d 75d 100d 150d 200d 300d 450d $2.0k $3.0k $5.0k $7.5k $10k $15k $20k $30k EVICTION TIMELINE (DAYS) → ↑ ALL-IN COST (LOG SCALE) Louisville, KY · 34d · ~$2.1k all-in ($62/day) · score 2.4 Louisville Lexington-Fayette urban county, KY · 32d · ~$2.1k all-in ($66/day) · score 2.4 Lexington-Fayette urban county Louisville, KY · 32d · ~$2.1k all-in ($64/day) · score 3.2 Louisville Bowling Green, KY · 31d · ~$2.0k all-in ($63/day) · score 2.4 Bowling Green Owensboro, KY · 35d · ~$2.2k all-in ($62/day) · score 2.3 Owensboro Cincinnati, OH · 37d · ~$2.8k all-in ($75/day) · score 3.4 Cincinnati Knoxville, TN · 35d · ~$2.0k all-in ($57/day) · score 2.3 Knoxville Asheville, NC · 48d · ~$3.1k all-in ($65/day) · score 3.4 Asheville Johnson City, TN · 31d · ~$2.0k all-in ($63/day) · score 2.3 Johnson City Kingsport, TN · 37d · ~$2.1k all-in ($57/day) · score 2.1 Kingsport Houston, TX · 24d · ~$2.5k all-in ($103/day) · score 2.8 Houston Phoenix, AZ · 38d · ~$3.3k all-in ($86/day) · score 2.8 Phoenix Memphis, TN · 31d · ~$2.0k all-in ($66/day) · score 3.1 Memphis Atlanta, GA · 40d · ~$2.8k all-in ($69/day) · score 3.4 Atlanta Boston, MA · 187d · ~$20.3k all-in ($109/day) · score 7.1 Boston Chicago, IL · 109d · ~$9.0k all-in ($82/day) · score 5.7 Chicago New York, NY · 417d · ~$29.5k all-in ($71/day) · score 9.7 New York Seattle, WA · 162d · ~$12.7k all-in ($79/day) · score 7.9 Seattle Oneida
Oneida · 32d · ~$2.3k all-in ($71/day) · score 2.3 National average: 58d · $4.6k all-in Hover any bubble for stats · click to open Color: 0–4   4–7   7–10
00Overview

About eviction risk in Oneida, KY

Landlording in Oneida, Kentucky, presents a manageable operating environment for documented landlords. The Eviction Risk Score is 2.3/10 (VERY LOW tier), drawn from the nine sub-axes shown above, covering rent-control exposure, eviction-process difficulty, housing-court bias, tenant-organizing strength, supply constraint, economic stress, and local, regional, and state political climate. This is not a quick-fix market: it's a Mid-tier market where lease drafting, screening discipline, and well-documented notices materially change outcomes.

Oneida is a city of 49 residents where 13.9% of occupied units are renter-occupied, and the typical renter spends 19.3% of income on rent. At an average rent of $596/month, the typical renter household here spends more than the federal 30% threshold on housing, a leading indicator of payment volatility and a precondition for the kinds of tenant defenses that show up most often in housing court.

01Process

How Oneida eviction process actually works

Eviction process difficulty here reads 1.5/10, a number that combines statutory complexity (notice categories, just-cause rules, mandatory pre-filing disclosures) with operational realities (court calendar length and clerk responsiveness). The typical contested filing in Oneida closes 32 days after the initial notice. For non-payment of rent the first step is a properly-formatted, properly-served pay-or-quit notice; for material lease breaches it's a cure-or-quit; for tenancies under just-cause protection an at-fault grounds notice (or a no-fault notice with statutory relocation assistance) is required.

The slow part of Oneida's timeline is usually the calendar, not the motion practice. Housing court bias scores 1.6/10 here, meaning judges read borderline procedural defects in the tenant's favor more often than the national norm. The practical implication: every notice and every proof of service needs to be airtight before it gets filed.

02Cost

What it costs (and how long it takes)

An all-in eviction in Oneida runs $1,304 to $3,257 per case once you account for filing fees, attorney time, lost rent during pendency, sheriff lockout, and unit turnover. That range is wide because the upper bound assumes a tenant answer plus motion practice, common when housing court bias is high. The lower bound assumes a default judgment after proper service.

For landlords running the numbers on holding costs vs. cash-for-keys: if your projected timeline times your monthly rent already exceeds the high-end cost number, cash-for-keys at 1–2 months' rent is typically the economically rational choice. With 32 days of typical timeline and $596/month in lost rent, that crossover happens fast here.

03Operations

Security deposits, screening, and lease terms

Tenant organizing strength scores 9.9/10 in Oneida, and the city has limited rent control exposure (1/10). Operations practice that survives audit in this environment looks like:

  • Screening discipline. Document income (verified at 2.5 to 3x rent), credit (with a clear minimum), and prior-tenancy reference checks, but do not screen on protected categories or source-of-income where banned. Keep a written, consistent screening criteria document for every applicant.
  • Lease specificity. Use a state-specific lease that names every term clearly: rent due date, late fees within statutory caps, deposit handling, smoke and CO disclosure, lead paint disclosure (pre-1978 stock), and a clean attorney's-fees clause.
  • Security deposit handling. Itemize deductions within the statutory window. Photograph move-in/move-out condition. In Kentucky, deposit cap and refund window are statute, so exceed them at your own risk.
  • Mid-tenancy documentation. Keep date-stamped records of every rent receipt, every habitability request, every notice served. The day you need them in court is too late to start.
04Strategy

What an everyday landlord should actually do here

If you own one to four units in Oneida: hire a property manager who knows the local court. The pricing differential between self-managing and hiring out is small relative to the cost of one botched eviction in a VERY LOW tier market. If you own five or more: build relationships with a local landlord-side attorney before you need one, since retainer fees are negligible compared to emergency-rate billing when an eviction is already moving.

The avoidable mistakes here are all upstream of the filing: weak screening, an informal lease, sloppy rent receipts, and notice templates pulled off the internet that don't match Kentucky's statutory language. Fix those four, and most cases settle or default. Skip them, and a $3,257 all-in fight is the realistic worst case.

04bPractical traps

Local traps to avoid in Oneida

Trap · KENTUCKY
Clay County court applies Kentucky statute uniformly. Filing fee, notice period, and trial-to-writ timeline are set at the state level. At 3.7/10 local risk, default judgment frequency is typical.
05FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Q1

Can I evict a tenant in Oneida for minor lease violations?

Yes, if the lease violation is material. For example, unauthorized pets or significant damage beyond wear and tear. You would typically need to serve a "cure or quit" notice, giving the tenant time to fix the violation. If they don't, you can proceed with an eviction. Always consult your lease and state law (KRS § 383.500 et seq.) for specifics.

Q2

What if my tenant claims a maintenance issue as a reason for not paying rent?

Kentucky law generally requires tenants to pay rent even if there are maintenance issues, unless the issue makes the property uninhabitable and they've followed specific legal steps to withhold rent (which is rare). They cannot simply decide not to pay. Your best bet is to address legitimate maintenance requests promptly and in writing. If they still don't pay, proceed with your 7-day pay-or-quit notice.

Q3

Is there a specific form I need for the 7-day notice in Oneida?

While there isn't one single "official" state form, the notice must contain specific information: the amount of rent due, the period for which it's due, a demand for payment or possession of the premises, and the 7-day timeframe. Many landlord associations provide compliant forms. Ensure it's accurate and legally sound. Mistakes here can invalidate your eviction.

Q4

Can I change the locks myself if the tenant doesn't move out after the notice?

Absolutely not. This is an illegal "self-help" eviction and can lead to serious legal penalties for you. Only a sheriff, acting under a court-issued Writ of Possession, can physically remove a tenant and allow you to change the locks. Follow the legal process every step of the way.

Q5

What if my tenant leaves belongings behind after an eviction?

Kentucky law outlines specific procedures for handling abandoned property. You typically need to store the items for a certain period and provide notice to the tenant before you can dispose of or sell them. Failing to follow these rules can make you liable to the tenant. It's another area where good record-keeping and potentially legal advice are crucial.

06Score

What this score means for landlords2

A 2.3/10 places Oneida in the 53rd percentile of Kentucky cities on the Eviction Risk Score index. The score is the average of the nine sub-axes, all calibrated on a national 1 to 10 scale where 1 is most landlord-friendly and 10 is most tenant-protective. The 50-year reconstruction shows this score has climbed steadily since 1976, a structural drift driven by court-calendar growth, rent-control adoption, and the rise of tenant-side legal aid. The trajectory matters more than the snapshot: the score is the climate, not the weather.