Hickman County, Kentucky Eviction Risk: Low

Hickman County sits at the far southwestern tip of Kentucky, a rural corner of the Jackson Purchase region with a total population of roughly 1,568 residents and an eviction risk score of 2.5/10 - placing it in the Low tier and ranking it 46th out of 120 Kentucky counties. That rank means 45 counties carry higher risk scores, while 74 are considered more landlord-friendly. The county lands in the middle third of the state, which is a meaningful position given how many rural Kentucky counties cluster near the low end of the scale.

The rental market here is small but carries notable stress signals. Average rent runs $638/month, and average rent burden - the share of renter income devoted to rent - sits at 25.8%. With 40.6% of residents renting and a poverty rate of 31.8%, a significant portion of tenants are operating with thin financial margins. That poverty figure is the single most important driver to watch: when roughly one in three residents lives below the poverty line, even a modest income disruption can push a household toward nonpayment, which is the most common trigger for eviction filings in Kentucky. The county has only 4 incorporated places, all small, so the local housing market lacks the diversity of options that gives tenants elsewhere more flexibility.

Among those 4 cities, Clinton is the county seat and by far the largest community, with a population of 1,165 and the highest risk score in the county at 2.7/10. The three smaller towns - Columbus (pop. 223), Water Valley (pop. 137), and Cayce (pop. 43) - all score 1.9/10, reflecting very thin rental markets with limited eviction activity. Under KRS § 383.500 et seq. (Kentucky's Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act), landlords must issue a 7-day pay-or-quit notice for nonpayment of rent before filing. Kentucky does not require just cause for eviction and the state preempts any local rent control ordinance, so Hickman County landlords face a relatively streamlined process once the notice period lapses. Court filing fees run $150 to $250 and an uncontested case typically resolves in 21 to 45 days; a contested matter can extend to 45 to 120 days. Attorney fees in the region range from $500 to $2,500 depending on complexity, and sheriff lockout fees add $40 to $150 to the final cost. The retaliation protection statute at KRS § 383.705 and habitability requirements under KRS § 383.595 represent the main tenant-side safeguards landlords need to document compliance with.

Hickman County's Low risk score reflects a stable but economically stressed rural rental market: rents are low, turnover is modest, but a poverty rate of 31.8% means the tenant base has limited ability to absorb unexpected financial shocks.