Larue County, Kentucky Eviction Risk: Very Low

Larue County sits in the lower-risk third of Kentucky's 120 counties, earning a Low eviction risk score of 2.1/10 and ranking 107th out of 120 - meaning 106 Kentucky eviction laws counties carry higher eviction risk for landlords. For property owners, that ranking signals a regulatory and economic environment that remains straightforward to work in. The county's three tracked cities cluster tightly: Hodgenville, the county seat and largest city with a population of 3,389, scores 2.1/10; Buffalo (735 residents) also scores 2.1/10; and Magnolia (609 residents) is the county's highest-risk city at 2.4/10 - still comfortably in Low territory.

The financial picture for landlords reflects a rural Kentucky market. Average rent across Larue County is $965 per month, and the average rent burden - the share of household income going to rent - sits at 35.3%. That burden rate is notable: it exceeds the commonly used 30% affordability threshold, which can increase late-payment frequency in economic downturns. About 33.2% of households rent, and the county's average poverty rate is 25%. Taken together, these figures suggest a tenant pool where cash flow is tight, making consistent collections important and screening decisions consequential. No city or neighborhood in this county has rent control, and Kentucky state law preempts any local jurisdiction from enacting rent stabilization ordinances - so that regulatory layer will not appear at the municipal level either.

The governing landlord-tenant statute is KRS § 383.500 et seq. (Kentucky's Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act). Under that framework, non-payment of rent triggers a 7-day notice before a landlord can proceed toward filing; lease violations allow a 14-day cure notice; and no-cause terminations at end of term require 30 days' notice. Court filing fees run $150 to $250, sheriff lockout fees range from $40 to $150, and attorney costs for a contested case can reach $2,500. Uncontested cases typically resolve in 21 to 45 days; contested matters stretch to 45 to 120 days. Source of income is not a protected class under Kentucky law, and no just-cause requirement applies - landlords retain discretion on lease renewals. The retaliation prohibition sits at KRS § 383.705, and habitability obligations are codified at KRS § 383.595.

Larue County's Low risk score reflects Kentucky eviction laws's landlord-friendly statewide framework combined with a small, rural rental market - total tracked renter-household population across Hodgenville, Buffalo, and Magnolia is approximately 4,733 residents.