Marion County, Kentucky Eviction Risk: Low

Marion County, Kentucky holds a Low eviction risk score of 2.5/10, placing it 49th out of 120 Kentucky counties - meaning 48 counties carry higher risk while 71 are less risky, putting Marion squarely in the middle third of the state. For landlords who own or are considering rental property here, that middle-third position reflects a county where the legal framework is relatively landlord-accessible, but poverty and rent burden figures call for careful tenant screening up front.

The county seat of Lebanon is by far the largest city in Marion County, with a population of 6,430 and an individual risk score of 2.5/10. Bradfordsville, with 444 residents, carries the highest city-level score in the county at 2.8/10. On the lower end, Raywick (125 residents) scores just 2/10, and Loretto (683 residents) comes in at 2.2/10. The relatively tight band between 2 and 2.8 across all five cities suggests fairly consistent conditions throughout the county rather than one hot-spot dragging up the average. Across all 5 cities, Marion County's total measured population is 7,829.

The economic backdrop matters. Average rent runs $711/month, and the average rent burden sits at 27.5% of household income - approaching the widely-cited 30% stress threshold. The average poverty rate of 28.5% is notably elevated, and 39.4% of households are renters rather than owners. That combination of high poverty and a large renter share means a meaningful share of tenants is one financial disruption away from falling behind on rent. Kentucky law gives landlords a clear but time-consuming path to address non-payment: a 7-day notice under KRS § 383.500 et seq. starts the clock, uncontested cases resolve in roughly 21-45 days, and contested proceedings can run 45-120 days. Court filing fees range from $150 to $250, sheriff lockout fees from $40 to $150, and attorney fees - if needed - typically fall in the $500 to $2,500 range. There is no rent control in Kentucky; state law at KRS § 383.500 et seq. preempts any local rent cap effort, so landlords face no ceiling on lease renewals. No just-cause eviction requirement exists either. Source of income is not a protected class under state law, though federal fair housing rules apply through the Kentucky Commission on Human Rights. The habitability baseline is governed by KRS § 383.595 and the retaliation prohibition by KRS § 383.705 - both standard Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act provisions. No statewide entry-notice requirement is codified, though landlords are well-advised to provide reasonable advance notice as a practical matter.

Marion County's Low risk designation reflects a state framework that imposes modest tenant protections, balanced against local poverty and rent-burden figures that landlords should weigh carefully when underwriting new leases.