Marshall County, Kentucky Eviction Risk: Very Low

Marshall County sits in western Kentucky along the shores of Kentucky Lake, home to roughly 8,153 renters and owner-occupants tracked in our dataset. The county carries a 2.4/10 eviction risk score - a Low rating - placing it at rank 72 of 120 Kentucky counties. That position means 71 Kentucky counties carry higher eviction risk than Marshall, while 48 are lower. In practical terms, this is a middle-of-the-pack Kentucky county that leans favorable for landlords by national standards but is far from the most permissive corner of the state.

The county seat of Benton (population 4,748) anchors the rental market with a score of 2.4/10, followed by Calvert City (population 2,526, score 2.3/10) - an industrial corridor community near the chemical plants on the Tennessee River. The highest individual city score in the county belongs to Hardin at 2.8/10, a small lakeside community of 446 where vacation-rental activity and seasonal tenancies can complicate the landlord-tenant relationship. Gilbertsville at the southwestern tip scores the county low of 2.2/10. Across all four tracked cities, scores range from 2.2 to 2.8 - a tight band that reflects how consistently Kentucky law applies countywide, without the local ordinance variation you would see in a metropolitan county.

The financial picture for renters in Marshall County is strained despite the low-cost housing stock. Average rent of $832/month sounds modest, but an average rent burden of 45.1% means residents are spending nearly half their income on housing - well above the 30% threshold economists consider affordable. With an average poverty rate of 19.1% and only 29.8% of households renting, the renter population is a concentrated and economically vulnerable segment. Landlords operating here should weigh that payment-default risk against the procedural ease Kentucky law provides. Under KRS § 383.500 et seq. (the Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act), a non-payment case starts with a 7-day notice, an uncontested case resolves in 21-45 days, and court filing fees run $150-$250. There is no rent cap formula, no just-cause requirement for non-renewal, and state law preempts any local attempt to impose rent control - meaning Marshall County cities cannot independently regulate rents. Attorney fees for a contested eviction typically run $500-$2,500, and the sheriff lockout fee is $40-$150.

Scores reflect the Eviction Risk Map composite model applied to Marshall County's legal environment, rental market conditions, and demographic data; the 2.4/10 average spans four cities ranging from Gilbertsville (2.2/10) to Hardin (2.8/10).