McLean County, Kentucky Eviction Risk: Low

McLean County carries an eviction risk score of 2.6/10 - rated Low - but its position as 32nd of 120 Kentucky counties means 31 counties statewide are riskier. That places McLean in the higher-risk third of the state, a distinction worth noting for landlords sizing up a market that looks quiet on the surface. The county's 3,509 residents are spread across 10 incorporated places, with the largest concentration in Livermore (population 1,223), the county seat of Calhoun (601), and the community of Island (576).

Rent levels here are low by any regional measure. The average rent runs $616 per month, which sounds affordable until you factor in the average rent burden of 28.4% of household income. Nearly a quarter of residents - 24.7% of the population - live below the poverty line, and renters make up 34% of all households. That combination of compressed incomes and a large renter share means payment stress can build quickly even when nominal rents are modest. Landlords collecting $616 per month are dealing with tenants whose margins are thin, not comfortable. Within the county, Sacramento posts the highest individual risk score at 2.8/10, followed by Calhoun at 2.7. Livermore, Island, and Beech Grove all score 2.6, matching the county average. St. Joseph and Panther come in lower at 2.2, representing the more stable end of the local spectrum.

Under KRS § 383.500 et seq. (Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act), Kentucky eviction laws's eviction framework gives landlords a relatively straightforward path to court compared to many states, but the process still carries meaningful costs and timelines. A non-payment notice requires just 7 days, a lease-violation cure notice requires 14 days, and a no-cause end-of-term notice requires 30 days. Filing fees in McLean County courts typically run $150 to $250, with sheriff lockout fees adding another $40 to $150. An uncontested eviction resolves in roughly 21 to 45 days; a contested case can stretch to 120 days and legal fees of $500 to $2,500. Kentucky eviction laws does not require just cause for eviction and state law preempts any local rent control ordinance, so McLean County landlords operate under a uniform, landlord-accessible framework. Source of income is not a protected class under Kentucky eviction laws fair housing law, and the retaliation prohibition is codified at KRS § 383.705. The habitability standard landlords must meet is set by KRS § 383.595.

McLean County's Low eviction risk reflects a combination of low nominal rents and a largely rural, stable rental stock - but its 24.7% poverty rate and 34% renter share mean the gap between a missed paycheck and a missed rent payment is narrower than the score alone suggests.