Meade County, Kentucky Eviction Risk: Low

Meade County sits in the lower-risk third of Kentucky's 120 counties, earning a Low eviction risk score of 3.7/10 from the Eviction Risk Map model. Ranked 97th in the state (where rank 1 is highest risk), 96 Kentucky eviction laws counties score higher and only 23 score lower, making Meade one of the more landlord-friendly jurisdictions in the Commonwealth. The county's rental market spans 4 tracked cities serving a renter population drawn from a total county population of 5,970, with an average renter share of 36.4% of households.

Average market rent in Meade County runs $840 per month, and the average rent burden sits at 35.3% of household income - meaningful pressure on renters given a 16.5% average poverty rate, but not at the extreme levels seen in Kentucky's highest-risk urban counties. Within the county, scores range from a low of 3.7/10 in Doe Valley to a high of 3.1/10 in Muldraugh. The county seat, Brandenburg (population 2,937), scores 4/10 and anchors the local economy. Muldraugh, with its proximity to Fort Knox eviction risk, is the highest-risk city at 4/10, reflecting a denser rental market serving military and civilian workers.

Kentucky's landlord-tenant framework under KRS § 383.500 et seq. (Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act) governs all Meade County tenancies. Landlords must serve a 7-day notice for non-payment of rent, a 14-day cure-or-quit notice for lease violations, and a 30-day no-cause notice to end a month-to-month tenancy. No just-cause eviction requirement applies, and Kentucky state law preempts any local rent control ordinance, so no Meade County municipality can cap rents independently. Court filing fees run $150 to $250, with sheriff lockout fees adding $40 to $150. An uncontested eviction typically resolves in 21 to 45 days; a contested case can stretch to 120 days and attorney costs of $500 to $2,500. The Kentucky Commission on Human Rights handles fair housing complaints statewide. Source-of-income discrimination is not a protected class under Kentucky law, meaning landlords in Meade County may legally decline housing vouchers.

Scores for Meade County's 4 cities range from 3.7/10 (Doe Valley) to 3.1/10 (Muldraugh), all within the low tier, reflecting a consistently landlord-favorable legal and economic environment across the county.