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Map of Muhlenberg County, KY eviction risk by city, county average 1.9 out of 10
County brief·Updated June 26, 2026

Muhlenberg County, Kentucky Eviction Risk: Very Low

10 incorporated cities and unincorporated areas. The county Eviction Risk Score is held aloft by the city of Central City (2.7) and a small number of dense urban cores. Rent-control coverage varies by city.

In 2026
Risk score
2.1
VERY LOW

Ranked #116 of 120 KY counties

13k residents · 10 cities · 10 tracts

1976–2026 · pop-weighted from cities

Muhlenberg County eviction risk score history

Min2.1 Average2.6 Now2.1
10 5 1976 · score 3.0 1977 · score 3.0 1978 · score 3.0 1979 · score 3.1 1980 · score 3.2 1981 · score 3.1 1982 · score 3.2 1983 · score 3.1 1984 · score 2.6 1985 · score 2.5 1986 · score 2.5 1987 · score 2.3 1988 · score 2.2 1989 · score 2.2 1990 · score 2.2 1991 · score 2.3 1992 · score 2.8 1993 · score 2.8 1994 · score 2.8 1995 · score 2.8 1996 · score 2.8 1997 · score 2.8 1998 · score 2.8 1999 · score 2.8 2000 · score 2.7 2001 · score 2.7 2002 · score 2.7 2003 · score 2.6 2004 · score 2.5 2005 · score 2.5 2006 · score 2.4 2007 · score 2.4 2008 · score 2.6 2009 · score 2.9 2010 · score 2.9 2011 · score 2.9 2012 · score 2.7 2013 · score 2.6 2014 · score 2.5 2015 · score 2.4 2016 · score 2.3 2017 · score 2.3 2018 · score 2.2 2019 · score 2.1 2020 · score 3.2 2021 · score 3.4 2022 · score 2.6 2023 · score 2.3 2024 · score 2.2 2025 · score 2.1 2026 · score 2.1

Key metrics

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2026
● LIVE · today ◀ REPLAY · historical

Muhlenberg County averages 2.1/10 across 10 cities, with scores spanning 1.8 to 2.7; Dunmor anchors the high end at 2.1/10. Ranked 116 of 120 Kentucky counties by eviction risk (Low tier).

How Muhlenberg County ranks in Kentucky

Lower number means more extreme, where #1 is the most
Eviction Risk Score
Very Low
#116 of 120 KY counties 2.1 / 10
Eviction Risk Score, 3rd percentileLowHigh
#116 of 120 counties in Kentucky for landlord eviction risk.
Cost of living
Low
#40 of 51 states (statewide) 90.2 index
Cost of living, 22nd percentileLowHigh
Kentucky ranks #40 of 51 states on overall cost of living (9.8% cheaper than the U.S. avg).
Housing services cost
Very Low
#45 of 51 states (statewide) 64.3 index
Housing services cost, 12th percentileLowHigh
Kentucky ranks #45 of 51 states on housing services (35.7% cheaper than the U.S. avg).
Income spent on rent
High
#13 of 120 KY counties 35.4% of income
Income spent on rent, 90th percentileLowHigh
#13 of 120 counties in Kentucky on % of income spent on rent.

Landlord guides for Kentucky

State-specific playbooks
Kentucky Eviction Costs →
Filing fees, attorney fees, lost rent, sheriff lockout
Kentucky Eviction Process →
Step-by-step timeline, notices, statute cites
Kentucky Rent Control →
Statewide caps, local ordinances, just-cause
Kentucky Tenant Screening →
Five-point protocol, legal rules, protected classes
Kentucky Tenant Protections →
Just cause, retaliation, habitability, entry
Cities in Muhlenberg County
Sorted by Eviction Risk Score · highest first
Map view
CityPopulationRisk% income on rentAverage rentLean
001 Central City Pop 5,707 · 19.6% income · $683 rent · Rep 5,707 2.0 19.6% $683 Rep
002 Greenville Pop 4,410 · 31.7% income · $602 rent · Rep 4,410 2.2 31.7% $602 Rep
003 Powderly Pop 931 · 27.5% income · $754 rent · Rep 931 2.1 27.5% $754 Rep
004 Beechmont Pop 771 · 32.1% income · $647 rent · Rep 771 1.9 32.1% $647 Rep
005 Drakesboro Pop 320 · 51.0% income · $964 rent · Rep 320 2.4 51.0% $964 Rep
006 Bremen Pop 285 · 43.8% income · $624 rent · Rep 285 2.5 43.8% $624 Rep
007 Rockport Pop 233 · 32.1% income · $647 rent · Rep 233 2.7 32.1% $647 Rep
008 Dunmor Pop 209 · 26.2% income · $612 rent · Rep 209 2.1 26.2% $612 Rep
009 South Carrollton Pop 157 · 32.1% income · $647 rent · Rep 157 2.0 32.1% $647 Rep
010 Cleaton Pop 38 · 58.3% income · $666 rent · Rep 38 1.8 58.3% $666 Rep

County heatmap

Geographic distribution
Local landlord context

One county, multiple regulatory regimes.

Muhlenberg County carries an average eviction-risk score of 2.1/10 (Low), placing it among the four most landlord-friendly counties in all of Kentucky eviction laws, with 115 of the state's 120 counties scoring higher. Across the county's 10 tracked cities, individual scores range from 1.8 to 2.7, a one-point spread that reflects genuine variation in local market conditions despite the county-wide low-risk profile. For landlords and investors sizing up western Kentucky eviction laws, that overall posture signals manageable tenant turnover risk, a modest rent-burden environment, and a legal framework that does not stack unusual obstacles against property owners.

Average rent here runs $662 per month, and the average rent-burden rate sits at 26.9% of tenant income. Both figures suggest the local renter base is generally within affordable range, reducing the structural pressure that drives eviction filings in higher-cost markets. The renter share of households is 32.5%, a minority but still a meaningful slice of the county's roughly 13,000 residents. Landlords operating in Kentucky eviction laws generally benefit from a state landlord-tenant code that keeps timelines predictable, and Muhlenberg County's low aggregate score reflects that baseline.

The cities inside Muhlenberg County

Risk is decidedly hyper-local here. Rockport sits at the top of the county risk table with a score of 2.7/10, followed by Powderly at 2.1/10 (population 931) and Bremen at 2.5/10. These three communities represent the upper end of the county's range and warrant closer due-diligence on vacancy and collections history before acquiring rental units. Greenville and Drakesboro both score 2.2/10; Greenville, the second-largest city in the county with a population of 4,410, is a sizable rental market at that middle tier.

On the lower-risk end, Central City, the county's largest city at 5,707 residents, scores 1.7/10, and Beechmont comes in at 1.9/10. Those two cities offer the largest renter pool at the county's most favorable risk levels. Rockport scores 2.7/10. The county minimum of 1.5 sits well below the state average, confirming that the best-performing submarkets here are genuinely low-friction operating environments.

State-level laws that apply here

Under Kentucky eviction laws state law, specifically the Kentucky eviction laws Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act, landlords must serve a 7-day notice for non-payment of rent, a 14-day notice for a lease violation with opportunity to cure, and a 30-day notice for end-of-term no-cause terminations. Uncontested cases typically resolve in 21 to 45 days; contested matters can stretch to 45 to 120 days. For a full walkthrough of those steps, the Kentucky eviction laws eviction process guide covers the sequence in detail. Court filing fees run $150 to $250, sheriff lockout fees add $40 to $150, and attorney fees typically range from $500 to $2,500, meaning total case costs can vary substantially depending on whether the case is contested and whether counsel is retained.

Kentucky eviction laws imposes no rent control, and state law explicitly preempts any local jurisdiction from enacting rent caps. Just cause is not required to end a tenancy. Source of income is not a protected class under Kentucky eviction laws fair housing law. On the cost side, a full review of Kentucky eviction costs is useful for modeling worst-case scenarios, particularly for contested cases where attorney fees dominate the total. The Kentucky eviction laws Commission on Human Rights administers fair housing complaints at the state level.

With a poverty rate of 20.5% and a renter share of 32.5%, Muhlenberg County carries real economic stress at the household level despite its low aggregate risk score; investors should review the city-by-city grid above to identify which specific submarkets combine the county's favorable legal environment with the most stable tenant profiles.

Eviction filings in Muhlenberg County

In September 2025, 3 eviction filings were recorded in Muhlenberg County, 50.0% of the historical average (below average).1

Last 24 months of filings 2023-10 – 2025-09
Monthly eviction filings in Muhlenberg County (LSC CCDI)2023-10: 6 filings (100.0% of avg)2023-11: 7 filings (140.0% of avg)2023-12: 4 filings (80.0% of avg)2024-01: 14 filings (254.6% of avg)2024-02: 5 filings (125.0% of avg)2024-03: 6 filings (200.0% of avg)2024-04: 8 filings (150.1% of avg)2024-05: 10 filings (222.2% of avg)2024-06: 9 filings (189.5% of avg)2024-07: 10 filings (166.7% of avg)2024-08: 5 filings (95.2% of avg)2024-09: 11 filings (183.3% of avg)2024-10: 8 filings (133.3% of avg)2024-11: 9 filings (180.0% of avg)2024-12: 8 filings (160.0% of avg)2025-01: 10 filings (181.8% of avg)2025-02: 5 filings (125.0% of avg)2025-03: 6 filings (200.0% of avg)2025-04: 11 filings (206.4% of avg)2025-05: 4 filings (88.9% of avg)2025-06: 4 filings (84.2% of avg)2025-07: 6 filings (100.0% of avg)2025-08: 3 filings (57.1% of avg)2025-09: 3 filings (50.0% of avg)

Historical eviction filings in Muhlenberg County

From 2000 to 2016, eviction filings in Muhlenberg County increased 10%. The peak was 75 filings in 2013.2

Annual filings 2000–2016 No filing data published after 2018
Annual eviction filings in Muhlenberg County 2000-2018 (Eviction Lab)2000: 39 filings2001: 32 filings2002: 36 filings2003: 54 filings2004: 34 filings2005: 46 filings2006: 37 filings2007: 44 filings2008: 34 filings2009: 50 filings2010: 54 filings2011: 50 filings2012: 35 filings2013: 75 filings2014: 54 filings2015: 49 filings2016: 43 filings

Data covers 2000–2018, the full span of the Princeton Eviction Lab's national county court-records dataset.

How Muhlenberg County compares

Muhlenberg County's average eviction-risk score of 2.1/10 (Low) sits below all five of its closest peer counties: Rockcastle County (2.1/10, rounded from 1.86), Spencer County (2.1/10, rounded from 1.88), Harlan County (2.2/10), Marshall County (2.2/10), and Whitley County (2.3/10). The last two peers score roughly 0.3 to 0.4 points higher, reflecting meaningfully greater renter financial stress.

Within Kentucky's 120 counties, Muhlenberg County ranks 116 of 120 for eviction risk, meaning only 4 counties present a less risky operating environment for landlords, and 115 are riskier. That positions it firmly in the lower-risk third of the state.

Peer counties in Kentucky

Same state, closest by population and Eviction Risk Score
Peer county
Anderson County eviction risk
2.1
/ 10 · Low
Pop. 11.9K
Peer county
Mercer County eviction risk
2.1
/ 10 · Low
Pop. 10.5K
Peer county
Laurel County eviction risk
2.2
/ 10 · Low
Pop. 10.4K
Peer county
Grant County eviction risk
2.2
/ 10 · Low
Pop. 10.7K

Where eviction risk concentrates in Muhlenberg County

Top cities + top neighborhoods · click any card for the full breakdown

Top cities by population

Frequently asked

Frequently asked questions about Muhlenberg County

Q1

How is the Muhlenberg County eviction risk score computed?

Each of the 10 cities in the county is independently scored on nine sub-factors. The county-wide 2.1/10 average reflects a population-weighted mean of those municipal scores.
Q2

Does Muhlenberg County have rent control?

Rent control is determined by state law and city ordinance. Kentucky state framework applies. See the Kentucky eviction laws rent-control guide for details.
Q3

What is the political climate in Muhlenberg County?

Muhlenberg County voted Republican by 48.8 points in 2020.