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Eviction risk map of Union County, Kentucky showing a Low score of 2.2/10
County brief·Updated July 26, 2026

Union County, Kentucky Eviction Risk: Very Low

5 incorporated cities and unincorporated areas. The county Eviction Risk Score is held aloft by the city of Morganfield (2.5) and a small number of dense urban cores. Rent-control coverage varies by city.

In 2026
Risk score
2.2
VERY LOW

Ranked #99 of 120 KY counties

8k residents · 5 cities · 4 tracts

1976–2026 · pop-weighted from cities

Union County eviction risk score history

Min2.2 Average2.7 Now2.2
10 5 1976 · score 3.1 1977 · score 3.0 1978 · score 3.1 1979 · score 3.1 1980 · score 3.2 1981 · score 3.2 1982 · score 3.2 1983 · score 3.1 1984 · score 2.6 1985 · score 2.6 1986 · score 2.5 1987 · score 2.4 1988 · score 2.3 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 2.9 1996 · score 2.8 1997 · score 2.8 1998 · score 2.8 1999 · score 2.8 2000 · score 2.8 2001 · score 2.8 2002 · score 2.7 2003 · score 2.7 2004 · score 2.6 2005 · score 2.5 2006 · score 2.4 2007 · score 2.4 2008 · score 2.7 2009 · score 2.9 2010 · score 2.9 2011 · score 2.9 2012 · score 2.8 2013 · score 2.7 2014 · score 2.6 2015 · score 2.5 2016 · score 2.4 2017 · score 2.3 2018 · score 2.3 2019 · score 2.2 2020 · score 3.3 2021 · score 3.5 2022 · score 2.7 2023 · score 2.4 2024 · score 2.3 2025 · score 2.3 2026 · score 2.2

Key metrics

Time machine

Scrub 50 years

2026
● LIVE · today ◀ REPLAY · historical

Union County averages 2.2/10 across its 5 tracked cities, ranging from 1.8/10 in Waverly to 2.5/10 in Breckinridge Center. Ranked 99th of 120 Kentucky counties - in the lower-risk third of the state.

How Union County ranks in Kentucky

Lower number means more extreme, where #1 is the most
Eviction Risk Score
Very Low
#99 of 120 KY counties 2.2 / 10
Eviction Risk Score, 18th percentileLowHigh
#99 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
Very Low
#106 of 120 KY counties 22.5% of income
Income spent on rent, 12th percentileLowHigh
#106 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 Union County
Sorted by Eviction Risk Score · highest first
Map view
CityPopulationRisk% income on rentAverage rentLean
001 Morganfield Pop 3,185 · 22.5% income · $852 rent · Rep 3,185 2.0 22.5% $852 Rep
002 Sturgis Pop 1,864 · 33.4% income · $678 rent · Rep 1,864 2.4 33.4% $678 Rep
003 Breckinridge Center Pop 1,467 · 20.4% income · $1,013 rent · Rep 1,467 2.5 20.4% $1,013 Rep
004 Uniontown Pop 874 · 21.6% income · $598 rent · Rep 874 2.4 21.6% $598 Rep
005 Waverly Pop 403 · 14.5% income · $831 rent · Rep 403 1.8 14.5% $831 Rep

County heatmap

Geographic distribution
Local landlord context

One county, multiple regulatory regimes.

Union eviction risk County, Kentucky eviction laws sits near the western tip of the state along the Ohio eviction laws River and carries one of the lower eviction risk profiles in the commonwealth. With a county-wide average score of 2.2/10 (Low), Union County ranks 99th out of 120 Kentucky counties - meaning 98 counties carry higher risk and only 21 are rated lower. For landlords operating here, that standing reflects a legal environment shaped by the statewide KRS § 383.500 et seq. (Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act), which sets predictable, enforceable timelines and grants no local rent-control authority to municipalities anywhere in Kentucky eviction laws.

The county's roughly 7,793 residents are spread across five tracked cities. Morganfield is the largest at 3,185 residents and holds an eviction risk score of 2/10. Sturgis (1,864 residents) and Uniontown (874 residents) each score 2.4/10, while Breckinridge Center is the highest-risk city in the county at 2.5/10. Waverly, the smallest tracked city at 403 residents, scores 1.8/10 - the lowest in the county. Average monthly rent across Union County runs $811, well below state and national benchmarks. Renters here allocate an average of 24.2% of income to housing costs, which falls below the standard 30% cost-burden threshold - a meaningful indicator of relative affordability. That said, the county's 22.3% poverty rate is a factor landlords should weigh: higher poverty shares tend to correlate with tighter tenant liquidity and elevated late-payment patterns even when aggregate rent burden looks moderate. The 40.2% renter share of households also indicates a rental market that is fairly active for a rural county of this size.

On the cost side, Kentucky eviction laws law sets court filing fees between $150 and $250 for eviction actions. Sheriff lockout fees run $40 to $150, and attorney fees for contested matters typically range from $500 to $2,500. An uncontested case resolves in roughly 21 to 45 days; contested proceedings extend to 45 to 120 days. Landlords must issue a 7-day notice for non-payment, 14 days for a curable lease violation, and 30 days for end-of-term no-cause termination, all under KRS § 383.500 et seq. Source-of-income protections do not apply under state law, and there is no just-cause-for-eviction requirement. The Kentucky eviction laws Commission on Human Rights handles fair-housing complaints at the state level. Taken together, Union County's low risk score, affordable rent base, and landlord-favorable state statute make it a relatively low-friction operating environment compared to most of Kentucky eviction laws.

Union eviction risk County's eviction risk score of 2.2/10 reflects conditions measured across its 5 tracked cities, a total population of 7,793, and the legal framework of the Kentucky eviction laws Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act.

Eviction filings in Union County

In September 2025, 5 eviction filings were recorded in Union County, 83.3% of the historical average (near average).1

Last 24 months of filings 2023-10 – 2025-09
Monthly eviction filings in Union County (LSC CCDI)2023-10: 7 filings (140.0% of avg)2023-11: 8 filings (177.8% of avg)2023-12: 1 filings (37.5% of avg)2024-01: 7 filings (127.3% of avg)2024-02: 7 filings (127.3% of avg)2024-03: 6 filings (133.3% of avg)2024-04: 4 filings (72.7% of avg)2024-05: 12 filings (208.7% of avg)2024-06: 5 filings (105.3% of avg)2024-07: 3 filings (42.9% of avg)2024-08: 6 filings (163.5% of avg)2024-09: 4 filings (66.7% of avg)2024-10: 4 filings (80.0% of avg)2024-11: 2 filings (44.4% of avg)2024-12: 7 filings (262.2% of avg)2025-01: 3 filings (54.6% of avg)2025-02: 8 filings (145.5% of avg)2025-03: 2 filings (44.4% of avg)2025-04: 4 filings (72.7% of avg)2025-05: 4 filings (69.6% of avg)2025-06: 4 filings (84.2% of avg)2025-07: 6 filings (85.7% of avg)2025-08: 8 filings (218.0% of avg)2025-09: 5 filings (83.3% of avg)

Historical eviction filings in Union County

From 2000 to 2016, eviction filings in Union County increased 146%. The peak was 65 filings in 2005.2

Annual filings 2000–2016 No filing data published after 2018
Annual eviction filings in Union County 2000-2018 (Eviction Lab)2000: 26 filings2001: 28 filings2002: 47 filings2003: 49 filings2004: 56 filings2005: 65 filings2006: 52 filings2007: 40 filings2008: 47 filings2009: 42 filings2010: 59 filings2011: 61 filings2012: 54 filings2013: 50 filings2014: 60 filings2015: 54 filings2016: 64 filings

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

How Union County compares

Union eviction risk County's 2.2/10 score tracks closely with nearby peers - Webster County (2.23/10), Ohio County (2.26/10), Meade County (2.22/10), Caldwell County (2.18/10), and Grant County (2.21/10) - all clustered in the same low-risk band, consistent with Kentucky eviction laws's broadly landlord-favorable statewide legal framework.

Peer counties in Kentucky

Same state, closest by population and Eviction Risk Score
Peer county
Webster County eviction risk
2.2
/ 10 · Low
Pop. 7.1K
Peer county
Ohio County eviction risk
2.3
/ 10 · Low
Pop. 7.9K
Peer county
Meade County eviction risk
2.2
/ 10 · Low
Pop. 6.0K
Peer county
Caldwell County eviction risk
2.2
/ 10 · Low
Pop. 6.7K

Where eviction risk concentrates in Union County

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

Top cities by population

Frequently asked

Frequently asked questions about Union County

Q1

What does the 2.2/10 county-average mean?

The 2.2/10 county-average is a population-weighted mean of 5 municipal landlord-risk scores. The internal range is 1.8 to 2.5.
Q2

What share of Union County households rent?

About 40.2% of occupied units in Union County are renter-occupied, per ACS 2023 5-year data.