Hancock County, Indiana Eviction Risk: Low

Hancock County earns an average eviction-risk score of 3.3/10 (Low) across its 16 cities, placing it at rank 44 of 92 Indiana counties, right in the middle of the state. That positioning means 43 counties carry more risk and 48 are more landlord-friendly, a useful anchor when comparing portfolios across Indiana eviction laws. For day-to-day operations the numbers translate to a market that is broadly stable: an average rent of $1,179, an average rent-burden rate of 28.2%, and a poverty rate of just 4.1% all point to a tenant base that is generally able to meet rent obligations.

The county-wide score masks meaningful variation on the ground. Individual city scores range from 3.1 to 4.5, a spread that matters when you are choosing a specific submarket. Investors comparing Hancock County to peers will find its profile close to Boone County (3.34) and Kosciusko County (3.39), though those neighbors sit slightly higher on the risk scale.

The cities inside Hancock County

Greenfield, the county seat and by far the largest city with a population of 24,940, carries the highest risk score in the county at 3.4/10. Cumberland (3.2/10, pop. 6,267) and Fortville (3.2/10, pop. 4,976) share that same score, as does the smaller Fountaintown (4.5/10). New Palestine comes in at 3.2/10, and McCordsville, the second-largest city at 10,329 residents, scores 3.2/10. These differences, while modest in absolute terms, reflect genuinely different tenant pools and local conditions, and a landlord operating in Greenfield eviction risk faces a different risk environment than one whose units are concentrated in smaller western-edge communities.

At the lower end of the county's range, Maxwell scores 3.1/10 and Philadelphia 3.2/10, both considerably below the county average. Shirley comes in at 3.2/10. The lesson for investors is that risk in Hancock County is hyper-local: city-level scores, not just the county average, should drive acquisition decisions.

State-level laws that apply here

Under Ind. Code § 32-31 (Landlord-Tenant Relations), landlords in Hancock County must serve a 10-day notice for nonpayment of rent (IC 32-31-1-6), a 30-day notice for a material lease violation (IC 32-31-1-8), and a 30-day notice to terminate a month-to-month tenancy (IC 32-31-1-1). Understanding the full Indiana eviction process is essential before any filing: an uncontested case typically resolves in 21 to 45 days, while a contested matter can stretch to 45 to 100 days. Budget for court filing fees of $150 to $200, sheriff lockout fees of $50 to $200, and attorney fees of $500 to $2,500 depending on complexity.

Indiana eviction laws does not require just cause for non-renewal, and state law preempts any local rent-control ordinance, so no municipality in Hancock County can impose its own rent cap. Indiana security deposit limits and other tenant-facing rules are set at the state level, meaning the framework is uniform across all 16 cities here. The Indiana eviction laws Civil Rights Commission handles fair-housing complaints; source-of-income is not a protected class under state law.

With a renter share of 28.1% and an average poverty rate of 4.1%, Hancock County's tenant base is comparatively stable, but conditions still vary enough city to city that the individual city scores in the grid above are the most actionable data for any specific acquisition.