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Map of Noble County, IN eviction risk by city, county average 3.5 out of 10
County brief·Updated July 25, 2026

Noble County, Indiana Eviction Risk: Very Low

13 incorporated cities and unincorporated areas. The county Eviction Risk Score is held aloft by the city of Kendallville (2.8) and a small number of dense urban cores. Rent-control coverage varies by city.

In 2026
Risk score
2.3
VERY LOW

Ranked #45 of 92 IN counties

24k residents · 13 cities · 10 tracts

1976–2026 · pop-weighted from cities

Noble County eviction risk score history

Min1.5 Average2.2 Now2.3
10 5 1976 · score 2.0 1977 · score 2.0 1978 · score 2.0 1979 · score 2.1 1980 · score 2.3 1981 · score 2.2 1982 · score 2.2 1983 · score 2.1 1984 · score 2.0 1985 · score 2.0 1986 · score 1.6 1987 · score 1.5 1988 · score 1.5 1989 · score 1.5 1990 · score 1.6 1991 · score 1.6 1992 · score 2.0 1993 · score 2.0 1994 · score 1.9 1995 · score 2.0 1996 · score 2.0 1997 · score 2.0 1998 · score 2.0 1999 · score 2.0 2000 · score 1.9 2001 · score 2.0 2002 · score 2.0 2003 · score 2.0 2004 · score 1.9 2005 · score 1.9 2006 · score 1.8 2007 · score 1.8 2008 · score 2.7 2009 · score 3.0 2010 · score 3.0 2011 · score 3.0 2012 · score 2.9 2013 · score 2.8 2014 · score 2.7 2015 · score 2.5 2016 · score 2.5 2017 · score 2.4 2018 · score 2.3 2019 · score 2.3 2020 · score 3.0 2021 · score 3.1 2022 · score 2.2 2023 · score 2.3 2024 · score 2.3 2025 · score 2.3 2026 · score 2.3

Key metrics

Time machine

Scrub 50 years

2026
● LIVE · today ◀ REPLAY · historical

Noble County averages 2.3/10 across 13 cities, ranging from a low of 2.3 to a high of 3.7 in Kendallville, the county's largest and riskiest city. Ranked 27th of 92 Indiana counties by eviction risk, placing Noble County in the higher-risk third of the state.

How Noble County ranks in Indiana

Lower number means more extreme, where #1 is the most
Eviction Risk Score
Moderate
#45 of 92 IN counties 2.3 / 10
Eviction Risk Score, 52nd percentileLowHigh
#45 of 92 counties in Indiana for landlord eviction risk.
Cost of living
Low
#34 of 51 states (statewide) 93.3 index
Cost of living, 34th percentileLowHigh
Indiana ranks #34 of 51 states on overall cost of living (6.7% cheaper than the U.S. avg).
Housing services cost
Low
#36 of 51 states (statewide) 73.9 index
Housing services cost, 30th percentileLowHigh
Indiana ranks #36 of 51 states on housing services (26.1% cheaper than the U.S. avg).
Income spent on rent
Moderate
#49 of 92 IN counties 27.0% of income
Income spent on rent, 47th percentileLowHigh
#49 of 92 counties in Indiana on % of income spent on rent.

Landlord guides for Indiana

State-specific playbooks
Indiana Eviction Costs →
Filing fees, attorney fees, lost rent, sheriff lockout
Indiana Eviction Process →
Step-by-step timeline, notices, statute cites
Indiana Rent Control →
Statewide caps, local ordinances, just-cause
Indiana Tenant Screening →
Five-point protocol, legal rules, protected classes
Indiana Tenant Protections →
Just cause, retaliation, habitability, entry
Cities in Noble County
Sorted by Eviction Risk Score · highest first
Map view
CityPopulationRisk% income on rentAverage rentLean
001 Kendallville Pop 10,556 · 29.5% income · $821 rent · Rep 10,556 2.4 29.5% $821 Rep
002 Ligonier Pop 4,347 · 27.1% income · $852 rent · Rep 4,347 2.4 27.1% $852 Rep
003 Avilla Pop 2,878 · 19.9% income · $759 rent · Rep 2,878 1.9 19.9% $759 Rep
004 Albion Pop 2,723 · 21.5% income · $962 rent · Rep 2,723 2.0 21.5% $962 Rep
005 Rome City Pop 1,182 · 32.3% income · $869 rent · Rep 1,182 2.3 32.3% $869 Rep
006 Cromwell Pop 631 · 32.5% income · $938 rent · Rep 631 2.8 32.5% $938 Rep
007 Kimmell Pop 604 · 29.0% income · $815 rent · Rep 604 2.0 29.0% $815 Rep
008 Wolflake Pop 353 · 26.6% income · $830 rent · Rep 353 1.8 26.6% $830 Rep
009 Brimfield Pop 281 · 26.6% income · $830 rent · Rep 281 2.0 26.6% $830 Rep
010 Merriam Pop 268 · 26.6% income · $830 rent · Rep 268 2.7 26.6% $830 Rep
011 Cree Lake Pop 173 · 26.6% income · $830 rent · Rep 173 2.8 26.6% $830 Rep
012 Bear Lake Pop 144 · 26.6% income · $830 rent · Rep 144 2.8 26.6% $830 Rep
013 Wawaka Pop 85 · 26.6% income · $830 rent · Rep 85 2.8 26.6% $830 Rep

County heatmap

Geographic distribution
Local landlord context

One county, multiple regulatory regimes.

Noble County, Indiana eviction laws carries an average eviction-risk score of 2.3/10 (Very Low), placing it in a range that still demands landlord attention. Across the county's 13 mapped cities, individual scores span from 1.8 to 2.8 out of 10, meaning operating conditions are meaningfully different depending on which market you target. Indiana ranks this county 27th of 92 statewide, putting it in the higher-risk third of all Indiana counties, with 26 counties carrying more risk and 65 carrying less.

For investors weighing Noble County, the average rent of $841 per month and a rent burden of 27.1% suggest tenants are not severely cost-squeezed overall, but the 36.3% renter share and a poverty rate of 12.1% point to a tenant pool with limited financial cushion. Those fundamentals inform both default risk and the importance of careful tenant screening before placing any resident.

The cities inside Noble County

The highest-risk cities in Noble County all score 3.7/10: Kendallville, the county seat with a population of 10,556, along with Ligonier at 4,347 residents and smaller Cromwell at 631. That top-of-county score of 3.7 applies to three distinct communities, so landlords concentrated in any one of them face essentially identical risk profiles relative to each other. Albion follows at 2/10 and Avilla at 1.9/10.

At the other end, Rome City scores 2.3/10 and Wolflake reaches the county low at 1.8/10, well below the county average. That 1.4-point spread across the county makes Noble County a clear example of why county-level averages only tell part of the story. Risk in this market is hyper-local, and the decision to buy or self-manage in Kendallville versus Wolflake carries materially different risk exposure.

State-level laws that apply here

Under Indiana state law, specifically Ind. Code SS 32-31 (Landlord-Tenant Relations), landlords serving a nonpayment-of-rent notice must give tenants 10 days to pay or vacate. A material lease violation triggers a 30-day notice, as does ending a month-to-month tenancy. Indiana requires no just cause to terminate a tenancy, and state law preempts any local rent-control ordinance, so no Noble County municipality may cap rents independently. For a full walkthrough, see the Indiana eviction process guide and the Indiana eviction costs breakdown.

Filing an eviction in Indiana costs $150 to $200 in court fees, with sheriff lockout fees adding $50 to $200 and attorney fees ranging from $500 to $2,500 depending on complexity. An uncontested case typically resolves in 21 to 45 days; a contested matter can run 45 to 100 days. These timelines and cost ranges are set at the Indiana state level and apply uniformly across Noble County.

With a poverty rate of 12.1% and 36.3% of households renting, the county carries genuine default exposure concentrated in its larger cities, Kendallville and Ligonier in particular. Review the city grid above to compare scores across all 13 Noble County markets before committing capital to any single location.

Eviction filings in Indiana

Eviction Lab Tracking System · statewide · live through 2026-05-01

The Princeton Eviction Lab Tracking System covers Indiana statewide (no county-level tracker available for Noble County). In the past month, 5,536 statewide filings were recorded, 0.95× the historical baseline (below baseline).

Indiana statewide, last 36 months 2023-05-01 – 2026-04-01
Indiana statewide eviction filings (Eviction Lab)2023-05-01: 6,535 filings (1.01× hist)2023-06-01: 6,849 filings (1.05× hist)2023-07-01: 6,392 filings (0.97× hist)2023-08-01: 6,893 filings (1.01× hist)2023-09-01: 6,053 filings (0.97× hist)2023-10-01: 6,377 filings (0.99× hist)2023-11-01: 5,473 filings (0.98× hist)2023-12-01: 5,072 filings (0.95× hist)2024-01-01: 6,488 filings (0.95× hist)2024-02-01: 5,546 filings (0.97× hist)2024-03-01: 4,994 filings (0.95× hist)2024-04-01: 5,732 filings (0.98× hist)2024-05-01: 6,186 filings (0.95× hist)2024-06-01: 5,971 filings (0.92× hist)2024-07-01: 6,556 filings (0.99× hist)2024-08-01: 6,405 filings (0.94× hist)2024-09-01: 5,989 filings (0.96× hist)2024-10-01: 6,334 filings (0.98× hist)2024-11-01: 5,515 filings (0.99× hist)2024-12-01: 5,529 filings (1.03× hist)2025-01-01: 6,682 filings (0.98× hist)2025-02-01: 5,583 filings (1.00× hist)2025-03-01: 4,985 filings (0.95× hist)2025-04-01: 5,499 filings (0.94× hist)2025-05-01: 5,854 filings (0.90× hist)2025-06-01: 6,312 filings (0.97× hist)2025-07-01: 6,736 filings (1.02× hist)2025-08-01: 6,317 filings (0.92× hist)2025-09-01: 6,149 filings (0.99× hist)2025-10-01: 6,313 filings (0.98× hist)2025-11-01: 5,141 filings (0.93× hist)2025-12-01: 5,602 filings (1.05× hist)2026-01-01: 6,368 filings (0.93× hist)2026-02-01: 5,712 filings (1.02× hist)2026-03-01: 5,084 filings (0.97× hist)2026-04-01: 5,536 filings (0.95× hist)
Notice requirement: at least ten days notice (in some cases more). Filing fee: minimum filing fee of $87 (depending on the filing method).
1

Eviction filings in Noble County

In September 2025, 24 eviction filings were recorded in Noble County, 79.3% of the historical average (near average).2

Last 24 months of filings 2023-10 – 2025-09
Monthly eviction filings in Noble County (LSC CCDI)2023-10: 33 filings (132.0% of avg)2023-11: 16 filings (91.4% of avg)2023-12: 18 filings (92.3% of avg)2024-01: 34 filings (149.5% of avg)2024-02: 29 filings (105.5% of avg)2024-03: 19 filings (96.2% of avg)2024-04: 32 filings (180.3% of avg)2024-05: 25 filings (93.5% of avg)2024-06: 35 filings (142.9% of avg)2024-07: 22 filings (66.2% of avg)2024-08: 42 filings (151.4% of avg)2024-09: 29 filings (95.9% of avg)2024-10: 41 filings (164.0% of avg)2024-11: 26 filings (148.6% of avg)2024-12: 41 filings (210.3% of avg)2025-01: 24 filings (105.5% of avg)2025-02: 34 filings (123.6% of avg)2025-03: 10 filings (50.6% of avg)2025-04: 29 filings (163.4% of avg)2025-05: 25 filings (93.5% of avg)2025-06: 23 filings (93.9% of avg)2025-07: 22 filings (66.2% of avg)2025-08: 21 filings (75.7% of avg)2025-09: 24 filings (79.3% of avg)

How Noble County compares

Noble County's average eviction-risk score of 2.3/10 is identical to peer counties Montgomery County (3.5) and Henry County (3.5), and modestly below DeKalb County (3.58) and Jackson County (3.59), while edging above Huntington County (3.47). Within Indiana, Noble County ranks 27th of 92 counties by eviction risk (rank 1 being the highest-risk), placing it in the higher-risk third of the state despite its Low absolute score, meaning landlords in more rural or lower-stress Indiana eviction laws counties generally face lighter collection pressure.

Peer counties in Indiana

Same state, closest by population and Eviction Risk Score
Peer county
Clinton County eviction risk
2.3
/ 10 · Low
Pop. 21.8K
Peer county
DeKalb County eviction risk
2.3
/ 10 · Low
Pop. 27.6K
Peer county
Marshall County eviction risk
2.3
/ 10 · Low
Pop. 22.1K
Peer county
Huntington County eviction risk
2.4
/ 10 · Low
Pop. 22.7K

Where eviction risk concentrates in Noble County

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

Top cities by population

Frequently asked

Frequently asked questions about Noble County

Q1

How is the Noble County eviction risk score computed?

Each of the 13 cities in the county is independently scored on nine sub-factors. The county-wide 2.3/10 average reflects a population-weighted mean of those municipal scores.
Q2

Does Noble County have rent control?

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

What is the political climate in Noble County?

Noble County voted Republican by 49.7 points in 2020.