Eviction Risk Score
Low
#70
of 88 OH counties
3.6 / 10
#70 of 88 counties in Ohio for landlord eviction risk.
County brief·Updated August 27, 2026
Holmes County, Ohio Eviction Risk: Low
12 incorporated cities and unincorporated areas. The county Eviction Risk Score is held aloft by the city of Millersburg (4.4) and a small number of dense urban cores. Rent-control coverage varies by city.
In 2026
Risk score
3.6
LOW
Ranked #70 of 88 OH counties
10k residents · 12 cities · 10 tracts
1976–2026 · pop-weighted from cities
Holmes County eviction risk score history
Min2.7
Average3.3
Now3.6
Key metrics
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Tenant beats landlord19.6%/ 100 outcomesIn court-decided eviction outcomes for Holmes County, OH, tenants prevail in roughly 19.6% of contested cases. A higher number means landlords face stronger tenant defenses and longer calendars.
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Timeline41dfiling → judgmentFrom the moment an unlawful-detainer notice is filed in Holmes County, OH until a money judgment is entered, a contested eviction takes about 41 days on average. Longer timelines mean more lost rent for landlords.
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Cost range$1.5–4.3klegal + lost rentA typical eviction in Holmes County, OH costs landlords $1,460 to $4,284 all-in, covering court filing fees, process-server costs, attorney time, and lost rent.
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Average rent$91329% stretched on rentAverage gross rent in Holmes County, OH is $913 per month per the U.S. Census American Community Survey. 29% of renter households here spend more than 30% of pre-tax income on rent.
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Renters34.9%of households34.9% of occupied housing units in Holmes County, OH are renter-occupied. A higher renter share usually correlates with more eviction filings and a more active rental market.
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Poverty8.6%7.9% unemp.8.6% of Holmes County, OH residents live below the federal poverty line, and unemployment runs at 7.9%. Both feed the economic-stress sub-score in our Eviction Risk Score model.
Time machine
Scrub 50 years
Holmes County scores 3.6/10 (Low risk), with individual community scores ranging from 3.2 to 4.4. The county sits well below the Ohio average of 4/10. Ranked 70th of 88 Ohio counties by eviction risk, placing Holmes County in the lower-risk of the state.
How Holmes County ranks in Ohio
Cost of living
Low
#35
of 51 states (statewide)
92.8 index
Ohio ranks #35 of 51 states on overall cost of living (7.2% cheaper than the U.S. avg).
Housing services cost
Low
#38
of 51 states (statewide)
73.0 index
Ohio ranks #38 of 51 states on housing services (27.0% cheaper than the U.S. avg).
Income spent on rent
Low
#59
of 88 OH counties
24.9% of income
#59 of 88 counties in Ohio on % of income spent on rent.
Landlord guides for Ohio
Ohio Eviction Costs →
Filing fees, attorney fees, lost rent, sheriff lockout
Ohio Eviction Process →
Step-by-step timeline, notices, statute cites
Ohio Rent Control →
Statewide caps, local ordinances, just-cause
Ohio Tenant Screening →
Five-point protocol, legal rules, protected classes
Ohio Tenant Protections →
Just cause, retaliation, habitability, entry
Cities in Holmes County
Sorted by Eviction Risk Score · highest first
| City↕ | Population↕ | Risk↕ | % income on rent↕ | Average rent↕ | Lean↕ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 001 | Millersburg | 3,206 | 4.0 | 39.1% | $791 | Rep |
| 002 | Berlin | 1,232 | 3.2 | 26.2% | $732 | Rep |
| 003 | Killbuck | 1,102 | 3.5 | 32.3% | $1,268 | Rep |
| 004 | Walnut Creek | 1,053 | 4.4 | 19.1% | $1,234 | Rep |
| 005 | Baltic | 841 | 3.2 | 21.4% | $882 | Rep |
| 006 | Lake Buckhorn | 728 | 3.2 | 29.6% | $902 | Rep |
| 007 | Fredericksburg | 452 | 3.2 | 14.4% | $902 | Rep |
| 008 | Nashville | 445 | 3.2 | 25.2% | $975 | Rep |
| 009 | Glenmont | 245 | 3.4 | 23.8% | $700 | Rep |
| 010 | Holmesville | 244 | 3.2 | 14.0% | $810 | Rep |
| 011 | Winesburg | 133 | 3.3 | 23.9% | $835 | Rep |
| 012 | Mount Hope | 131 | 3.6 | 29.6% | $787 | Rep |
County heatmap
Local landlord context
One county, multiple regulatory regimes.
Holmes County sits in the heart of Ohio's Amish Country, a largely rural landscape of small towns, working farms, and tight-knit communities. With a population of roughly 9,812 residents and a renter share of 34.9%, the county's rental market operates on a notably different scale than Ohio eviction laws's urban centers. The county's eviction risk score of 3.6/10 (Low) places it at rank 70th of 88 Ohio counties - meaning only 6 counties in the state carry a lower risk profile for landlords. That standing reflects both the area's modest economic pressures and Ohio's landlord-favorable statutory framework under ORC § 5321.
Across the county's 12 tracked communities, risk scores range from 3.2 to 4.4. The county seat, Millersburg (pop. 3,206), sits at 4/10 - roughly in line with the county average. At the lower end, Fredericksburg scores 3.2/10 and Berlin scores 3.2/10, both reflecting very limited renter-protection activity and small, stable rental inventories. On the higher end, Killbuck (3.5/10) and Lake Buckhorn (3.2/10) represent the county's top-risk outliers - communities where a combination of lower incomes and tighter housing stock pushes risk metrics upward. Walnut Creek comes in at 4.4/10, driven partly by tourism-adjacent housing demand that can strain affordability for year-round renters.
The county's average rent of $913 per month is well below Ohio's urban averages, yet the 29.2% rent burden still signals that a meaningful share of renters are stretching their budgets. Poverty sits at 8.6% - low by statewide standards - and the absence of local rent control (Ohio's preemption statute bars municipal rent caps statewide) means landlords operate under consistent, predictable rules throughout the county. Ohio requires only a 3-day notice for nonpayment of rent (ORC § 1923.04), court filing fees run $160-$250, and an uncontested eviction can clear in as few as 21 days. These factors combine to keep Holmes County's risk score well below the statewide average of 4/10, making it one of the more operationally predictable counties for landlords in northeastern Ohio.
Holmes County's Low eviction risk reflects a stable rural rental market: low poverty (8.6%), modest average rents ($913/mo), and no local rent-control overlay. Ohio eviction laws's 3-day notice rule and streamlined court process under ORC § 5321 keep procedural exposure limited across all 12 communities tracked in the county.
Historical eviction filings in Holmes County
From 2002 to 2018, eviction filings in Holmes County increased 36%. The peak was 53 filings in 2013.1
- 332002
- 53Peak (2013)
- 452018
Annual filings 2002–2018
No filing data published after 2018
Data covers 2000–2018, the full span of the Princeton Eviction Lab's national county court-records dataset.
How Holmes County compares
Holmes County's 3.6/10 score compares favorably against the Ohio statewide average of 4/10, and its rank of 70th of 88 puts it among the bottom 8% of counties by risk level. Peer rural counties - including Morrow, Carroll, Wyandot, Paulding, and Van Wert - carry similarly low scores, all reflecting the structural advantages that Ohio eviction laws's landlord-favorable statute and low-density rental markets provide. None of the peer counties shows a materially different risk profile; variation among them is modest and within a low-risk band.
Peer counties in Ohio
Peer county
Morrow County eviction risk
3.6
/ 10 · Low
Pop. 8.1K
Peer county
Ottawa County eviction risk
3.6
/ 10 · Low
Pop. 14.6K
Peer county
Carroll County eviction risk
3.5
/ 10 · Low
Pop. 10.3K
Peer county
Madison County eviction risk
3.6
/ 10 · Low
Pop. 23.0K
Where eviction risk concentrates in Holmes County
Top cities by population
Frequently asked
Frequently asked questions about Holmes County
Q1
What is Holmes County's eviction risk score?
Q2
How long does the eviction process take in Holmes County?
Under Ohio eviction laws law (ORC § 1923.04), landlords must give tenants a 3-day written notice for nonpayment of rent or a material lease violation. After filing, an uncontested eviction typically resolves in 21-45 days. Contested cases can extend to 45-120 days. Court filing fees in Holmes County run $160-$250, with sheriff lockout fees of $50-$175.
Q3
Is there rent control in Holmes County?
No. Ohio eviction laws's statewide preemption statute bars cities and counties from enacting rent control or rent stabilization ordinances. Holmes County communities including Millersburg, Berlin, and Killbuck operate under no rent cap of any kind. Landlords may raise rents without statutory limits as long as proper notice is given per the lease or ORC § 5321.17 (30-day notice for month-to-month tenancies).
Q4
Which Holmes County communities have the highest eviction risk scores?
Killbuck and Lake Buckhorn both score 3.5/10, the highest in the county. Walnut Creek follows at 4.4/10. These communities tend to have tighter housing markets and higher shares of cost-burdened renters compared to lower-scoring towns like Fredericksburg (3.2/10) and Berlin (3.2/10).
Q5
Does Ohio law protect tenants from retaliation in Holmes County?
Yes. ORC § 5321.02 prohibits landlords from retaliating against tenants who report housing code violations, organize, or exercise other legal rights. The Ohio eviction laws Civil Rights Commission handles fair housing complaints. However, Ohio eviction laws does not include source of income (such as housing vouchers) as a protected class under state law, and Holmes County has no local ordinance expanding those protections.
Q6
How does Holmes County compare to neighboring Ohio counties?
Holmes County's 3.6/10 score is in the same general range as nearby rural counties - peers like Morrow, Wyandot, Carroll, Paulding, and Van Wert all post similarly low risk scores. Holmes County's rank of 70th of 88 confirms it is consistently one of the less risky counties in the state, though all peer counties sit well below the statewide average of 4/10.