Indiana County, Pennsylvania Eviction Risk: Moderate
28 incorporated cities and unincorporated areas. The county Eviction Risk Score is held aloft by the city of Indiana (4.4) and a small number of dense urban cores. Rent-control coverage varies by city.
Ranked #13 of 67 PA counties
29k residents · 28 cities · 24 tracts
Indiana County eviction risk score history
Key metrics
-
Tenant beats landlord27.9%/ 100 outcomesIn court-decided eviction outcomes for Indiana County, PA, tenants prevail in roughly 27.9% of contested cases. A higher number means landlords face stronger tenant defenses and longer calendars.
-
Timeline72dfiling → judgmentFrom the moment an unlawful-detainer notice is filed in Indiana County, PA until a money judgment is entered, a contested eviction takes about 72 days on average. Longer timelines mean more lost rent for landlords.
-
Cost range$3.0–7.6klegal + lost rentA typical eviction in Indiana County, PA costs landlords $2,992 to $7,632 all-in, covering court filing fees, process-server costs, attorney time, and lost rent.
-
Average rent$81733% stretched on rentAverage gross rent in Indiana County, PA is $817 per month per the U.S. Census American Community Survey. 33% of renter households here spend more than 30% of pre-tax income on rent.
-
Renters42.4%of households42.4% of occupied housing units in Indiana County, PA are renter-occupied. A higher renter share usually correlates with more eviction filings and a more active rental market.
-
Poverty17.0%7.8% unemp.17.0% of Indiana County, PA residents live below the federal poverty line, and unemployment runs at 7.8%. Both feed the economic-stress sub-score in our Eviction Risk Score model.
Scrub 50 years
Indiana County averages 4/10 across 28 cities, with scores ranging from 2.7 to a high of 5.7 in Chevy Chase Heights. 55th out of 67 Pennsylvania counties by eviction-risk score.
How Indiana County ranks in Pennsylvania
Landlord guides for Pennsylvania
| City↕ | Population↕ | Risk↕ | % income on rent↕ | Average rent↕ | Lean↕ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 001 | Indiana | 14,212 | 4.3 | 38.6% | $849 | Rep |
| 002 | Blairsville | 3,215 | 3.7 | 29.7% | $758 | Rep |
| 003 | Homer City | 1,778 | 4.0 | 28.4% | $706 | Rep |
| 004 | Clymer | 1,106 | 4.4 | 29.1% | $761 | Rep |
| 005 | Chevy Chase Heights | 1,101 | 4.4 | 28.3% | $825 | Rep |
| 006 | Black Lick | 899 | 3.7 | 28.5% | $445 | Rep |
| 007 | Dixonville | 756 | 3.5 | 21.0% | $919 | Rep |
| 008 | Saltsburg | 738 | 3.8 | 32.2% | $829 | Rep |
| 009 | Lucerne Mines | 615 | 3.5 | 24.9% | $912 | Rep |
| 010 | Robinson | 526 | 3.7 | 23.3% | $1,036 | Rep |
| 011 | Marion Center | 436 | 3.8 | 42.7% | $846 | Rep |
| 012 | Seward | 412 | 4.1 | 30.4% | $717 | Rep |
| 013 | Bolivar | 411 | 3.9 | 31.7% | $867 | Rep |
| 014 | Ernest | 366 | 3.9 | 16.8% | $906 | Rep |
| 015 | Creekside | 336 | 4.2 | 18.2% | $925 | Rep |
| 016 | Heilwood | 239 | 4.2 | 35.7% | $741 | Rep |
| 017 | Cherry Tree | 215 | 3.4 | 19.3% | $750 | Rep |
| 018 | Coral | 214 | 4.0 | 35.3% | $826 | Rep |
| 019 | Plumville | 174 | 3.8 | 13.8% | $830 | Rep |
| 020 | Glen Campbell | 166 | 4.0 | 17.5% | $950 | Rep |
| 021 | Atwood | 160 | 3.9 | 35.3% | $826 | Rep |
| 022 | Commodore | 148 | 4.2 | 35.3% | $826 | Rep |
| 023 | Sagamore | 121 | 4.3 | 35.3% | $826 | Rep |
| 024 | Graceton | 106 | 3.6 | 35.3% | $826 | Rep |
| 025 | Armagh | 103 | 3.6 | 42.5% | $950 | Rep |
| 026 | Jacksonville | 53 | 3.8 | 35.3% | $826 | Rep |
| 027 | Shelocta | 48 | 3.6 | 35.3% | $826 | Rep |
| 028 | Smicksburg | 41 | 4.4 | 35.3% | $826 | Rep |
County heatmap
One county, multiple regulatory regimes.
Indiana County carries a county-wide average eviction-risk score of 4.1/10 (Moderate), placing it 55th out of 67 Pennsylvania counties in the state's 1-indexed risk ranking. That standing means 54 counties in the state carry higher risk, and only 12 are more landlord-friendly, putting Indiana County comfortably in the lower-risk third of Pennsylvania eviction laws. For a landlord or investor evaluating the region, that translates to a market where eviction filings are less common than in most of the state and tenant-demand fundamentals are workable, though not without pockets of real stress.
Across the county's 28 municipalities, risk scores range from a low of 2.7 to a high of 5.7, a two-point spread that matters considerably when deciding where to acquire or manage units. Average rent runs $817 per month, the average rent-burden sits at 33.5% of income, and roughly 42.4% of residents are renters, giving the county a meaningful renter pool but also a tenant base where financial strain is present.
The cities inside Indiana County
At the top end of the risk spectrum, Chevy Chase Heights scores 5.7/10 and is the highest-risk location in the county. Its 1,101 residents make it a smaller community, but the elevated score signals above-average eviction pressure relative to the rest of Indiana County. Commodore follows at 5.2/10, and Robinson and Bolivar each come in at 4.8/10. These four communities account for the sharpest landlord-tenant friction in the county, and investors concentrating units there should budget accordingly for potential turnover and filing costs.
Contrast that with the county seat of Indiana, where 14,212 residents and a score of 3.9/10 make it the largest and relatively moderate-risk market locally. Blairsville (population 3,215, score 3.6/10), Dixonville (3.2/10), and Black Lick (3.6/10) represent the lower end of the county's risk range, well under the county average. The spread confirms that risk in Indiana County is hyper-local: two properties separated by a few miles can sit in meaningfully different operating environments.
State-level laws that apply here
Every landlord operating in Indiana County works under Pennsylvania eviction laws state law, specifically 68 P.S. § 250.101 et seq. (Landlord and Tenant Act of 1951). Notice requirements depend on the reason for eviction: nonpayment of rent triggers a 10-day notice under 68 P.S. § 250.501(b); a material breach on a tenancy under one year requires 15 days; a material breach on a tenancy of one year or more requires 30 days; and end-of-lease-term terminations require no advance notice beyond the lease itself. Understanding the Pennsylvania eviction laws eviction process from notice through judgment is essential before filing, because an uncontested case runs 30 to 60 days while a contested one can stretch 60 to 150 days.
Pennsylvania eviction costs add up quickly. Court filing fees run $130 to $250, sheriff lockout fees add another $50 to $150, and attorney fees typically range from $500 to $3,000 depending on complexity. Pennsylvania eviction laws does not require just cause for non-renewal, and state law preempts any local rent-control ordinance, so no rent cap applies in Indiana County. Source-of-income is not a protected class under Pennsylvania state law, though landlords should confirm any local ordinances independently.
With a county poverty rate of 17% and a renter share of 42.4%, a meaningful portion of Indiana County tenants operate near the financial edge; the city-by-city grid above is the fastest way to identify which specific communities carry the most concentrated risk before committing capital.
Eviction filings in Pennsylvania
The Princeton Eviction Lab Tracking System covers Pennsylvania statewide (no county-level tracker available for Indiana County). In the past month, 8,054 statewide filings were recorded, 0.94× the historical baseline (below baseline).
- 8,054Past month (state)
- 108,576Past 12 months
- 0.95×vs baseline (12 mo)
Eviction filings in Indiana County
In September 2025, 12 eviction filings were recorded in Indiana County, 42.1% of the historical average (below average).2
- 12Sep 2025
- 42.1%of historical avg
- 9,327Renter households
- 12.8%Poverty rate
Historical eviction filings in Indiana County
From 2000 to 2018, eviction filings in Indiana County increased 35%. The peak was 407 filings in 2008.3
- 2402000
- 407Peak (2008)
- 3252018
Data covers 2000–2018, the full span of the Princeton Eviction Lab's national county court-records dataset.
How Indiana County compares
Among its closest peer counties in rural western Pennsylvania, Indiana County's 4/10 Moderate score is essentially in line with the group: Somerset County scores 4.15, Warren County 4.14, Venango County 4.08, and Bedford County 4.07, while Clearfield County is slightly lower at 3.89. Indiana County is neither an outlier nor a standout within this cohort.
Within Pennsylvania's full 67-county ranking, Indiana County sits at 55th, meaning the large majority of the state's counties carry equal or greater eviction risk. Investors comparing rural Pennsylvania markets will find Indiana County a middle-of-the-pack option, with meaningful variation at the city level, from a low of 2.7 to a high of 5.7, rewarding careful site selection.