Top Property-Distress Markets by Filing Volume
County ranking across our coverage states by verified property-related court-filing volume. Updated 2026-07-18. See methodology.
Top 25 counties by verified filing volume
| Rank | County | State | Filings tracked | Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lake County | Indiana | 340 | View |
| 2 | Marion County | Indiana | 261 | View |
| 3 | Montgomery County | Pennsylvania | 174 | View |
| 4 | Vanderburgh County | Indiana | 136 | View |
| 5 | Hendricks County | Indiana | 127 | View |
| 6 | Ocean County | New Jersey | 100 | View |
| 7 | St. Joseph County | Indiana | 99 | View |
| 8 | Porter County | Indiana | 86 | View |
| 9 | Bucks County | Pennsylvania | 82 | View |
| 10 | Clark County | Indiana | 80 | View |
| 11 | Clearfield County | Pennsylvania | 80 | View |
| 12 | Allen County | Indiana | 65 | View |
| 13 | Wake County | North Carolina | 57 | View |
| 14 | Monmouth County | New Jersey | 54 | View |
| 15 | Delaware County | Pennsylvania | 40 | View |
| 16 | Cumberland County | Pennsylvania | 39 | View |
| 17 | Schuylkill County | Pennsylvania | 35 | View |
| 18 | Tippecanoe County | Indiana | 32 | View |
| 19 | York County | Pennsylvania | 29 | View |
| 20 | Cumberland County | North Carolina | 24 | View |
| 21 | Caldwell County | North Carolina | 23 | — |
| 22 | Lycoming County | Pennsylvania | 22 | View |
| 23 | Northampton County | Pennsylvania | 22 | View |
| 24 | Dauphin County | Pennsylvania | 21 | View |
| 25 | Jefferson County | Pennsylvania | 21 | — |
"Report" link appears for counties with enough filings (75+) to support an individual county-intelligence page. Smaller counties roll up into the state-level digest.
By state
| State | Filings tracked | Counties with data | State report |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indiana | 1316 | 23 | View |
| Pennsylvania | 635 | 18 | View |
| New Jersey | 168 | 4 | View |
| North Carolina | 119 | 4 | View |
| South Carolina | 15 | 1 | — |
| Florida | 15 | 1 | — |
Methodology
- Counts reflect filings verified for current owner-of-record before inclusion. Entity-owned filings and stale-owner records are excluded.
- Covers property-related court filings only: foreclosure, probate, divorce, partition, guardianship, tax sale, and related case types.
- Filing counts grow as new cases hit the docket. Numbers below reflect tracked filings since 2026.
- Refreshed monthly from the live dataset.
Cite: Keystone Court Data, "Top Property-Distress Markets by Filing Volume," 2026-07-18, https://keystonecourtdata.com/reports/top-distress-markets · Download data (CSV)
Frequently Asked Questions
Which markets have the most distressed properties in 2026?
Distress concentration varies by county and changes quarterly. Keystone's intelligence reports show real-time filing volumes by county so you can identify the most active markets.
How do I find the best markets for distressed property investing?
Look for counties with high filing volume relative to population, favorable foreclosure timelines, and property values that support your investment strategy. Keystone's county intelligence reports provide per-county filing trends and comparisons.
Are foreclosure filings increasing in 2026?
Filing trends vary by state and county. Some markets are seeing increases as pandemic-era forbearances expire, while others remain stable. Check Keystone's county-level data for current trends in your market.
What causes foreclosure rates to rise or fall?
Key drivers include interest rate changes, unemployment, pandemic-era policy expirations, and local economic conditions. Court filing data is the most current indicator since it reflects actual legal actions, not predictions.