Allegany County, New York Eviction Risk: High

Allegany County carries an average eviction-risk score of 7.7/10 (High) across its 18 scored cities, with individual scores ranging from 7.3 to 8.1. Despite that High label, the county's statewide rank tells a more nuanced story: 46 of New York's 60 counties score higher, placing Allegany in the lower-risk third of the state. For landlords and investors, that means operating conditions here are relatively more manageable than in many New York markets, though the underlying economic pressures, a 20.9% poverty rate and an average rent of $783, keep eviction risk meaningfully elevated.

Renters make up 35.3% of households across the county, and the average renter spends 29.7% of income on housing costs. That rent-burden figure sits close to the conventional affordability threshold, which means a single income disruption, a lost shift, a medical bill, can tip tenants into arrears quickly. Landlords operating here should price that pipeline risk into their underwriting before committing to a purchase or lease-up.

The cities inside Allegany County

Risk is not uniform across the county, and the spread from 6 to 7.7 matters in practice. Alfred, home to roughly 4,819 residents and anchored by a college population, posts the county's highest score at 7.7/10. Cuba (pop. 1,807) follows at 7.5/10, and Wellsville, the county's largest city at 4,923 residents, sits at 7.5/10 alongside Bolivar, Belfast, and Canaseraga, all also scoring 7.8/10.

At the other end of the spectrum, Houghton and Andover both score 7.7/10, roughly a full point below the county average. That gap reflects meaningfully different tenant-income stability, turnover rates, and local economic conditions. Investors comparing opportunities within the county should treat each city's score as a distinct underwriting input rather than defaulting to the county-wide figure.

State-level laws that apply here

Every landlord in Allegany County operates under New York eviction risk state law, primarily N.Y. RPL § 226 et seq. and RPAPL § 711. For nonpayment of rent, the required notice period is 14 days under RPAPL § 711(2). Material lease violations require a 10-day notice under RPAPL § 711(1). Holdover notices scale with tenancy length: 30 days for tenancies under one year, 60 days for one to two years, and 90 days for tenancies of two years or more, all under RPL § 226-c. New York eviction risk also requires just cause to evict, a meaningful constraint on non-renewal flexibility that landlords should factor into lease strategy.

Understanding the full New York eviction process is essential before the first lease is signed: uncontested cases typically resolve in 30 to 90 days, but contested matters can run 90 to 210 days. Court filing fees range from $45 to $210, sheriff lockout fees from $50 to $200, and attorney fees commonly run $1,000 to $4,000 per case. New York eviction costs can therefore reach several thousand dollars even on a straightforward case, which reinforces the value of thorough tenant screening up front. Rent control applicability varies by locality rather than a uniform state formula, so landlords should verify local rules for each municipality. For a full breakdown of tenant rights that apply statewide, consult the New York tenant protections guide before finalizing lease terms.

With a county-wide poverty rate of 20.9% and renters comprising 35.3% of households, the underlying demand risk here is real, even if Allegany ranks more favorably than most of New York; the city-by-city scores in the grid above show where that risk is most concentrated.