Chenango County, New York Eviction Risk: High

Chenango County scores 8.2/10 (High risk) on the EvictionRiskMap index, placing it in the higher-risk third of New York eviction laws state, with only 18 of 60 counties carrying greater landlord exposure. Across the 11 cities tracked here, conditions are uniformly strained: an average rent of $841, a rent burden averaging 27.7% of income, a renter share of 46.6%, and a poverty rate of 17.1% combine to create a tenant base under consistent financial pressure. For landlords and investors, this is not a market where underwriting can be casual.

The county ranks 19th of 60 New York eviction laws counties for eviction risk, meaning 41 counties statewide present a more landlord-friendly operating environment. Peer counties tell a consistent story: Delaware County scores 7.76, Fulton County 7.81, and Montgomery County 7.81, confirming that Chenango is part of a cluster of economically stressed upstate markets where collection risk and turnover costs deserve serious attention in any pro forma.

The cities inside Chenango County

Risk is not evenly spread across the county. Norwich carries the highest score at 8.4/10, and with a population of 1,567 it is a small market where a single problem tenant can materially affect a landlord's annual returns. Norwich, the county seat and largest city at 6,782 residents, scores 7.9/10, as does Sherburne (population 1,422, score 7.8/10). Afton and Smyrna each score 8.4/10, exactly matching the county average, while Oxford, Bainbridge, and New Berlin all score 8.1/10. Even the lowest-risk city tracked, Oxford at 7.7/10, remains solidly in High territory.

That intra-county range of 7.7 to 8.4 matters in practice. A landlord deciding between a Greene property and an Oxford or Bainbridge property is choosing between materially different risk profiles even though both sit within the same county lines. City-level data is the right level of detail for purchase and leasing decisions here.

State-level laws that apply here

New York state law, principally under N.Y. RPL § 226 et seq. and RPAPL § 711, governs every lease in Chenango County. Notice requirements vary by situation: a nonpayment case requires a 14-day notice under RPAPL § 711(2); a material lease violation triggers a 10-day notice under RPAPL § 711(1); and holdover notices run 30 days for tenancies under one year, 60 days for tenancies of one to two years, and 90 days for tenancies of two years or more, all under RPL § 226-c. Just cause for eviction is required under state law, and rent regulation varies by locality rather than following a single statewide cap. The full New York eviction laws eviction process, from notice through sheriff lockout, runs 30 to 90 days uncontested and 90 to 210 days when contested. Court filing fees range from $45 to $210, sheriff lockout fees from $50 to $200, and attorney fees from $1,000 to $4,000. A review of New York eviction costs and New York tenant protections before acquiring any property here is not optional; it is the baseline due diligence the numbers in this county demand.

With 17.1% of residents below the poverty line and 46.6% of households renting, the structural conditions driving Chenango County's High risk score are visible in every city in the grid above; review individual city scores before committing to any specific address.