Adams County, Pennsylvania Eviction Risk: Low

Adams County carries a 3.8/10 Moderate eviction risk rating, averaged across 25 cities and a renter population distributed among communities ranging from quiet lake boroughs to small market towns. For landlords evaluating Pennsylvania, that average tells a partial story: the county sits at rank 37 of 67 Pennsylvania counties, placing it squarely in the middle third of the state, with 36 counties posing higher risk and 30 posing lower risk. Average rent of $1,201 and a rent burden of 27.4% of income suggest most renters are managing, though not comfortably, and a 30.7% renter share means the pool of tenants is real and consistent.

What the county-level average conceals is a meaningful intra-county spread. Risk scores range from 3.6 to 5.9 across the 25 cities, a 2.3-point gap that can determine whether a given asset feels like a stable income property or a source of chronic turnover and collection pressure. Landlords entering Adams County should treat each municipality as its own underwriting call rather than relying on the blended figure.

The cities inside Adams County

The highest concentration of risk sits in several of the county's smaller boroughs. Biglerville leads at 5.9/10, followed by Bonneauville and York Springs, each at 5.7/10. Bonneauville has a population of 2,232, meaning the risk is concentrated in a tight rental pool where a handful of problem tenancies can move vacancy and cash-flow metrics noticeably. McSherrystown (5.6/10, population 3,114) and New Oxford (5.6/10, population 1,675) round out the top tier of concern.

The lower end of the spectrum offers considerably more landlord-friendly conditions. Carroll Valley scores 3.6/10 with a population of 3,992, and Lake Meade comes in at 3.9/10 with 2,176 residents. Gettysburg, the county's largest city at 8,254 people, holds a mid-range 4.4/10, which reflects a more diverse renter base with steady institutional demand tied to the tourism and college economy. The risk gradient between a borough like Biglerville and one like Carroll Valley is 2.3 points, reinforcing that address-level due diligence is the only reliable approach in this county.

State-level laws that apply here

Pennsylvania's landlord-tenant framework is governed by the Landlord and Tenant Act of 1951 (68 P.S. § 250.101 et seq.). Notice requirements vary by reason: 10 days for nonpayment of rent, 15 days for a material breach in tenancies under one year, and 30 days for a material breach in tenancies of one year or more. End-of-lease terminations require no advance notice period beyond the lease itself. Pennsylvania does not require just cause for eviction and, critically, preempts any local rent-control ordinance, so no Adams County municipality can impose rent caps that override state law. Understanding the full Pennsylvania eviction process is essential before placing tenants, because an uncontested case runs 30 to 60 days while a contested matter can stretch to 150 days.

Direct costs under Pennsylvania eviction costs include a court filing fee of $130 to $250, a sheriff lockout fee of $50 to $150, and attorney fees that typically run $500 to $3,000 depending on complexity. Those figures stack quickly in contested cases, which is why screening quality at lease-up carries outsized importance in a moderate-risk county like this one.

With an average poverty rate of 11.1% and roughly 30.7% of households renting, Adams County has a stable but cost-sensitive tenant base; the city grid above breaks down risk score, population, and rent data for each of the 25 municipalities so landlords can pinpoint the specific markets that fit their risk tolerance.