Centre County, Pennsylvania Eviction Risk: Moderate

Centre County, Pennsylvania eviction laws carries an average eviction-risk score of 4.9/10, placing it in the Moderate tier across all 43 cities tracked in the county. Among Pennsylvania's 67 counties, Centre sits at rank 31, meaning 30 counties carry higher risk and 36 are less risky, putting Centre squarely in the middle third of the state. For landlords, that middle-ground label is worth unpacking: average rent of $1,228 per month and a rent burden rate of 38.3% signal that a meaningful share of tenants are stretching to cover housing costs, which translates to real collections exposure even in a market that looks stable on paper.

The intra-county range runs from 3.7 to 5.3, a spread of 1.6 points that tells a more complicated story than the county average suggests. Operating conditions vary considerably depending on exactly which municipality a rental sits in, and investors sourcing deals across Centre County should treat each city's score as its own underwriting input rather than defaulting to the county-wide figure.

The cities inside Centre County

The highest-risk address in the county is State College, scoring 5.3/10 with a population of 41,050, making it by far the county's largest market. The university-driven renter composition keeps demand steady, but it also produces a renter share and income profile that elevates collection risk relative to owner-occupied suburban markets. Bellefonte (5.2/10, population 6,009) and Toftrees (5.2/10, population 2,873) also land in the upper risk band, joined by Milesburg and Port Matilda each at 5.1/10.

On the lower end, Park Forest Village scores 3.9/10, the most landlord-favorable reading in the county's biggest-city list, with a population of 8,624. Stormstown comes in at 4.7/10. The gap between Park Forest Village and State College is nearly 1.4 points, which on a 10-point scale is a material difference in expected eviction frequency and collections difficulty. Risk is genuinely hyper-local here, and a portfolio spread across even a few Centre County municipalities will carry meaningfully different risk profiles property to property.

State-level laws that apply here

Every landlord operating in Centre County works under the Pennsylvania Landlord and Tenant Act of 1951, codified at 68 P.S. § 250.101 et seq. Notice requirements hinge on both the reason for removal and tenancy length. For nonpayment of rent, Pennsylvania state law requires a 10-day notice under 68 P.S. § 250.501(b). A material breach triggers a 15-day notice for tenancies under one year and a 30-day notice for tenancies of one year or more under 68 P.S. § 250.501(a). End-of-lease terminations require no additional notice period under 68 P.S. § 250.501(c). Understanding the full Pennsylvania eviction process before a dispute arises is critical, because an uncontested case still takes 30 to 60 days and a contested one can run 60 to 150 days from filing to possession.

Pennsylvania eviction costs add up faster than many landlords budget for. Court filing fees range from $130 to $250, sheriff lockout fees add another $50 to $150, and attorney fees, when needed, range from $500 to $3,000. Pennsylvania state law does not require just cause to end a tenancy, and the state preempts local rent control ordinances, so landlords operating here are not layered under municipal rent caps. Retaliation protections for tenants are established under 68 P.S. § 250.205 and habitability standards under 68 P.S. § 250.206, both of which landlords should review alongside Pennsylvania security deposit limits before leasing.

With an average poverty rate of 23.6% and a renter share of 51% across the county, collections pressure is real in many Centre County submarkets; the city-level grid above shows which specific municipalities carry the highest exposure for landlords and investors.