Clearfield County, Pennsylvania Eviction Risk: Low

Clearfield County registers a county-wide average eviction-risk score of 3.9/10 (Low) across 37 cities and communities, placing it among the more landlord-friendly corners of Pennsylvania eviction laws. With 55 of the state's 67 counties scoring higher, Clearfield sits comfortably in the lower-risk third statewide, a meaningful signal for investors weighing rural central Pennsylvania against tighter markets elsewhere. Average rent runs $878 per month, rent burden lands at 23.7% of income, and the renter share of the housing stock is 28.5% -- figures that point to a modest, stable tenant base rather than the churn-prone, high-cost dynamics that amplify eviction risk in urban markets.

That said, the county is not monolithic. Individual scores range from 2.8 to 4.4, a spread of 1.6 points that separates genuinely relaxed operating conditions from environments that carry real exposure. Landlords who treat Clearfield County as a uniform market will miss the intra-county variation that drives actual outcomes on the ground.

The cities inside Clearfield County

The highest-risk address in the county is the city of Clearfield itself, scoring 4.4/10 with a population of 5,873. Chester Hill, Morrisdale, and Grampian each score 4.3/10, forming a cluster of above-average risk. DuBois, the county's largest city at 7,402 residents, scores 4.2/10, as do Curwensville, West Decatur, and Coalport. These communities tend to combine higher poverty rates with lower homeownership, conditions that increase the probability of rent-nonpayment events and contested filings.

On the other end of the spectrum, Treasure Lake scores 3/10 with a population of 5,336, the lowest risk reading among the county's larger communities. Hyde sits at 3.6/10. Risk in Clearfield County is genuinely hyper-local: two addresses separated by a few miles can carry meaningfully different landlord exposure profiles, so underwriting decisions should be made city by city rather than at the county level.

State-level laws that apply here

Every landlord operating in Clearfield County works within Pennsylvania state law, specifically the Landlord and Tenant Act of 1951 (68 P.S. § 250.101 et seq.). Notice requirements vary by cause: nonpayment of rent requires a 10-day notice, a material breach in a tenancy under one year triggers a 15-day notice, and a breach in a tenancy of one year or more requires 30 days. No notice period is required for a straightforward end-of-lease-term termination. Pennsylvania does not require just cause for non-renewal, and state law preempts local rent control, so no municipality within the county can impose a rent cap. The full Pennsylvania eviction process from notice through writ typically runs 30 to 60 days for an uncontested case and 60 to 150 days if the tenant contests the filing.

On the cost side, court filing fees run $130 to $250, sheriff lockout fees add another $50 to $150, and attorney fees range from $500 to $3,000 depending on case complexity. Anyone budgeting a potential eviction should review Pennsylvania eviction costs carefully before acquiring additional units. Pennsylvania security deposit limits and Pennsylvania tenant protections also carry statutory teeth -- the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission enforces fair housing, and retaliation and habitability statutes (68 P.S. § 250.205 and § 250.206) impose real obligations on landlords regardless of how low the county risk score runs.

With a poverty rate of 14.6% and a renter share of 28.5%, Clearfield County's tenant population is real but limited in size -- browse the city grid above to compare individual community scores before committing capital to any specific address.