Franklin County, Pennsylvania Eviction Risk: Moderate

Franklin County scores 4.1/10 (Moderate) on average across its 19 cities, placing it 30th of 67 Pennsylvania eviction laws counties by eviction risk -- meaning 29 counties carry higher risk and 37 are more landlord-friendly. For investors, that middle-third positioning reflects a market that is neither a regulatory minefield nor a hands-off, low-friction environment. Average rent runs $1,062 per month, rent burden sits at 25.7% of income, and 43.8% of households are renters, giving the county a meaningful rental-housing base worth evaluating carefully.

The county-wide average, though, masks a spread that matters operationally. Individual city scores range from 3.7 to 5.5 out of 10, meaning a landlord holding units in the county's lowest-risk pocket faces a very different environment than one concentrated in the highest-risk cities. That 1.8-point gap is wide enough to shift underwriting assumptions, and choosing which Franklin County municipality to invest in is arguably more consequential than choosing Franklin County over a neighboring market in Pennsylvania.

The cities inside Franklin County

The highest-risk corner of the county is anchored by Chambersburg, the largest city with a population of 22,319 and a risk score of 4.6/10. Waynesboro (4.3/10, population 11,047) and Shippensburg (4.3/10, population 5,620) follow closely, along with Orrstown at 4.4/10. Fayetteville and Blue Ridge Summit both score 4/10. These six cities share economic stress indicators that push eviction risk above the county average and warrant tighter tenant screening and stronger cash-flow buffers.

At the other end of the spectrum, Guilford scores 3.4/10 (population 3,919) and Greencastle scores 3.8/10 (population 4,222), both well below the county average. State Line (3.4/10) and Wayne Heights (3.8/10) round out the lower-risk tier. Landlords operating in these communities generally face more stable tenancy profiles, though Pennsylvania state law applies uniformly regardless of where in the county a property sits.

State-level laws that apply here

Under the Pennsylvania Landlord and Tenant Act of 1951 (68 P.S. § 250.101 et seq.), notice requirements depend on both the reason and the length of tenancy. Nonpayment of rent triggers a 10-day notice. A material breach during a tenancy under one year requires 15 days, while a tenancy of one year or more requires 30 days. No written notice is required to end a lease at term expiration. Once a complaint is filed, uncontested cases typically resolve in 30 to 60 days; contested matters can run 60 to 150 days. Understanding the full Pennsylvania eviction process before acquiring property here helps landlords plan holding costs and reserve schedules accurately.

Filing fees run $130 to $250, sheriff lockout fees add another $50 to $150, and attorney fees commonly range $500 to $3,000 depending on case complexity. Pennsylvania eviction costs can therefore reach a meaningful dollar figure even on a straightforward case. Pennsylvania does not require just cause for non-renewal, and state law preempts any local rent-control ordinance, which keeps the regulatory environment predictable for landlords operating across the county's municipalities. Source-of-income is not a protected class under Pennsylvania state law, though fair housing complaints are handled by the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission.

With an average poverty rate of 8.9% and renters making up 43.8% of households, Franklin County presents a broad but unevenly distributed landlord opportunity -- the city-by-city risk grid above is the fastest way to identify where in the county operating conditions align with your investment criteria.