Jefferson County, Pennsylvania Eviction Risk: Moderate

Jefferson County scores 4.3/10 (Moderate) across its 13 cities, placing it 46th of 67 Pennsylvania eviction laws counties by eviction risk. Because rank 1 is the most dangerous market, rank 46 means 45 counties are riskier and only 21 are more landlord-friendly, putting Jefferson solidly in the lower-risk third of the state. Average rent runs $753 per month, and the average rent burden sits at 28.7% of household income, a figure that signals tenants are stretched but not at the breaking point that drives mass defaults in higher-cost metros.

The county-wide average, however, conceals a meaningful spread. Individual cities range from 2.8 to 5.4 out of 10, a gap wide enough that two landlords operating inside the same county can face very different collections and turnover environments. Investors comparing Jefferson to neighboring Pennsylvania counties will find it broadly similar to Mifflin County (4.3), Armstrong County (4.3), and McKean County (4.5), reinforcing that this tier of rural-to-small-town central Pennsylvania carries consistent, mid-range operating risk.

The cities inside Jefferson County

Reynoldsville carries the highest risk score in the county at 4.3/10. With a population of 2,431, it is a small borough where a concentrated renter pool and elevated economic stress push the reading noticeably above the county average. Punxsutawney, the county seat and largest community at 5,665 residents, comes in at 4.5/10, as does Sykesville (4/10, population 895). Falls Creek scores 4.3/10 and Brockway 4/10, each sitting close to the county average.

On the lower end, Big Run scores 3.8/10 (population 505) and Rossiter scores 4/10 (population 652), representing the most landlord-favorable operating environments within the county. Brookville, the second-largest city at 3,946 residents, scores 4.4/10, making it a relatively stable mid-sized option. The gap between Reynoldsville and Big Run underscores how hyper-local eviction risk is, even across a county this size.

State-level laws that apply here

Pennsylvania eviction process rules are set by 68 P.S. § 250.101 et seq. (Landlord and Tenant Act of 1951) and apply uniformly to every Jefferson County property. For nonpayment of rent, a landlord must serve a 10-day written notice before filing. A material lease violation triggers a 15-day notice for tenancies under one year and a 30-day notice for tenancies of one year or more. No notice period is required to end a lease at the conclusion of its term. Uncontested cases typically resolve in 30 to 60 days from filing; contested matters can stretch to 60 to 150 days.

Pennsylvania eviction costs break down as follows: court filing fees range from $130 to $250, sheriff lockout fees from $50 to $150, and attorney fees from $500 to $3,000, depending on complexity. Pennsylvania security deposit limits and rent-control rules are also set at the state level: the state preempts any local rent-control ordinance, and no just-cause eviction requirement applies under current statute, giving landlords relatively clear authority to non-renew leases at term end. Pennsylvania tenant protections, including retaliation prohibitions under 68 P.S. § 250.205 and habitability standards under 68 P.S. § 250.206, still apply and must be observed.

Jefferson County carries an average poverty rate of 17.7% and an average renter share of 40% across its communities; the city-by-city scores in the grid above reflect how those pressures concentrate or ease borough by borough.