Juniata County, Pennsylvania Eviction Risk: Low

Juniata County earns an average eviction-risk score of 3.9/10 (Low) across its 11 tracked cities, making it the single most landlord-friendly county in Pennsylvania eviction laws, ranked 67 of 67 statewide, meaning all 66 other Pennsylvania counties carry higher risk. With a county-wide range of 2.2 to 3.4, even the highest-risk pockets sit well below the state's more contentious urban markets. For landlords and investors, that translates to a tenant population that is relatively stable, renter costs that remain modest at an average rent of $772 per month, and a rent-burden rate of just 20.6%, suggesting most renters here are not financially overextended.

The renter share across Juniata County sits at 43.8% of households, a meaningful slice of the market for a rural county with a total tracked population of roughly 5,042. Operating conditions here are, by Pennsylvania standards, about as calm as they get, though landlords should still understand where within the county risk concentrates, because the gap between the highest- and lowest-scoring municipalities is more than a full point.

The cities inside Juniata County

At the higher end of local risk, Mifflintown (population 914) and East Salem both score 4/10, the county maximum, while Mexico (population 470) follows at 4/10. These communities share modestly elevated eviction pressure relative to the rest of the county, and landlords acquiring rental properties in Mifflintown or Mexico should price in slightly tighter margins and a more active compliance posture than the county average alone would imply.

On the lower end, Port Royal (population 740) and Ickesburg both score 3.3/10, and Richfield comes in at 3.6/10. McAlisterville (population 929), the largest tracked city in the county, scores 4/10, reflecting conditions that are genuinely stable for a working rural rental market. Risk is hyper-local here: a landlord with units in Port Royal operates in a meaningfully different environment than one whose portfolio is concentrated in Mifflintown, even though both are within the same county.

State-level laws that apply here

All landlords in Juniata County operate under Pennsylvania state law, specifically 68 P.S. § 250.101 et seq. (Landlord and Tenant Act of 1951). For nonpayment of rent, the required notice period is 10 days. For a material lease breach on a tenancy under one year, notice is 15 days; on a tenancy of one year or more, it extends to 30 days. End-of-lease terminations require no additional notice period beyond the lease terms. An uncontested eviction typically resolves in 30 to 60 days; a contested matter can run 60 to 150 days. Court filing fees range from $130 to $250, sheriff lockout fees add $50 to $150, and attorney fees range from $500 to $3,000, so total out-of-pocket costs for a litigated eviction can reach roughly $680 to $3,400 before accounting for lost rent. Landlords researching the full Pennsylvania eviction process will find those timelines consistent with the state's rural district courts, which tend to move faster than urban ones. Pennsylvania has no statewide rent control and no just-cause eviction requirement, and the state preempts any local attempt to impose rent caps, a landlord-favorable posture confirmed in current law. For a full breakdown of recoverable expenses, see the guide to Pennsylvania eviction costs, and review Pennsylvania security deposit limits before setting terms on any new lease.

With a poverty rate of 11.5% and a renter share of 43.8%, Juniata County presents a compact but real rental market; the city grid above breaks down each municipality's individual score so investors can pinpoint exactly where within the county the risk differential lies.