In court-decided eviction outcomes for Hughesville, PA, tenants prevail in roughly 25.7% of contested cases. A higher number means landlords face stronger tenant defenses, longer calendars, and more required documentation, and landlord-friendliness drops as this rises.
Timeline
76d
filing → judgment
From the moment an unlawful-detainer notice is filed in Hughesville, PA until a money judgment is entered, a contested eviction takes about 76 days on average. Longer timelines mean more lost rent and higher carry costs for landlords.
Cost range
$3.4–7.6k
legal + lost rent
A typical eviction in Hughesville, PA costs landlords $3,362 to $7,568 all-in, covering court filing fees, process-server costs, attorney time, and lost rent during the calendar between filing and possession.
Average rent
$827
26% stretched on rent
Average gross rent in Hughesville, PA is $827 per month per the U.S. Census American Community Survey (5-year 2023). 26% of renter households here spend more than 30% of pre-tax income on rent, the federal cost-burden threshold.
Renters
53.7%
of households
53.7% of occupied housing units in Hughesville, PA are renter-occupied (vs owner-occupied). A higher renter share usually correlates with more eviction filings, more turnover, and a more active rental market.
Poverty
18.2%
5.3% unemp.
18.2% of Hughesville, PA residents live below the federal poverty line, and unemployment runs at 5.3%. Both feed into the economic-stress sub-score in our Eviction Risk Score model because rent payment problems track poverty + joblessness more reliably than any other single signal.
Time machine
Scrub 50 years
197619861996200620162026
2026
● LIVE · today◀ REPLAY · historical
Nine-axis profile
9-axis profile · today
Shape of the risk surface
1 landlord · 10 tenant
Sub-scores · with sparkline
Where the score comes from
1 → 10 scale
Local political climate
GOP margin +41.5% (2024)
4.5
Regional political climate
County-weighted neighbor mix
4.5
State political climate
Pennsylvania legislature & governorship
3.4
Economic stress
18.2% poverty · 5.3% unemp.
7.2
Supply constraint
$827 average · 53.7% renters
7.0
Rent Control risk
26.3% of income on rent
5.1
Eviction process difficulty
76 days filing → judgment
3.5
Tenant organizing strength
53.7% renters
9.4
Housing court bias
County bench composition
6.3
Geographic context
Risk heat across Hughesville and the region
Click any city to see its score
How Hughesville compares
Risk score vs. peers, county, state, and the U.S.
Rank in Lycoming County
Elevated
#5of 14 cities
#5 of 14 cities in Lycoming County for landlord eviction risk.
Rank in Pennsylvania
Elevated
#601of 1,952 cities
#601 of 1,952 cities in Pennsylvania for landlord eviction risk.
vs. county · state · U.S.
Score story
Six-stop tour of the risk profile
4
/ 10 · MODERATE
The verdict
A Moderate-tier market.
Composite 4/10. Mid-range market; standard documentation usually wins. The 50-year curve shows a slow, steady climb.
50-yr trend+1.3 over 50 yr
197620012026
Steady ratchet · no large swings
76d
Typical timeline
The money
What renting (and evicting) looks like.
Rent published at $827/mo. A contested eviction takes 76 days and costs $3,362–$7,568 per case.
50-yr trendCalendar drag rising since '15
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
53.7%
Renters
The renters
Who you'll be renting to.
Out of 2,274 residents, 53.7% rent. 26% are spending 30%+ income on rent, 18.2% below the poverty line.
50-yr trendRenter share rising
197620012026
ACS 1970-present · once the migration overlay is in.
4.5
Local + regional
The politics
Mid-range climate. Not a coastal market.
Local & regional political climate score 4.5 and 4.5 (GOP margin +41.5% (2024)). State climate at 3.4, a mid-range statehouse.
50-yr trendTracks county vote margin
197620012026
Built on 50-yr presidential margins back to 1976.
3.4
State politics
The process
Moderate calendar, moderate friction.
State political climate 3.4/10 sets the legislative ceiling for landlord remedies, and it shows up in the process. Eviction process difficulty reads 3.5, housing court bias 6.3, rent-control risk 5.1. Standard process speed for the state.
50-yr trendProcess difficulty +-1.5 since '00
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
7.2
Economic stress
The stress
Economic pressure is the background risk.
Economic stress: 7.2. Supply constraint: 7. The numbers behind those: 18.2% poverty, 5.3% unemployment, 26% of income on rent.
50-yr trendTwo visible dips · '08 + COVID
197620012026
Mirrors BLS unemployment series.
US eviction landscape · timeline × all-in cost
Hughesville sits in the slow & expensive quadrant
Bubble size = population · color = risk score
Hughesville · 76d · ~$5.5k all-in ($72/day) · score 4National average: 58d · $4.6k all-inHover any bubble for stats · click to openColor: 0–4 4–7 7–10
Landlording in Hughesville, Pennsylvania, presents a manageable operating environment for documented landlords. The Eviction Risk Score is 4/10 (MODERATE tier), drawn from the nine sub-axes shown above, covering rent-control exposure, eviction-process difficulty, housing-court bias, tenant-organizing strength, supply constraint, economic stress, and local, regional, and state political climate. This is not a quick-fix market: it's a Mid-tier market where lease drafting, screening discipline, and well-documented notices materially change outcomes.
Hughesville is a city of 2,274 residents where 53.7% of occupied units are renter-occupied, and the typical renter spends 26.3% of income on rent. At an average rent of $827/month, the typical renter household here spends more than the federal 30% threshold on housing, a leading indicator of payment volatility and a precondition for the kinds of tenant defenses that show up most often in housing court.
01Process
How Hughesville eviction process actually works
Eviction process difficulty here reads 3.5/10, a number that combines statutory complexity (notice categories, just-cause rules, mandatory pre-filing disclosures) with operational realities (court calendar length and clerk responsiveness). The typical contested filing in Hughesville closes 76 days after the initial notice. For non-payment of rent the first step is a properly-formatted, properly-served pay-or-quit notice; for material lease breaches it's a cure-or-quit; for tenancies under just-cause protection an at-fault grounds notice (or a no-fault notice with statutory relocation assistance) is required.
The slow part of Hughesville's timeline is usually the calendar, not the motion practice. Housing court bias scores 6.3/10 here, meaning judges read borderline procedural defects in the tenant's favor more often than the national norm. The practical implication: every notice and every proof of service needs to be airtight before it gets filed.
02Cost
What it costs (and how long it takes)
An all-in eviction in Hughesville runs $3,362 to $7,568 per case once you account for filing fees, attorney time, lost rent during pendency, sheriff lockout, and unit turnover. That range is wide because the upper bound assumes a tenant answer plus motion practice, common when housing court bias is high. The lower bound assumes a default judgment after proper service.
For landlords running the numbers on holding costs vs. cash-for-keys: if your projected timeline times your monthly rent already exceeds the high-end cost number, cash-for-keys at 1–2 months' rent is typically the economically rational choice. With 76 days of typical timeline and $827/month in lost rent, that crossover happens fast here.
03Operations
Security deposits, screening, and lease terms
Tenant organizing strength scores 9.4/10 in Hughesville, and the city has limited rent control exposure (5.1/10). Operations practice that survives audit in this environment looks like:
Screening discipline. Document income (verified at 2.5 to 3x rent), credit (with a clear minimum), and prior-tenancy reference checks, but do not screen on protected categories or source-of-income where banned. Keep a written, consistent screening criteria document for every applicant.
Lease specificity. Use a state-specific lease that names every term clearly: rent due date, late fees within statutory caps, deposit handling, smoke and CO disclosure, lead paint disclosure (pre-1978 stock), and a clean attorney's-fees clause.
Security deposit handling. Itemize deductions within the statutory window. Photograph move-in/move-out condition. In Pennsylvania, deposit cap and refund window are statute, so exceed them at your own risk.
Mid-tenancy documentation. Keep date-stamped records of every rent receipt, every habitability request, every notice served. The day you need them in court is too late to start.
04Strategy
What an everyday landlord should actually do here
If you own one to four units in Hughesville: hire a property manager who knows the local court. The pricing differential between self-managing and hiring out is small relative to the cost of one botched eviction in a MODERATE tier market. If you own five or more: build relationships with a local landlord-side attorney before you need one, since retainer fees are negligible compared to emergency-rate billing when an eviction is already moving.
The avoidable mistakes here are all upstream of the filing: weak screening, an informal lease, sloppy rent receipts, and notice templates pulled off the internet that don't match Pennsylvania's statutory language. Fix those four, and most cases settle or default. Skip them, and a $7,568 all-in fight is the realistic worst case.
04bPractical traps
Local traps to avoid in Hughesville
Trap · PRACTICAL TRAP
Compare Hughesville to neighboring cities in Montour County via the grid below. The 5.4/10 score is computed from nine sub-factors plus a state-law multiplier under 68 PS 250.501. Montour County 2020 presidential margin: R+21.1. Cross-reference the state overview link in the guides section for Pennsylvania statutory detail.
04Eviction filings
Live filings tracking · Eviction Lab
Princeton Eviction Lab Tracking System, state-level (no county tracker available). Last update 2026-05-01.
In the most recent month, 8,054 eviction cases were filed across the tracker's coverage area, 0.94× the historical baseline (below baseline). Past 12 months: 108,576 filings. Pandemic-era cumulative: 577,537.
8,054Past month
108,576Past 12 months
0.94×vs baseline (past mo)
Notice requirement: at least ten days notice (in some cases more). Filing fee: $162 filing fee on average.
Last 36 months of filings2023-05-01 – 2026-04-01
Filings dropped 12% over the past 12 months.
Source: Eviction Lab Tracking System, Princeton University. Open Data Commons Attribution license.
05FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Q1
What happens if my tenant pays after the 10-day notice but before I file for eviction?
If your tenant pays the full amount due (including any legitimate late fees) within the 10-day notice period, or even right up until you file the eviction complaint, you generally cannot proceed with the eviction for non-payment. The purpose of the notice is to give them a chance to cure the breach. If they pay, the breach is cured, and you're back to square one. You can, however, still file if they consistently pay late, but you'll need to show a pattern of repeated lease violations.
Q2
Can I evict a tenant for having unauthorized pets in Hughesville?
Yes, if your lease specifically prohibits pets or requires prior approval, and the tenant brings in an unauthorized pet, this is a lease violation. You would issue a notice to cure the violation (remove the pet) or terminate the tenancy, typically a 15-day notice for this type of breach. If they don't comply, you can proceed with eviction. Make sure your lease is crystal clear on pet policies.
Q3
How long does it take for the sheriff to remove a tenant after I win in court?
Once you receive an Order for Possession from the Magisterial District Judge, there's usually a short waiting period (often 10 days) for the tenant to appeal. After that, you can request a "Writ of Possession" from the court. The sheriff's office then schedules the lockout. This can take anywhere from a few days to a couple of weeks, depending on their workload. Call the Montour County Sheriff's office directly for their current scheduling estimates.
Q4
Is rent control a risk in Hughesville, PA?
Statewide, Pennsylvania does not have rent control. This means municipalities, including Hughesville, cannot implement their own rent control ordinances. Your rent-control-risk sub-score for Hughesville is 5.1/10, which is moderate, but this primarily reflects potential future legislative changes at the state level, not current local ordinances. For current rules, consult our Pennsylvania rent control rules page. As of now, you set the rent.
Q5
What if my tenant claims I haven't made repairs? Can they withhold rent?
In Pennsylvania, tenants generally cannot unilaterally withhold rent due to disrepair. They must follow a specific legal process. They need to notify you in writing of the issue, give you a reasonable time to fix it, and if you fail, they can potentially put the rent in an escrow account or use "repair and deduct" (though this is risky for tenants and rarely advised). If they withhold rent without following the proper legal steps, you can still proceed with a non-payment eviction. Document all repair requests and your responses thoroughly.
A 4/10 places Hughesville in the 73rd percentile of Pennsylvania cities on the Eviction Risk Score index. The score is the average of the nine sub-axes, all calibrated on a national 1 to 10 scale where 1 is most landlord-friendly and 10 is most tenant-protective. The 50-year reconstruction shows this score has climbed steadily since 1976, a structural drift driven by court-calendar growth, rent-control adoption, and the rise of tenant-side legal aid. The trajectory matters more than the snapshot: the score is the climate, not the weather.
Cities with similar eviction risk to Hughesville (4/10)
Same risk band nationally · click any city for its full breakdown.
