Mifflin County, Pennsylvania Eviction Risk: Low

Mifflin County scores 3.8/10 (Moderate) across its 24 cities, placing it at rank 48 of 67 Pennsylvania counties, meaning 47 counties carry higher eviction risk and only 19 are more landlord-friendly. For investors sizing up this rural Pennsylvania market, that position in the lower-risk third of the state signals manageable operating conditions rather than a crisis environment, though the county's 19.2% poverty rate and average rent burden of 25.6% of income suggest tenant finances can be stretched thin when conditions shift.

The average rent across the county runs $827 per month, and 38.4% of residents rent rather than own, giving landlords a reasonably active tenant pool spread across a modest total population of 23,188. That renter share also means local economic shocks translate quickly into lease stress, so underwriting vacancy assumptions conservatively remains prudent even at a 4.3 county average.

The cities inside Mifflin County

Risk inside Mifflin County is anything but uniform. The county score of 3.8/10 masks a spread from 2.6 to 5.2, and the direction of that spread matters for portfolio decisions. Lewistown, the county seat and by far the largest city at 8,479 residents, tops the risk list at 5.2/10, the highest score in the county. Burnham, with a population of 1,744, comes in second at 4.6/10, followed by Highland Park at 4.4/10.

On the lower-risk end, Belleville scores 3.2/10 and Church Hill scores 3.4/10, well below the county average. Reedsville lands at 3.9/10. The gap between Lewistown's 5.2 and Belleville's 3.2 is two full points on the same 10-point scale, which is a meaningful difference in terms of expected eviction frequency and collection risk. Investors concentrating acquisitions in the lower-scoring communities can achieve meaningfully better operating fundamentals than the county headline suggests.

State-level laws that apply here

Every landlord in Mifflin County operates under the Pennsylvania Landlord and Tenant Act of 1951 (68 P.S. § 250.101 et seq.). Notice requirements are tiered by situation: nonpayment of rent requires a 10-day notice under 68 P.S. § 250.501(b); a material breach on a tenancy under one year calls for 15 days, while a tenancy of one year or more requires 30 days under 68 P.S. § 250.501(a). End-of-lease-term terminations require no advance notice period under § 250.501(c). Understanding the Pennsylvania eviction process in full, including the court hearing timeline, is essential before pursuing any action: an uncontested case typically runs 30 to 60 days, while a contested matter can extend to 60 to 150 days.

When it comes to Pennsylvania eviction costs, landlords should budget court filing fees of $130 to $250, sheriff lockout fees of $50 to $150, and attorney fees that commonly range from $500 to $3,000, depending on complexity. Pennsylvania does not require just cause to terminate a tenancy, and state law preempts any local rent control ordinance, so no municipality in Mifflin County can impose rent caps. Source of income is not a protected class under state fair housing rules, though landlords should verify whether any local additions apply.

With a poverty rate of 19.2% and a renter share of 38.4%, the financial fragility of Mifflin County tenants varies considerably by city; review the full city grid above to compare scores before selecting a submarket for acquisition or management.