Potter County, Pennsylvania Eviction Risk: Low

Potter County, Pennsylvania eviction laws earns a county-wide average eviction-risk score of 3.2/10, placing it in the Low risk tier and ranking it 65th of 67 Pennsylvania counties, meaning only 2 counties in the state are less risky for landlords to operate in. With 64 counties scoring higher, Potter County sits firmly in the lower-risk third of the state, a meaningful edge for investors weighing where to put capital in rural Pennsylvania. The county's total population of 6,351 is spread across 9 cities, and average rent runs $847 per month against an average rent burden of 30.4%, giving landlords a baseline read on affordability pressure among renters.

The intra-county range, from a low of 2.4/10 to a high of 3.7/10, tells a more granular story. That 1.3-point spread across a small, rural county averages location still matters at the street level. Landlords operating in the same market can face meaningfully different tenant stability profiles depending on which borough they own in. Compared with peer counties such as Forest County (3.47/10) and Fulton County (3.41/10), Potter County's average holds up favorably, though it comes in slightly above Juniata County (2.95/10) and Elk County (3.09/10).

The cities inside Potter County

The highest-risk location in the county is Galeton, which scores 3.7/10 and has a population of 789. That score sits at the top of the local range and is worth flagging for landlords with holdings there, particularly given the small tenant pool. Coudersport, the county seat and its largest community at 2,174 residents, comes in at 3.4/10, a moderate reading that reflects slightly higher concentration of economic activity but still well within the Low-risk band. Ulysses and Sweden Valley both score 3.2/10, matching the county average, while Austin (3.1/10), Genesee (3.0/10), and Shinglehouse (2.9/10, population 1,076) all fall on the lower half of the scale.

The clearest landlord-friendly position in the county belongs to Roulette, which scores 2.4/10, the lowest eviction-risk reading across all 9 cities. With a population of 635, it is a smaller market, but the risk profile is the best the county has to offer. The variance from Galeton's 3.7/10 to Roulette's 2.4/10 is a concrete reminder that county averages are useful for state-level comparison, but submarket-level underwriting is where the real picture emerges.

State-level laws that apply here

Every landlord in Potter County operates under 68 P.S. § 250.101 et seq. (Landlord and Tenant Act of 1951). The Pennsylvania eviction process begins with mandatory written notice: 10 days for nonpayment of rent, 15 days for a material breach when the tenancy is under one year, and 30 days for a material breach on tenancies of one year or more. End-of-lease terminations carry no required notice period beyond the lease terms themselves. Pennsylvania state law does not require just cause to terminate a tenancy and expressly preempts local rent control ordinances, so no municipality within Potter County can impose caps that would restrict landlord flexibility on pricing.

Pennsylvania eviction costs add up quickly even in straightforward cases. Court filing fees run $130 to $250, sheriff lockout fees run $50 to $150, and attorney fees typically range from $500 to $3,000 depending on complexity. Uncontested cases resolve in roughly 30 to 60 days; contested matters can extend to 60 to 150 days. Landlords budgeting for worst-case scenarios should factor the full fee stack when underwriting a unit. A review of Pennsylvania eviction costs alongside Pennsylvania security deposit limits gives investors a complete picture of the legal and financial framework before acquiring property here.

With an average poverty rate of 13.2% and a renter share of 32.4%, Potter County's tenant base is relatively modest in size but carries some income-stress indicators worth monitoring. The city-by-city grid above breaks down individual scores across all 9 municipalities so landlords can pinpoint the lowest-risk submarkets within an already low-risk county.