Venango County, Pennsylvania Eviction Risk: Moderate

Venango County scores 4/10 (Moderate) on the eviction-risk index, placing it in the lower-risk third of Pennsylvania eviction laws's 67 counties. With 51 counties carrying higher risk scores, landlords here generally face a more manageable operating environment than most of the state, though the Moderate rating still signals real friction, particularly around tenant income stability. Across all 15 cities in the county, scores range from 3.2 to 4.3, so the aggregate masks meaningful variation that landlords should evaluate before committing to a specific market.

Average rent runs $785 per month, and the average rent burden sits at 29.4% of income, a figure that leaves some renters with thin financial cushion. The 35.1% renter share indicates that rental demand is real, but with a poverty rate of 18.2%, cash-flow risk for individual units deserves careful underwriting. These structural conditions are roughly consistent with other rural northwestern Pennsylvania eviction laws counties, and they reinforce that disciplined tenant screening matters here more than the county-level score alone suggests.

The cities inside Venango County

The highest-risk addresses in Venango County are Oil City (4.3/10, population 9,468) and Woodland Heights (4.3/10, population 1,585), both at the county ceiling. Franklin (4.2/10, population 5,984) and Polk (4.2/10) follow closely. These are the county's most populous and most actively traded rental markets, which means deal flow is available, but underwriting standards need to account for the higher scores.

On the lower end, Emlenton comes in at 3.3/10 and Seneca at 3.5/10, both meaningfully below the county average. These smaller communities carry less eviction-risk pressure by the data, though their smaller renter pools make them thinner markets for portfolio-scale investors. The spread from 3.2 to 4.3 across 15 cities is a reminder that risk in Venango County is hyper-local: a single ZIP code or borough boundary can shift the risk profile by a full point.

State-level laws that apply here

All landlords in Venango 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 is 10 days. Material-breach notices run 15 days for tenancies under one year and 30 days for tenancies of one year or more. End-of-lease-term terminations require no statutory notice period under the Act. Pennsylvania eviction laws does not require just cause to end a tenancy, and state law preempts local rent control, so no municipality in the county can impose a rent cap. Understanding the Pennsylvania eviction laws eviction process from notice to judgment to lockout is essential: uncontested cases typically resolve in 30 to 60 days, while contested matters can run 60 to 150 days.

Pennsylvania eviction costs add up quickly. Court filing fees run $130 to $250, sheriff lockout fees add $50 to $150, and attorney fees range from $500 to $3,000 depending on the complexity of the case. Pennsylvania security deposit limits and the retaliation protections under 68 P.S. § 250.205 are separate statutory obligations landlords must track independently of eviction procedures.

With a poverty rate of 18.2% and a renter share of 35.1%, Venango County's risk profile is driven more by tenant income fragility than by an adverse legal climate. The city grid above breaks down each of the 15 jurisdictions individually so you can calibrate unit-level underwriting to the specific borough or township you are evaluating.