Clearfield (PA) Investor Pulse Report (2025-Q4)

Clearfield County, PA, hosts 9,179 landlord-owned Single Family Residential (SFR) properties, representing a substantial 31.7% of the total 28,954 SFR properties in the market. This highlights a significant investor presence within the county's housing landscape.

Individual landlords overwhelmingly dominate the market, owning 8,407 properties, which accounts for 91.6% of all investor-owned SFR. In contrast, company-owned SFR properties total only 809, making up a smaller 8.8% share.

The investor portfolio is heavily geared towards rental income, with 9,032 properties classified as rented. This indicates that approximately 98.4% of landlord-owned SFR properties are actively generating rental income, signifying a strong buy-to-rent strategy.

Regarding acquisition methods, 7,231 landlord-owned properties were acquired with cash, while 1,948 properties are currently financed. This demonstrates a preference for cash acquisitions among investors in Clearfield County, PA.

The vast majority of landlords are individuals, with 11,122 distinct individual landlords operating in the market compared to just 529 company landlords. This 21.02-to-1 ratio reinforces the prominence of mom-and-pop operations over corporate entities in the county's investor landscape.

In a notable trend, landlords in Clearfield County, PA, consistently paid a premium for SFR properties compared to traditional homeowners throughout 2025. In Q4 2025, landlords' average acquisition price was $183,935, a $37,830 (25.9%) premium over homeowners who paid $146,105.

The price gap between landlords and homeowners has fluctuated, showing a volatile market dynamic. The premium was highest in Q1 2025 at $61,014 (37.8%), then decreased through Q2 ($18,493 or 11.1%) and Q3 ($27,918 or 16.6%), before significantly widening again in Q4.

Comparing annual trends, the average landlord acquisition price for the entirety of 2025 was $196,370, an increase from the $154,169 average observed during the 2020-2023 period. This indicates a 27.4% appreciation in average landlord acquisition costs over recent years.

While landlords showed 0 distinct properties purchased in specific recent quarters, their reported average acquisition prices from 'All Landlord' data have generally risen from $154,169 in 2020-2023 to $204,076 in 2024, and further to $196,370 in 2025, indicating overall price growth in the market.

The unusual pattern of landlords paying significantly more than homeowners suggests different purchasing motivations or market segments in Clearfield County, PA, possibly targeting specific property types or areas for rental yield that are less appealing to owner-occupiers.

In Q4 2025, landlords in Clearfield County, PA, were highly active, securing 87 SFR properties which represents a significant 41.6% of the total 209 SFR purchases in the quarter. This indicates a robust investor presence and strong demand in the housing market.

Mom-and-pop landlords, encompassing Tiers 01-04 (1-10 properties), were the overwhelming force behind investor activity, accounting for 97.7% of all landlord purchases, totaling 85 properties. This demonstrates the continued dominance of smaller-scale investors in property acquisitions.

Single-property landlords (Tier 01) were exceptionally active in Q4 2025, with 99 distinct entities acquiring 71 SFR properties. This highlights a high entry rate for new landlords or expansion by existing small-scale investors, forming the backbone of current buying activity.

Mid-size landlords (Tier 05-08) showed moderate activity, with 8 two-property entities acquiring 9 properties, and 2 entities acquiring 2-3 properties. This contributes to the strong mom-and-pop overall share.

Institutional investors (Tier 09, 1000+ properties) had a minimal presence in Q4 purchases, acquiring only 2 properties with 2 entities. This contrasts sharply with the activity levels of smaller landlords, underscoring their limited direct acquisition footprint in Clearfield County, PA.

Mom-and-pop landlords (Tiers 01-04, 1-10 properties) overwhelmingly dominate the investor-owned SFR market in Clearfield County, PA, controlling a staggering 97.9% of all properties held by investors. This translates to the vast majority of rental housing being managed by small-scale owners.

Single-property landlords (Tier 01) form the largest segment, owning 7,318 properties, which represents 77.0% of the total investor-owned housing stock. This highlights the foundational role of first-time and single-property investors in the local rental market.

Mid-size landlords (Tiers 05-08, 11-1000 properties) hold a relatively small portion of the market, with 125 properties (1.3%) in the 11-20 property tier, and just 56 properties (0.6%) in the 21-50 tier. This confirms the market's lean towards smaller portfolios.

Institutional investors (Tier 09, 1000+ properties) have a minimal footprint, owning only 7 properties, which accounts for a negligible 0.1% of the total investor-owned SFR in Clearfield County, PA. This challenges narratives of large corporate takeover in this specific market.

The data does not provide specific acquisition prices for individual tiers over time, limiting analysis on how pricing strategies or market value changes differ between small and large investors. However, the ownership concentration clearly points to a market driven by numerous small players rather than a few large ones.

The ownership structure in Clearfield County, PA, shifts significantly across portfolio tiers, with individual landlords dominating smaller portfolios but companies gaining majority control in larger ones. The crossover point where companies become the majority owner is observed at the 11-20 properties tier.

Individual investors maintain a strong hold on smaller portfolios: 95.0% of properties in the single-property (Tier 01) segment are individually owned (6,983 properties), and 89.9% in the two-property (Tier 02) segment (700 properties). This underscores the mom-and-pop nature of the initial stages of investor growth.

Company ownership gradually increases with portfolio size. In the 3-5 property tier, companies own 12.4% (113 properties), rising to 31.4% (94 properties) in the 6-10 property tier. This indicates companies begin to play a more significant role as investors scale up.

Beyond the 10-property mark, companies rapidly become the dominant owner type. In the 11-20 properties tier, companies own 71.2% of properties (89 properties), compared to just 28.8% for individuals (36 properties), clearly marking the transition to corporate-led management for larger portfolios.

The data does not provide details on acquisition prices segmented by owner type within each tier, limiting the ability to discern if individual and company investors employ different pricing strategies based on their portfolio size and operational structure.

Within Clearfield County, PA, investor activity shows distinct geographic concentration. The zip code PA-Clearfield-15801 stands out as the area with the highest number of investor-owned properties, totaling 3,310, which represents a significant 45.2% investor ownership rate.

Following PA-Clearfield-15801, the zip code PA-Clearfield-16830 is another hub of investor activity, with 1,041 investor-owned SFR properties and an ownership rate of 21.9%. PA-Clearfield-16833 also shows notable activity with 354 investor-owned properties and a 19.2% rate.

While PA-Clearfield-15801 leads in absolute property count, other areas demonstrate an even higher rate of investor penetration. PA-Clearfield-16855 exhibits the highest investor ownership percentage at 74.6%, signifying a highly concentrated landlord market.

Similarly, PA-Clearfield-16843 and PA-Clearfield-16825 also show high investor ownership rates at 73.0% and 71.3% respectively, suggesting that a majority of SFR properties in these specific zip codes are held by investors.

The contrast between regions with high property counts and those with high ownership percentages reveals different market dynamics; some areas have a large volume of investor activity, while others show a high proportion of their total housing stock being investor-owned, even if the absolute numbers are lower.

Landlords in Clearfield County, PA, were overwhelmingly net buyers throughout 2025, demonstrating strong confidence and a clear accumulation strategy. In Q4 2025 alone, they purchased 117 properties while selling only 11, resulting in a robust 10.64x buy-to-sell ratio and a net gain of 106 properties.

This aggressive buying trend is consistent across the year, with landlords making 469 purchases against 47 sales for the entirety of 2025, yielding a 9.98x buy/sell ratio and a net increase of 422 properties. This indicates a sustained period of portfolio expansion.

Institutional investors (1000+ properties) also maintained a net buyer position, though with a less aggressive ratio. In Q4 2025, they purchased 2 properties and sold 1, resulting in a 2.00x buy/sell ratio. Their overall activity for 2025 shows 4 buys and 3 sells, for a 1.33x ratio.

While both segments are net buyers, the much higher buy/sell ratio for all landlords compared to institutional investors highlights that smaller-scale investors are driving the bulk of property accumulation in Clearfield County, PA.

The data does not provide insights into inter-landlord transactions or the average buy vs. sell prices, which would typically help in analyzing market liquidity and implied profit margins within the investor segment.

In Q4 2025, landlords in Clearfield County, PA, played a substantial role in the housing market, participating in 117 transactions. This represents 38.9% of the total 301 SFR transactions that occurred during the quarter, signaling their significant influence on market activity.

Transaction volumes varied across investor tiers, with single-property landlords (Tier 01) leading the activity with 99 transactions. This underscores the continued dynamism of smaller-scale investors in driving market liquidity and turnover.

A notable price disparity emerged between investor tiers: institutional investors (Tier 09) secured properties at an average price of $111,927. This is a substantial 40.1% less than the average $186,785 paid by single-property landlords (Tier 01), indicating a strategic advantage for larger players.

Inter-landlord trading activity was minimal, with single-property landlords (Tier 01) being the only segment showing direct peer-to-peer transactions, where 6.1% (6 out of 99) of their purchases were from other landlords. All other investor tiers reported 0.0% of their Q4 purchases originating from other landlords.

The significantly lower average purchase price for institutional investors (Tier 09) compared to mom-and-pop buyers (Tier 01) suggests different sourcing channels, property types, or negotiating power for larger entities, enabling them to acquire assets at a substantial discount in Clearfield County, PA.