Land for Sale in Potter County, PA
Potter County is a remote north-central Pennsylvania county nicknamed "God's Country," with 16,396 residents (2020 census), about 15 per square mile, and state forests and parks around Coudersport. Most large parcels are wooded hunting land. Pennsylvania's Clean and Green program can lower tax but triggers rollback taxes if you change the land, so this guide covers it.
Potter County at a glance
- County seat: Coudersport. Boroughs include Galeton, Ulysses, Austin, Oswayo and Shinglehouse.
- 2020 population 16,396; about 1,082 square miles; about 15 people per square mile.
- Highways: US 6 and PA 44 and 49.
- Susquehannock State Forest and eight state parks, including Cherry Springs State Park, are in the county.
- Nicknamed "God's Country."
The Potter County land market
Buyers come for hunting, forest and quiet. Most sales are 10- to 200-acre wooded tracts, camp lots and small farms near Coudersport, Galeton and Ulysses. Parcels near state forest and state park land have access to public land, and parcels with a camp, road and power cost more than raw woods.
Clean and Green: use-value tax and rollback taxes
Pennsylvania's Clean and Green program, formally Act 319, lets owners of agricultural, agricultural reserve or forest reserve land be taxed at use value instead of market value, which can cut the assessment substantially. In general, land must be at least 10 acres, or earn at least $2,000 a year from agricultural products. If the use changes, the owner owes rollback taxes: the difference between the tax paid and the ordinary tax for the current year and up to six prior years, a maximum of seven years of benefit, plus 6% simple interest. A split-off that creates a tract under 10 acres triggers rollback taxes, while a new tract over 10 acres that stays in qualifying use does not. Owners are required to report changes to the assessor in advance.
Before you buy, ask the Potter County assessor whether the parcel is enrolled and what plans would trigger rollback taxes, such as building a camp or splitting off a lot. Application windows and forms vary by county.
Timber, minerals and access
Timber value can be part of what you pay for. Ask for the timber history and any timber or gas lease. Oil and gas and mineral rights may be severed, so ask what conveys. Many camp roads are private or township gravel, so confirm legal access, snow plowing and who maintains the road.
Before you buy land in Potter County
- Clean and Green enrollment and rollback tax exposure.
- Timber value, leases and severed mineral or gas rights.
- Recorded legal access and winter maintenance.
- Septic site approval, well and power distance.
- Zoning and any camp or hunting restrictions.
Mineral rights vs. surface rightsLand due diligence checklist
Frequently asked questions
What is Pennsylvania Clean and Green?
A program that assesses qualifying agricultural and forest land at use value, with rollback taxes of up to seven years plus 6% interest if the land use changes.
Does splitting a lot trigger rollback taxes?
Splitting off a tract under 10 acres triggers rollback taxes, while a new tract over 10 acres that stays in qualifying use does not. Confirm with the county assessor.
How many people live in Potter County?
About 16,396 in 2020, roughly 15 per square mile.