Key Takeaways

• Clearfield County's population has declined over the past decade: The county fell from 81,642 in the 2010 Census to 80,562 in the 2020 Census, and the U.S. Census Bureau estimates the count near 78,600 in recent years — a loss of roughly 3,000 residents since 2010, continuing a long downward trend across Pennsylvania's northern-tier coal and timber country
• The effective property tax rate runs around 1.47% of market value: Clearfield County collects, on average, approximately 1.47% of a property's fair market value in property tax, according to Tax-Rates.org — above the national average near 1.08%, meaning carrying costs accumulate every year on parcels that produce no income
• Severed coal, oil, and gas mineral rights are common across the county: Clearfield County's economy was built on lumber and coal from the mid-1800s onward, and many surface tracts have underlying coal, oil, or gas rights that were sold or reserved generations ago — a title detail that materially affects what a surface seller actually owns and conveys

How Can You Sell Land in Clearfield County Pennsylvania?

Selling land in Clearfield County, Pennsylvania means navigating a rural Allegheny Plateau market shaped by a long population decline, an aging ownership base, a title company-centered closing process, and a deep coal-and-timber heritage that often leaves surface and mineral ownership split between different parties. Clearfield County covers roughly 1,145 square miles of land in central Pennsylvania, anchored by the city of DuBois and the county seat of Clearfield. The Moshannon State Forest — more than 190,000 acres of Allegheny Plateau woodland — sprawls across the county's eastern townships, and unbroken hardwood and pine timberland defines much of the landscape along the West Branch Susquehanna River.

Understanding how Pennsylvania's property tax system, realty transfer tax, and title closing requirements interact — and how severed mineral rights factor into a sale — will help you set realistic expectations, whether you plan to list on the open market, sell by owner, or request a no-obligation cash offer from a direct buyer. For a statewide overview, start with our guide on how to sell land in Pennsylvania.

This guide covers Clearfield County's property tax mechanics, the Pennsylvania closing process and realty transfer tax, how Clearfield County compares to neighboring counties, and the practical options available to landowners ready to sell.

What Are the Tax Costs of Holding Vacant Land in Clearfield County?

Pennsylvania does not use a uniform statewide assessment ratio the way some states do — each county maintains its own assessed values based on periodic reassessments. Clearfield County has not conducted a recent countywide reassessment, which means its assessed values are based on older base-year market data. The State Tax Equalization Board publishes an annual Common Level Ratio (CLR) that captures the relationship between assessed values and current market values. According to Evans Estate Law Resources, Clearfield County's CLR factor for documents accepted July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026 is 5.57 — meaning assessed values average roughly 18% of current market levels in the county, a reflection of how dated the underlying assessment base has become.

Clearfield County's effective property tax rate is approximately 1.47% of fair market value, according to Tax-Rates.org — well above the national average near 1.08%. The median property tax bill in Clearfield County runs about $1,219 on a median home value near $82,900, reflecting an older, low base-year assessment system. Total effective rates vary by municipality and school district, as each taxing authority applies its own millage on top of the county rate.

How Property Tax Bills Add Up for Vacant Land

Pennsylvania does not impose a separate higher assessment ratio on vacant land the way some states do — all real property is assessed under the same framework. However, vacant land that produces no income generates a recurring tax obligation with no offset. A parcel carrying a county market value of $50,000 at an effective rate of 1.47% produces an annual tax bill of roughly $735; properties in school districts with above-average millage will face higher combined bills. Over a decade of holding, those payments compound into thousands of dollars on land that may not appreciate fast enough to offset them.

Pennsylvania property tax payments are typically split into installments with deadlines set by each taxing authority — often with a discount period, a face period, and a penalty period. Delinquent taxes are collected by the Clearfield County Tax Claim Bureau (Clearfield County Courthouse, 230 East Market Street, Clearfield, PA 16830, 814-765-2641). Properties with two or more years of delinquent taxes become eligible for the county's annual Upset Tax Sale, held at a starting bid equal to the total delinquent taxes, costs, and municipal liens. Properties unsold at the Upset Sale proceed to a Judicial Sale, where the minimum bid drops to costs only and most liens are exonerated.

Beyond taxes, vacant landowners in Clearfield County face liability insurance costs, potential trail and boundary maintenance expenses, and the carrying cost of holding an illiquid asset in a thin rural market. If you've inherited land with an unclear title or unpaid taxes, our guide on how to sell inherited land walks through the process. For landowners who are already behind on taxes, selling land with back taxes explains your options before the Tax Claim Bureau schedules a sale.

Clean and Green Act 319 Preferential Assessment

Landowners with parcels of at least 10 acres devoted to agricultural use, open space, or forest reserve can apply for Pennsylvania's Clean and Green program (Act 319), which taxes land based on use value rather than fair market value — ordinarily producing significant tax savings, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture. Given how much of Clearfield County is woodland — including extensive holdings adjacent to Moshannon State Forest — the forest-reserve category is especially relevant here. Enrolled parcels must remain in qualifying use; withdrawing from the program triggers a rollback tax equal to seven years of the difference between market-value taxes and use-value taxes, plus 6% interest per year. Applications run through the Clearfield County Assessment Office (814-765-2641). If your parcel is enrolled, factor the rollback exposure into your net proceeds before agreeing to a sale price.

What Zoning, Mineral Rights, and Closing Requirements Apply in Clearfield County?

Clearfield County is predominantly unzoned outside its boroughs and the city of DuBois. Township-level zoning in Pennsylvania is handled at the municipal level, so land use requirements vary significantly depending on which township your parcel sits in. For zoning and permitting questions, contact the relevant township supervisors for the municipality where your land is located, or the Clearfield County offices at the courthouse (230 East Market Street, Clearfield, PA 16830, 814-765-2641).

For current deed information, legal descriptions, and recorded easements, contact the Clearfield County Recorder of Deeds (230 East Market Street, Clearfield, PA 16830, 814-765-2641, Mon–Fri 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.). The office, part of the Register & Recorder, handles all documents relating to real estate, along with notary bonds, UCC filings, and military discharges.

A Note on Severed Coal, Oil, and Gas Rights

Clearfield County's economy was built on lumber and coal from the mid-1800s through the early 1900s, and coal mining shaped the regional economy for generations — leaving a legacy that still affects land titles today. Across the county, the coal, oil, gas, and mineral rights underlying a surface tract are frequently owned separately from the surface itself, having been sold, leased, or reserved generations ago. Before you sell, it is worth confirming through a title search whether your deed conveys the minerals along with the surface, or only the surface. This affects what you actually own, what a buyer is paying for, and whether existing mine workings, wells, pipelines, or access easements run across the land. Our guides on selling mineral rights vs. surface rights and selling land with severed mineral or oil-and-gas rights explain how these split estates work and what each is worth.

Pennsylvania's Title Company Closing Process

Pennsylvania does not require a licensed attorney to conduct real estate closings. Most land transactions in the state are handled by a title company or settlement agent, which coordinates the title search, prepares closing documents, disburses funds, and records the deed with the county recorder. Attorneys are often involved but are not legally required for the closing itself.

The closing process for land in Clearfield County typically works as follows:

1. Title search: The title company searches public land records through the Clearfield County Recorder of Deeds to verify clear title — no outstanding liens, unpaid taxes, or unresolved encumbrances, and to identify any severed mineral interests
2. Title insurance: A lender's or owner's title insurance policy protects against defects not found in the standard search
3. Closing: Buyer, seller, and agents execute the deed and settlement statement; the title company or settlement agent oversees the signing
4. Recording: After closing, the deed is recorded with the Clearfield County Recorder of Deeds, making the transfer part of the public record

For more detail on what documents are needed to complete a Pennsylvania land sale, our guide on paperwork needed to sell land covers the full checklist.

Pennsylvania Realty Transfer Tax

Pennsylvania imposes a 1% state realty transfer tax on all real property transfers, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue. In addition, a local realty transfer tax of typically 1% applies, split between the municipality and school district — bringing the combined total to 2% in most of Clearfield County. Some municipalities may charge a slightly different local rate.

By custom and in most transactions, the tax is split equally between buyer and seller — each paying 1% of the sale price — though the allocation can be negotiated. Cash buyers who advertise "no closing costs to seller" typically absorb both sides of the transfer tax as part of the offer terms. The deed must be recorded with the Recorder of Deeds in the county where the property is located.

How Does Clearfield County Compare to Neighboring Pennsylvania Counties?

Clearfield County's population of roughly 78,600 (recent estimate) has declined from the 2010 Census count of 81,642 and the 2020 count of 80,562, according to U.S. Census Bureau data — a loss of roughly 3,000 residents in well over a decade. The county's median age is approximately 46 years, and the poverty rate sits near 15.3%, above the Pennsylvania rate of about 11.6% (Census Reporter). Median household income of approximately $60,280 runs well below the state median.

Clearfield County borders Centre and Clinton to the east, Elk and Cameron to the north, and Jefferson, Indiana, Cambria, and Blair to the west and south. Out-of-state recreational landowners who purchased timber or hunting parcels decades ago represent a common seller profile here, as generational transitions and rising carrying costs motivate liquidation. Severed coal and mineral estates further complicate many of these older holdings.

Factor	Clearfield County	Centre County	Clinton County	Elk County
Population (2020 Census)	80,562	158,172	37,450	30,990
Population trend	Declining	Growing (Penn State)	Roughly flat	Declining
Effective tax rate	~1.47%	~1.25%	~1.53%	~1.55%
Median household income	~$60,280	higher (college market)	mid-range	mid-range
Defining feature	Coal & lumber heritage, Moshannon State Forest	Penn State, State College growth	Sproul State Forest, West Branch Susquehanna	Elk State Forest, wild elk herd

Clearfield County's economy historically rested on coal and timber, and forest still defines much of its rural land. Bordering Centre County, anchored by Penn State and State College, stands in sharp contrast as one of the region's few growing markets — underscoring how isolated Clearfield's rural townships remain from that growth corridor. Interstate 80 crosses the county, and U.S. Route 322 and U.S. Route 219 serve as primary through-routes, but the bulk of Clearfield's acreage is woodland rather than developed ground.

Clearfield County retains a base of working farms documented in the 2022 USDA Census of Agriculture, though much of the county's agriculture is modest in scale — the average farm runs about 130 acres, and livestock, poultry, and their products account for over half the total market value of agricultural products sold, with hay and pasture supporting cattle operations (City-Data, USDA cp42033). Much of the rural acreage that changes hands here, however, is recreational timberland — hunting camps, hardwood tracts, and back-forty parcels rather than active cropland. If your land falls into that category, our guides on selling timberland and selling hunting land cover what drives value for recreational parcels.

For a broader view of land markets across the region, explore our blog.

What Are Your Options for Selling Land in Clearfield County?

With a declining population, a thin rural buyer pool, an effective tax rate near 1.47%, and land that may have been held by out-of-state families for decades — sometimes with the coal or minerals already severed — Clearfield County landowners face a clear carrying-cost equation: annual property taxes, insurance, and maintenance accumulate every year a parcel sits unsold. Understanding what your land is actually worth, and whether you even hold the mineral rights, is the logical first step. Our guide on how much is my land worth explains the factors that drive valuation for rural parcels.

Before pursuing any sale path, verify your property's legal description and mineral-rights status through the Clearfield County Recorder of Deeds (814-765-2641, 230 East Market Street, Clearfield, PA 16830). Confirm property tax status with the Tax Claim Bureau (814-765-2641) to ensure no delinquent amounts could complicate closing, and check your assessment with the Clearfield County Assessment Office (230 East Market Street, Clearfield, PA 16830, 814-765-2641). If your parcel is enrolled in Clean and Green, understand the rollback tax exposure before agreeing to a sale price. Out-of-state owners can find more on remote selling in our guide on selling land as an out-of-state owner.

Clearfield County landowners have several selling paths:

Listing with a local real estate agent familiar with Allegheny Plateau recreational land offers market exposure to buyers searching for hunting, timber, or camp properties. However, agent commissions of approximately 5–6%, combined with Pennsylvania's 2% transfer tax and title company fees, reduce net proceeds. And in a thin rural market, carrying costs continue accumulating through a listing period that can stretch for many months. Whether an agent makes sense depends on your timeline — our guide on whether you need a realtor to sell land weighs the tradeoffs.

Selling by owner (FSBO) eliminates agent commissions but requires the seller to handle marketing, disclosures, mineral-rights research, and coordinating the title company. Online platforms provide some exposure to out-of-state recreational buyers, but raw or access-limited parcels can be especially hard to move; see our guide on selling raw, undeveloped land if that describes your tract.

For landowners who want to avoid extended timelines and ongoing carrying costs, companies like Jerez Land provide direct cash offers priced individually to the parcel — a firm written number, not a range or a formula. We absorb the carrying costs, marketing risk, and resale uncertainty, and we close in weeks rather than months. There are no agent commissions, and the title company closing process that Pennsylvania uses applies equally. Request a cash offer to see what your parcel is worth to a direct buyer.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I sell vacant land in Clearfield County PA?

Verify your property description and mineral-rights status through the Clearfield County Recorder of Deeds (814-765-2641, 230 East Market Street, Clearfield) and confirm tax status with the Tax Claim Bureau. Pennsylvania land sales close through a title company or settlement agent — no attorney is legally required. You can list with a local agent, sell by owner, or request a direct cash offer from a land buyer.

What is the property tax rate in Clearfield County PA?

Clearfield County's effective property tax rate is approximately 1.47% of fair market value, according to Tax-Rates.org — above the national average near 1.08%. Total taxes vary by municipality and school district, as each applies additional millage on top of the county rate. The State Tax Equalization Board publishes an annual Common Level Ratio (CLR) factor; Clearfield County's factor is 5.57 for July 2025 through June 2026, reflecting assessed values that average only about 18% of current market value under a dated assessment base.

Do I own the coal, oil, and gas rights under my land in Clearfield County?

Not always. Clearfield County's economy was built on coal and lumber, and the coal, oil, gas, and mineral rights beneath many surface tracts were sold or reserved generations ago — meaning the surface and the minerals are frequently owned by different parties. A title search through the Recorder of Deeds will confirm whether your deed conveys the minerals along with the surface or only the surface, which directly affects what you own and what you can sell.

Does Pennsylvania charge a transfer tax on land sales?

Yes. Pennsylvania imposes a 1% state realty transfer tax on all property transfers, plus a local tax that is typically 1% in most of Clearfield County — bringing the combined rate to approximately 2% of sale price, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue. By custom, this tax is split equally between buyer and seller (each paying 1%), though the split can be negotiated. Cash buyers sometimes cover both sides as part of their offer terms.

Is a title company required to close a land sale in Pennsylvania?

Pennsylvania does not require a licensed attorney for real estate closings, unlike some states. Most transactions use a title company or settlement agent to conduct the title search, prepare the deed, disburse funds, and record the transfer with the county Recorder of Deeds. An attorney may be retained by either party but is not legally mandated by the state.

Is Clearfield County PA population growing or declining?

Clearfield County's population has declined, from 81,642 in the 2010 Census to 80,562 in the 2020 Census, with recent Census Bureau estimates near 78,600 — a loss of roughly 3,000 residents over the period. The county is rural, anchored by the city of DuBois and the county seat of Clearfield, and sits in Pennsylvania's coal and timber country on the Allegheny Plateau.

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Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, financial, or professional advice. Laws and regulations vary by jurisdiction and change over time. Always consult with qualified professionals before making land purchase decisions. Jerez Land is not responsible for actions taken based on this information.