Thinking this might be a nice place to consider, but don't know much/anything about the area, and your help is appreciated. Some places are extremely remote (105 people in a 112 sq mile township of Potter Co.), lots of snow, very rugged with lots of solitude, peace and quiet. The areas I'm generally talking about would be Tioga, Potter, Mckean, Clearfield, Elk, Cameron, Centre, etc.

I'm 50 and retired, so no worries about a job, schools, etc. But do wonder about as I age, health care, if this area is realistic for a single fella, with no family. Fracking is big, so how it would impact my selection, is a concern too. My bones and heart say It looks great, but the reality, as I have leaned, does not always match up or is feasible.

Thanks again for the help.

I know, travel brochure photos; just the same it feels inspiring.

to me, some of those areas are depressing. My dad grew up in scranton, and there are a lot of drug addicts and alcoholics. Most people that were born there never left. I'll be in Elk this weekend actually.

I know exactly what you mean. It's why I did not include, say areas around Franklin, Oil City, Titusville, etc, which I know more about, and have always felt/seems as you mention. I could be way wrong, and no offense to folks who live there.

I think Elk County PA is north west part of the State. I dont know but, the shale fault for drilling may be a ways east of there. Elk is not too far from Pittsburg.

I got 55 acres in Clearfield Co I'm putting up for sale. Reclaimed strip mine plenty of trees hardwoods/pine elk, deer, grouse and other small game next to state hunting lands. Even has 97 40' logs for a log cabin if you are so inclined. Or put in your own ranges. I was going to built but age caught me. Quite area some local bars not far from Clearfield. Chris

Summer and fall weather is great. The winters can be harsh sometimes, although the last 2 years weren't bad. I think it is a great place to live.

Never lived there but frequently visit from home in south central PA, it is beautiful up there and you will be surrounded by Trump supporters!

The area is a great choice if you like outdoors. I have spent time mostly in Tioga and thought seriously about retiring near Wellsboro/Galeton on enough acreage to have a gun range. Lots of deer hunting, great fly fishing in Pine Creek and other streams. Wellsboro is a charming little town of +/- 3500 that attracts a lot of tourists in trout season and leaf peepers in October.
Centre County is beautiful, but busier, more expensive real estate, more convenient to civilization via Rt 80.


Medical care is severely lacking and the tiny hospital in Wellsboro has not received the best reviews according to what I have read, so it seems a first aid station until they can transfer you to a real multi specialty medical center.

I grew up in Centre County. Lived there until I was 30 (except my 4 active USAF years). Nice and picturesque. Property, rent and the like will be more expensive there due to the presence of PSU than that of the neighboring counties.

If you are not some kind of skilled or licensed professional or tradesman finding adequately paying employment will be a MAJOR challenge. The surplus of college age unskilled student labor will perpetually shaft high school age kids from finding employment, or prevent young adults from getting anything but low ball pay.

Politically the smaller towns lean or are solid red. State College is quickly becoming (as my Wry Co-worker John puts it) Berkely East. Football weekends are a PITA to navagate through with the influx of 20-40k people visiting. Same deal with arts fest in July.

There are has some nice features that you may enjoy ( some good ethnic and America restaurants ) and decent entertainment venues. However I left there 13 years ago and I do not especially miss it. I visit roughly quarterly for the purposes of seeing family and my 2 freinds that still live there, otherwise I would have a hard time thinking of the reason to make the drive.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: divil,

I lived many years years in N.E. Pennsylvania. Avoid the Scranton-Wilkes-Barre area. Drug infested cities with low paying employment. Same goes for the S.E. Reading - Lancaster area.

I've traveled thru Potter County during summer motorcycle trips across the country. Potter is beautiful...........in the Summer. Winter, I'm told by locals can be harsh, bleak and depressing.

If I had the funds to do so, I would "SnowBird" in Arizona and Summer in Potter County.

My Dad and I go hunting in Potter county, it's VERY the middle-of-nowhere. Just this year our cell phones started picking up a few bars here and there while out in the woods, for the past 17-18 years it's been zero signal anywhere.

I like getting away for a week but couldn't live there I don't think.

Potter county is nice, remote and like many have stated it's beautiful in the warmer part of the year but can be relatively harsh in the winter. There are many great things about PA and I think it boils down to what you're looking for. Rolling hills abound and I would seriously consider places further South such as Gettysburg, Hershey, Lititz, Ephrata, Doylestown and of course Chester County... particularly if access to good medical care is desired and you're not far from the beach or mountains. It is a wonderful state to live in but there are crime/drug ridden areas: Philly, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Reading, etc. I only wish we could roll back the friggin' tide of New Yorkers and Jerseyites that have invaded the Eastern half of the state, after screwing up their own!

I escaped Maryland last year and moved to York. My daughter and granddaughters live nearby. But I am anxious to get up to Tioga county. It looks like an area where we would like to spend some time. I like your pictures. Is your second picture the 'Grand Canyon of Pa.'?

North Central PA is some beautiful country. Our hunting camp is in the NE, Susquahanna County. My uncle's is in Potter, near Roulette.

Potter County, God's Country.

As much as I enjoy being upstate PA I don't think I could live up there year round.

Just yesterday I had to drive to a site near Parkersburg, WV. Picked up 68 in MD to 79 in WV then 50 and 16. I'll tell you what, WV is very nice too.