In court-decided eviction outcomes for Mound Bayou, MS, tenants prevail in roughly 12.2% of contested cases. A higher number means landlords face stronger tenant defenses, longer calendars, and more required documentation, and landlord-friendliness drops as this rises.
Timeline
30d
filing → judgment
From the moment an unlawful-detainer notice is filed in Mound Bayou, MS until a money judgment is entered, a contested eviction takes about 30 days on average. Longer timelines mean more lost rent and higher carry costs for landlords.
Cost range
$1.0–2.5k
legal + lost rent
A typical eviction in Mound Bayou, MS costs landlords $1,027 to $2,541 all-in, covering court filing fees, process-server costs, attorney time, and lost rent during the calendar between filing and possession.
Average rent
$565
32% stretched on rent
Average gross rent in Mound Bayou, MS is $565 per month per the U.S. Census American Community Survey (5-year 2023). 32% of renter households here spend more than 30% of pre-tax income on rent, the federal cost-burden threshold.
Renters
70.5%
of households
70.5% of occupied housing units in Mound Bayou, MS are renter-occupied (vs owner-occupied). A higher renter share usually correlates with more eviction filings, more turnover, and a more active rental market.
Poverty
44.5%
4.4% unemp.
44.5% of Mound Bayou, MS residents live below the federal poverty line, and unemployment runs at 4.4%. Both feed into the economic-stress sub-score in our Eviction Risk Score model because rent payment problems track poverty + joblessness more reliably than any other single signal.
Time machine
Scrub 50 years
197619861996200620162026
2026
● LIVE · today◀ REPLAY · historical
Nine-axis profile
9-axis profile · today
Shape of the risk surface
1 landlord · 10 tenant
Sub-scores · with sparkline
Where the score comes from
1 → 10 scale
Local political climate
Dem margin +23.7% (2024)
6.9
Regional political climate
County-weighted neighbor mix
6.9
State political climate
Mississippi legislature & governorship
1.8
Economic stress
44.5% poverty · 4.4% unemp.
7.9
Supply constraint
$565 average · 70.5% renters
5.6
Rent Control risk
32.2% of income on rent
7.8
Eviction process difficulty
30 days filing → judgment
1.3
Tenant organizing strength
70.5% renters
9.8
Housing court bias
County bench composition
8.7
Geographic context
Risk heat across Mound Bayou and the region
Click any city to see its score
How Mound Bayou compares
Risk score vs. peers, county, state, and the U.S.
Rank in Bolivar County
Moderate
#10of 17 cities
#10 of 17 cities in Bolivar County for landlord eviction risk.
Rank in Mississippi
Elevated
#157of 426 cities
#157 of 426 cities in Mississippi for landlord eviction risk.
vs. county · state · U.S.
Score story
Six-stop tour of the risk profile
2.5
/ 10 · LOW
The verdict
A Low-tier market.
Composite 2.5/10. Mid-range market; standard documentation usually wins. The 50-year curve shows a slow, steady climb.
50-yr trend-0.4 over 50 yr
197620012026
Steady ratchet · no large swings
30d
Typical timeline
The money
What renting (and evicting) looks like.
Rent published at $565/mo. A contested eviction takes 30 days and costs $1,027–$2,541 per case.
50-yr trendCalendar drag rising since '15
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
70.5%
Renters
The renters
Who you'll be renting to.
Out of 1,449 residents, 70.5% rent. 32% are spending 30%+ income on rent, 44.5% below the poverty line.
50-yr trendRenter share rising
197620012026
ACS 1970-present · once the migration overlay is in.
6.9
Local + regional
The politics
Mid-range climate. Not a coastal market.
Local & regional political climate score 6.9 and 6.9 (Dem margin +23.7% (2024)). State climate at 1.8, a mid-range statehouse.
50-yr trendTracks county vote margin
197620012026
Built on 50-yr presidential margins back to 1976.
1.8
State politics
The process
Moderate calendar, moderate friction.
State political climate 1.8/10 sets the legislative ceiling for landlord remedies, and it shows up in the process. Eviction process difficulty reads 1.3, housing court bias 8.7, rent-control risk 7.8. Standard process speed for the state.
50-yr trendProcess difficulty +-3.7 since '00
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
7.9
Economic stress
The stress
Economic pressure is the background risk.
Economic stress: 7.9. Supply constraint: 5.6. The numbers behind those: 44.5% poverty, 4.4% unemployment, 32% of income on rent.
50-yr trendTwo visible dips · '08 + COVID
197620012026
Mirrors BLS unemployment series.
US eviction landscape · timeline × all-in cost
Mound Bayou sits in the quick & cheap quadrant
Bubble size = population · color = risk score
Mound Bayou · 30d · ~$1.8k all-in ($59/day) · score 2.5National average: 58d · $4.6k all-inHover any bubble for stats · click to openColor: 0–4 4–7 7–10
Landlording in Mound Bayou, Mississippi, presents a manageable operating environment for documented landlords. The Eviction Risk Score is 2.5/10 (LOW tier), drawn from the nine sub-axes shown above, covering rent-control exposure, eviction-process difficulty, housing-court bias, tenant-organizing strength, supply constraint, economic stress, and local, regional, and state political climate. This is not a quick-fix market: it's a Mid-tier market where lease drafting, screening discipline, and well-documented notices materially change outcomes.
Mound Bayou is a city of 1,449 residents where 70.5% of occupied units are renter-occupied, and the typical renter spends 32.2% of income on rent. At an average rent of $565/month, the typical renter household here spends more than the federal 30% threshold on housing, a leading indicator of payment volatility and a precondition for the kinds of tenant defenses that show up most often in housing court.
01Process
How Mound Bayou eviction process actually works
Eviction process difficulty here reads 1.3/10, a number that combines statutory complexity (notice categories, just-cause rules, mandatory pre-filing disclosures) with operational realities (court calendar length and clerk responsiveness). The typical contested filing in Mound Bayou closes 30 days after the initial notice. For non-payment of rent the first step is a properly-formatted, properly-served pay-or-quit notice; for material lease breaches it's a cure-or-quit; for tenancies under just-cause protection an at-fault grounds notice (or a no-fault notice with statutory relocation assistance) is required.
The slow part of Mound Bayou's timeline is usually the calendar, not the motion practice. Housing court bias scores 8.7/10 here, meaning judges read borderline procedural defects in the tenant's favor more often than the national norm. The practical implication: every notice and every proof of service needs to be airtight before it gets filed.
02Cost
What it costs (and how long it takes)
An all-in eviction in Mound Bayou runs $1,027 to $2,541 per case once you account for filing fees, attorney time, lost rent during pendency, sheriff lockout, and unit turnover. That range is wide because the upper bound assumes a tenant answer plus motion practice, common when housing court bias is high. The lower bound assumes a default judgment after proper service.
For landlords running the numbers on holding costs vs. cash-for-keys: if your projected timeline times your monthly rent already exceeds the high-end cost number, cash-for-keys at 1–2 months' rent is typically the economically rational choice. With 30 days of typical timeline and $565/month in lost rent, that crossover happens fast here.
03Operations
Security deposits, screening, and lease terms
Tenant organizing strength scores 9.8/10 in Mound Bayou, and the city carries meaningful rent control exposure (7.8/10). Operations practice that survives audit in this environment looks like:
Screening discipline. Document income (verified at 2.5 to 3x rent), credit (with a clear minimum), and prior-tenancy reference checks, but do not screen on protected categories or source-of-income where banned. Keep a written, consistent screening criteria document for every applicant.
Lease specificity. Use a state-specific lease that names every term clearly: rent due date, late fees within statutory caps, deposit handling, smoke and CO disclosure, lead paint disclosure (pre-1978 stock), and a clean attorney's-fees clause.
Security deposit handling. Itemize deductions within the statutory window. Photograph move-in/move-out condition. In Mississippi, deposit cap and refund window are statute, so exceed them at your own risk.
Mid-tenancy documentation. Keep date-stamped records of every rent receipt, every habitability request, every notice served. The day you need them in court is too late to start.
04Strategy
What an everyday landlord should actually do here
If you own one to four units in Mound Bayou: hire a property manager who knows the local court. The pricing differential between self-managing and hiring out is small relative to the cost of one botched eviction in a LOW tier market. If you own five or more: build relationships with a local landlord-side attorney before you need one, since retainer fees are negligible compared to emergency-rate billing when an eviction is already moving.
The avoidable mistakes here are all upstream of the filing: weak screening, an informal lease, sloppy rent receipts, and notice templates pulled off the internet that don't match Mississippi's statutory language. Fix those four, and most cases settle or default. Skip them, and a $2,541 all-in fight is the realistic worst case.
04bPractical traps
Local traps to avoid in Mound Bayou
Trap · 7.8/10
The 5.7/10 score weighs nine sub-factors including political climate, court bias, supply constraint, and tenant organizing strength. Mound Bayou's rent-control-risk sub-score is 7.8/10, driven by demographic and political pressure for tenant relief.
05FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Q1
What is the biggest risk for landlords in Mound Bayou?
The biggest risk isn't necessarily the eviction process itself, which is rated low at 1.3/10. It's the combination of high housing-court bias (8.7/10) and tenant organizing strength (9.8/10). This means even if you follow the rules, the court environment might lean towards the tenant, and organized tenants can create significant headaches. Thorough screening and proactive communication are key defenses.
Q2
Can I charge whatever I want for a security deposit in Mississippi?
Yes, Mississippi law does not set a statutory cap on security deposits. However, charging an excessively high deposit can deter good tenants. Most landlords charge one to two months' rent. Remember, you have 45 days to return it after the tenant moves out, less justified deductions.
Q3
How long does it really take to evict someone in Mound Bayou?
On average, a contested eviction in Mound Bayou takes about 30 days from the filing of the court complaint to the final lockout. This doesn't include the initial 3-day notice period. If a tenant fights it aggressively, it can take longer. Uncontested evictions can be faster, sometimes as quick as two weeks post-notice.
Q4
Should I offer "cash for keys" in Mound Bayou?
Absolutely consider it. Given the average eviction cost of $1,027, $2,541 and the 30-day timeline, offering a tenant a few hundred dollars to leave voluntarily and peaceably can save you significant time, legal fees, and lost rent. Always get a written agreement for "cash for keys" outlining the move-out date and property condition.
Q5
Are there rent control rules in Mound Bayou or Mississippi?
No, there are no statewide rent control laws in Mississippi, nor are there any specific to Mound Bayou. Our Mississippi rent control rules guide confirms this. This offers landlords flexibility in setting and adjusting rents, but always ensure any increases comply with your lease terms and proper notice periods.
Q6
What if my tenant claims a maintenance issue to delay eviction?
Tenants sometimes raise maintenance issues strategically. Address all legitimate maintenance requests promptly and document them. If you've been responsive, it strengthens your case. However, don't let a tenant use a minor repair as an excuse to withhold rent. In Mississippi, tenants generally cannot withhold rent for repairs unless the landlord has been given proper notice and failed to act, and even then, it's a complex legal area. Consult an attorney if this situation arises.
A 2.5/10 places Mound Bayou in the 68th percentile of Mississippi cities on the Eviction Risk Score index. The score is the average of the nine sub-axes, all calibrated on a national 1 to 10 scale where 1 is most landlord-friendly and 10 is most tenant-protective. The 50-year reconstruction shows this score has climbed steadily since 1976, a structural drift driven by court-calendar growth, rent-control adoption, and the rise of tenant-side legal aid. The trajectory matters more than the snapshot: the score is the climate, not the weather.
Cities with similar eviction risk to Mound Bayou (2.5/10)
Same risk band nationally · click any city for its full breakdown.
