Clarke County, Mississippi Eviction Risk: Very Low

Clarke County, Mississippi scores 3.5/10 (Low risk) across its 6 incorporated places, putting it in the lower-risk third of all 82 Mississippi counties. Fifty-five counties in the state carry higher eviction risk, and only 26 are more landlord-friendly than Clarke County. For investors and landlords, that standing signals a relatively stable operating environment, though the county's 40.4% average rent burden and 19.3% poverty rate are real pressure points that drive lease stress even in quieter markets.

The county-wide intra-market spread runs from 2.5/10 to 3.7/10, a 1.2-point gap across just six cities and a total tracked population of 4,649. Average market rent sits at $774 per month, and renters make up 28.9% of households. Those figures point to a lean rental market where tenant turnover and collection problems are manageable but not zero, and where landlord positioning relative to city matters as much as the county average.

The cities inside Clarke County

The county seat of Quitman and the smaller community of Stonewall both share the top risk score in Clarke County at 3.7/10. Quitman is the largest market, with a population of 2,161 and the deepest pool of available renters, while Stonewall (population 968) offers a tighter, more predictable tenant base. Pachuta scores 3.6/10 and rounds out the higher-risk tier. All three sit at or above the county average and deserve closer due-diligence before acquisition.

At the lower end of the range, De Soto scores 2.5/10 and is the most landlord-favorable city in the county, though its population of 178 limits deal volume considerably. Enterprise (3.3/10, population 438) and Shubuta (3.2/10, population 553) sit in the mid-range, offering modestly lower risk than Quitman or Stonewall without De Soto's thin market depth. Risk is genuinely hyper-local here: two cities at 3.7 and one at 2.5 share the same county, so comparing city-level scores before committing to a market is essential.

State-level laws that apply here

Under Mississippi state law (Miss. Code § 89-8, Landlord and Tenant), landlords must serve a 3-day notice for non-payment of rent, a 14-day cure notice for lease violations, and a 30-day notice for end-of-term or no-cause terminations. Understanding these timelines is foundational to navigating the Mississippi eviction process. An uncontested case resolves in roughly 30 to 60 days, while a contested proceeding can run 60 to 120 days. Court filing fees range from $75 to $150, sheriff lockout fees from $30 to $120, and attorney fees typically from $500 to $2,500, so total out-of-pocket exposure on a disputed eviction can be meaningful even in a low-risk county. Details on the full fee schedule are covered under Mississippi eviction costs.

Mississippi does not require just cause for most terminations and state law preempts any local rent control ordinance, meaning no municipality in the county can cap rents independently. Source-of-income is not a protected class under state fair housing rules. These are landlord-favorable statutory defaults, and they are part of why Clarke County ranks where it does in the state risk distribution. Landlords should still review Mississippi tenant protections to confirm current habitability standards under Miss. Code § 89-8-23, which sets the baseline maintenance obligation regardless of lease language.

With a poverty rate of 19.3% and renters making up 28.9% of households, Clarke County's risk profile is manageable but not friction-free; review the city-by-city grid above to identify where within the county those pressures are most concentrated before placing capital.