Harrison County, Mississippi Eviction Risk: Low

Harrison County carries an average eviction-risk score of 2.6/10 (Low), placing it at rank 73 of 82 Mississippi counties, meaning 72 counties in the state are riskier for landlords and only 9 are less risky. Spread across 8 cities and a total population of roughly 163,391, the county represents one of the more landlord-accessible corridors along the Gulf Coast. Average rent runs $1,121 per month, and the average rent burden sits at 30.5% of income, figures that suggest manageable affordability pressure but not a market in crisis.

The county-wide score, however, masks meaningful variation. Scores across the 8 cities range from a floor of 2.8/10 to a ceiling of 4.2/10, a spread wide enough that choosing the wrong sub-market can move you from near-optimal operating conditions into noticeably higher-risk territory. Investors sizing up Harrison County should look past the headline average and evaluate each city on its own footing before committing capital.

The cities inside Harrison County

The highest-risk city in the county is Gulfport, scoring 2.8/10 with a population of about 13,203. Long Beach follows closely at 2.3/10 (population 17,009), and Pass Christian rounds out the upper tier at 2.3/10 (population 6,097). These three communities account for the upper end of county risk and warrant more careful tenant-screening and reserves planning than the county average would suggest.

On the other end of the spectrum, the county's two largest cities, Gulfport (population 73,003, score 2.8/10) and Biloxi (population 48,861, score 2.7/10), score at the county floor alongside DeLisle and Saucier. The concentration of lower-risk scores in the largest population centers is a useful signal: the deepest, most liquid rental markets here also carry the lightest operating risk. Risk is genuinely hyper-local in Harrison County, and that reality reinforces the value of city-level due diligence.

State-level laws that apply here

All landlords in Harrison County operate under Mississippi state law, specifically Miss. Code § 89-8 (Landlord and Tenant). For nonpayment of rent, state law requires just a 3-day notice before filing, one of the shortest triggers in the region. Lease-violation cures require 14 days, and a no-cause end-of-term notice requires 30 days. Mississippi does not require just cause to terminate a tenancy, and the state preempts any local rent-control ordinance, so Harrison County landlords face no additional municipal layer on those fronts. Understanding the full Mississippi eviction process matters, because even in a low-risk market, timeline and cost can vary: uncontested cases typically resolve in 30 to 60 days, while contested proceedings can run 60 to 120 days.

Mississippi eviction costs for a single case can add up quickly. Court filing fees run $75 to $150, sheriff lockout fees add $30 to $120, and attorney fees, if needed, range from $500 to $2,500. Landlords who understand Mississippi security deposit limits and move-out documentation protocols reduce their exposure on both the front and back end of a tenancy.

With a poverty rate of 18.8% and a renter share of 43.1% across the county, a meaningful portion of tenants face financial strain, making city-level score differences in the grid above genuinely consequential for underwriting decisions.