In court-decided eviction outcomes for Lexington, MS, tenants prevail in roughly 19.5% 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
28d
filing → judgment
From the moment an unlawful-detainer notice is filed in Lexington, MS until a money judgment is entered, a contested eviction takes about 28 days on average. Longer timelines mean more lost rent and higher carry costs for landlords.
Cost range
$0.9–2.4k
legal + lost rent
A typical eviction in Lexington, MS costs landlords $869 to $2,368 all-in, covering court filing fees, process-server costs, attorney time, and lost rent during the calendar between filing and possession.
Average rent
$685
17% stretched on rent
Average gross rent in Lexington, MS is $685 per month per the U.S. Census American Community Survey (5-year 2023). 17% of renter households here spend more than 30% of pre-tax income on rent, the federal cost-burden threshold.
Renters
27.6%
of households
27.6% of occupied housing units in Lexington, 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
30.8%
7.6% unemp.
30.8% of Lexington, MS residents live below the federal poverty line, and unemployment runs at 7.6%. 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 +62.1% (2024)
8.4
Regional political climate
County-weighted neighbor mix
8.4
State political climate
Mississippi legislature & governorship
1.8
Economic stress
30.8% poverty · 7.6% unemp.
8.6
Supply constraint
$685 average · 27.6% renters
4.0
Rent Control risk
17.2% of income on rent
1.7
Eviction process difficulty
28 days filing → judgment
1.8
Tenant organizing strength
27.6% renters
6.2
Housing court bias
County bench composition
5.4
Geographic context
Risk heat across Lexington and the region
Click any city to see its score
How Lexington compares
Risk score vs. peers, county, state, and the U.S.
Rank in Holmes County
Low
#4of 5 cities
#4 of 5 cities in Holmes County for landlord eviction risk.
Rank in Mississippi
High
#85of 426 cities
#85 of 426 cities in Mississippi for landlord eviction risk.
vs. county · state · U.S.
Score story
Six-stop tour of the risk profile
2.7
/ 10 · LOW
The verdict
A Low-tier market.
Composite 2.7/10. Mid-range market; standard documentation usually wins. The 50-year curve shows a slow, steady climb.
50-yr trend-0.1 over 50 yr
197620012026
Steady ratchet · no large swings
28d
Typical timeline
The money
What renting (and evicting) looks like.
Rent published at $685/mo. A contested eviction takes 28 days and costs $869–$2,368 per case.
50-yr trendCalendar drag rising since '15
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
27.6%
Renters
The renters
Who you'll be renting to.
Out of 1,350 residents, 27.6% rent. 17% are spending 30%+ income on rent, 30.8% below the poverty line.
50-yr trendRenter share rising
197620012026
ACS 1970-present · once the migration overlay is in.
8.4
Local + regional
The politics
Strong-tenant coastal market.
Local & regional political climate score 8.4 and 8.4 (Dem margin +62.1% (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 1.8, housing court bias 5.4, rent-control risk 1.7. Standard process speed for the state.
50-yr trendProcess difficulty +-3.2 since '00
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
8.6
Economic stress
The stress
Economic pressure is the real risk.
Economic stress: 8.6. Supply constraint: 4. The numbers behind those: 30.8% poverty, 7.6% unemployment, 17% of income on rent.
50-yr trendTwo visible dips · '08 + COVID
197620012026
Mirrors BLS unemployment series.
US eviction landscape · timeline × all-in cost
Lexington sits in the quick & cheap quadrant
Bubble size = population · color = risk score
Lexington · 28d · ~$1.6k all-in ($58/day) · score 2.7National average: 58d · $4.6k all-inHover any bubble for stats · click to openColor: 0–4 4–7 7–10
Landlording in Lexington, Mississippi, presents a manageable operating environment for documented landlords. The Eviction Risk Score is 2.7/10 (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.
Lexington is a city of 1,350 residents where 27.6% of occupied units are renter-occupied, and the typical renter spends 17.2% of income on rent. At an average rent of $685/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 Lexington eviction process actually works
Eviction process difficulty here reads 1.8/10, 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 Lexington closes 28 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 Lexington's timeline is usually the calendar, not the motion practice. Housing court bias scores 5.4/10 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 Lexington runs $869 to $2,368 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 28 days of typical timeline and $685/month in lost rent, that crossover happens fast here.
03Operations
Security deposits, screening, and lease terms
Tenant organizing strength scores 6.2/10 in Lexington, and the city has limited rent control exposure (1.7/10). 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 Lexington: 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 $2,368 all-in fight is the realistic worst case.
04bPractical traps
Local traps to avoid in Lexington
Trap · 1.7/10
The 4.7/10 score weighs nine sub-factors including political climate, court bias, supply constraint, and tenant organizing strength. Lexington's rent-control-risk sub-score is 1.7/10, driven by state preemption and market dynamics.
05FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Q1
Can I evict a tenant in Lexington without a reason?
For a month-to-month lease, yes, with a 30-day notice. For a fixed-term lease, you generally need a "just cause" like non-payment of rent or a lease violation. Mississippi does not have statewide just-cause requirements for all evictions, but you still cannot evict for discriminatory or retaliatory reasons.
Q2
What if my tenant claims financial hardship?
While you can sympathize, financial hardship is not typically a legal defense against eviction for non-payment of rent in Mississippi. You can choose to work out a payment plan, but you are not legally obligated to. If you do, get it in writing and make sure it's clear what happens if they miss a payment.
Q3
How long does a tenant have to move after an eviction judgment?
Typically, after the court issues a judgment for possession and you obtain a writ of possession, the sheriff will give the tenant a short period, often 24-48 hours, before physically removing them. This timeline is set by the court and the sheriff's department.
Q4
Do I need an attorney for an eviction in Lexington?
You can represent yourself in Justice Court, but it's often advisable to hire an attorney, especially if the tenant contests the eviction. Mistakes in procedure or paperwork can lead to delays or even dismissal of your case, costing you more in the long run. Given the average cost, it's often a smart investment.
Q5
What are the rules for security deposits in Mississippi?
There's no statutory cap on the amount you can charge for a security deposit. You must return the deposit, or an itemized list of deductions, within 45 days after the tenant moves out. Failure to do so can make you liable for double the amount wrongfully withheld. Always document property condition thoroughly. More on Mississippi security deposit rules.
A 2.7/10 places Lexington in the 84th 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 Lexington (2.7/10)
Same risk band nationally · click any city for its full breakdown.
