Jefferson Davis County, Mississippi Eviction Risk: Very Low

Jefferson Davis County, Mississippi eviction laws carries a county-average eviction-risk score of 4.5/10 (Moderate), placing it in the higher-risk third of all 82 Mississippi counties. Only 16 counties in the state score higher, meaning 65 are less risky and more landlord-friendly territory than this one. For investors sizing up a market, that positioning calls for deliberate tenant screening and a firm handle on local operating costs before committing capital.

The county's 2 tracked cities span a score range of 3.4 to 4.7, which is a meaningful spread for a small market. Average rent sits at $856 per month, and average rent burden runs at 37.7% of income, a figure that signals real payment-stress risk for a portion of the renter population and underscores why proactive lease management matters here.

The cities inside Jefferson Davis County

Prentiss is the county seat and its largest city, with a population of 938 and the county's highest risk score at 4.7/10. That score sits close to the top of the county range and reflects conditions where vacancy and collection friction are more present than in lower-risk Mississippi markets. Landlords operating in Prentiss should price vacancy assumptions conservatively and maintain reserves for turnover costs.

Bassfield, with a population of 196 and a score of 3.4/10, is the lower-risk option within the county. The nearly 1.3-point gap between Bassfield and Prentiss is a reminder that eviction risk is hyper-local: two cities in the same county, a short drive apart, can present materially different operating environments. Investors comparing properties across these two cities should treat the scores as distinct underwriting inputs rather than relying on the county average alone.

State-level laws that apply here

Every landlord in Jefferson Davis County operates under Mississippi state law, specifically Miss. Code § 89-8 (Landlord and Tenant). For non-payment of rent, the required notice period is 3 days. Lease-violation notices require 14 days to cure, and a no-cause end-of-term notice requires 30 days. Mississippi does not require just cause for non-renewal, and the state preempts any local rent-control ordinances, so no city in the county can impose rent caps. Understanding the Mississippi eviction process from notice through writ is essential because an uncontested case still typically takes 30 to 60 days, while a contested filing can run 60 to 120 days.

On the cost side, Mississippi eviction costs include a court filing fee of $75 to $150, a sheriff lockout fee of $30 to $120, and attorney fees ranging from $500 to $2,500 depending on complexity. Those components combine to a realistic out-of-pocket range of $605 to $2,770 per action before accounting for lost rent during the timeline. Mississippi security deposit limits and Mississippi tenant protections provide additional statutory context relevant to any lease drafted in the county.

With a poverty rate averaging 26.7% across the county and a renter share of 33.9%, the renter pool here carries above-average financial vulnerability; use the city grid above to compare Prentiss and Bassfield side by side before selecting a target submarket.