Perry County, Mississippi Eviction Risk: Very Low

Perry County, Mississippi eviction laws carries a county-average eviction-risk score of 3.4/10, a Low rating that places it among the more landlord-friendly markets in the state. Ranked 62 of 82 Mississippi counties, 61 counties statewide are riskier and only 20 are less risky, putting Perry County firmly in the lower-risk third. For landlords and investors, the headline number reflects a rental environment where average rent sits at $643 per month and renter-occupied units make up roughly 27.6% of the housing stock, a modest renter share that keeps landlord-tenant friction comparatively low.

That said, the spread across the county's 4 incorporated places runs from 3 to 3.8, a range of nearly a full point that matters when you are underwriting a specific acquisition. A score at the top of that range carries meaningfully different risk exposure than one at the bottom, so the county average is a starting point, not a verdict.

The cities inside Perry County

New Augusta sits at the high end of the local range with a score of 3.8/10, making it the highest-risk city in the county. Its population of 590 is small, but concentrated tenant demand in a limited market can amplify collection and vacancy risk when things go wrong. Richton, the county seat and its largest community at 1,220 residents, scores 3.5/10, moderately above the county average. Beaumont registers 3.3/10 across a population of 822, landing close to the county average and representing a middle-of-the-road operating environment.

McLain posts the lowest risk score in Perry County at 3/10, reflecting the most landlord-favorable conditions among the four cities. Risk here is genuinely hyper-local: two properties a few miles apart in different incorporated places can carry a half-point score difference that translates into real differences in expected eviction frequency, vacancy exposure, and tenant-screening standards you need to apply.

State-level laws that apply here

Every landlord in Perry County operates under Mississippi eviction laws state law, specifically Miss. Code § 89-8 (Landlord and Tenant). The notice timeline is graduated by cause: nonpayment of rent triggers a 3-day notice, a lease violation requiring cure allows 14 days, and a no-cause end-of-term termination requires 30 days. When a case proceeds to court, an uncontested eviction typically resolves in 30 to 60 days; a contested matter can run 60 to 120 days. Out-of-pocket costs stack up quickly: court filing fees range from $75 to $150, sheriff lockout fees from $30 to $120, and attorney fees from $500 to $2,500, so a contested case with legal representation can cost a landlord well over $2,700 all-in before accounting for lost rent. Reviewing the full Mississippi eviction laws eviction process and budgeting accurately for Mississippi eviction costs before you list a unit is sound practice in any county, but the poverty rate here (discussed below) makes it especially worth doing in Perry County. Mississippi eviction laws does not require just cause to terminate a tenancy and state law preempts any local rent control, which are meaningful structural advantages for landlords compared to many other states.

Perry County's average poverty rate of 23.9% and rent-burden rate of 35% among renters signal that a meaningful share of tenants here are financially stretched; review the city-level scores in the grid above to pinpoint where that pressure is most concentrated before committing capital.