Rankin County, Mississippi Eviction Risk: Very Low

Rankin County, Mississippi eviction laws carries an average eviction-risk score of 2.3/10 (Very Low), placing it in the middle third of the state's 82 counties, ranked 45 of 82. That ranking means 44 Mississippi eviction laws counties are riskier for landlords and 37 are less so, a positioning that reflects a broadly stable rental market without being the lowest-risk corner of the state. Across the county's 9 cities, scores run from 2 to 2.7, a range narrow enough that no single submarket is dramatically out of step with the rest, though the gap still matters when choosing where to deploy capital. With an average rent of $1,241 and a rent-burden rate of 32.6%, tenants here are spending a meaningful share of income on housing, which is worth factoring into delinquency expectations even in a low-risk county.

The renter share across Rankin County sits at 31.4%, a relatively owner-heavy mix that limits the overall pool of rental units and can reduce vacancy competition among landlords. The 12.1% poverty rate is moderate by Mississippi standards, contributing to the county's middling risk profile rather than pushing it toward the high-risk tier occupied by some of the state's more distressed markets. For investors evaluating Mississippi, Rankin County reads as a workable, if not exceptional, operating environment.

The cities inside Rankin County

The highest-risk location in the county is Puckett at 2.1/10, followed closely by Flowood at 2.3/10 (population 10,587). Both sit above the county average and warrant closer due diligence on tenant mix and local rental demand. Pearl, the county's most populous city at 27,737 residents, scores 3.9/10, as does Pelahatchie at 2.3/10. Richland comes in at 2.3/10, directly at the county average.

On the lower-risk end, Robinhood posts the county's best score at 2.3/10, with Brandon (population 25,542) and Cleary both at 2/10. Brandon's combination of a relatively large renter base and a below-average risk score makes it one of the more straightforward markets in the county for buy-and-hold operators. Florence rounds out the mid-range at 2.4/10. The point is clear: even within a low-risk county, a spread of 0.7 points separates the most and least landlord-friendly cities, and that difference translates into real variation in eviction frequency, tenant quality, and operating friction.

State-level laws that apply here

Mississippi state law governs all landlord-tenant relationships in Rankin County. Under Miss. Code § 89-8 (Landlord and Tenant), landlords may issue a 3-day notice for non-payment of rent, a 14-day notice for a lease violation with opportunity to cure, and a 30-day notice for end-of-term or no-cause terminations. An uncontested case typically resolves in 30 to 60 days; a contested matter can extend to 60 to 120 days. The Mississippi eviction process is structured to move relatively quickly by national standards, but contested cases can still consume two to four months. The Mississippi eviction costs landlords need to budget 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 case complexity.

Mississippi imposes no just-cause requirement for eviction and preempts any local rent-control ordinance, meaning no jurisdiction within Rankin County can cap rents independently. There is no rent-control formula in effect at the state level. Source-of-income is not a protected class under state fair housing law. For questions about Mississippi security deposit limits and other tenant-protection rules, the applicable agency is the Mississippi Attorney General, Consumer Protection division.

With a poverty rate of 12.1% and a renter share of 31.4%, Rankin County's tenant base is predominantly stable homeowners, and the rental segment reflects the county's moderate risk profile. The city grid above breaks down scores for all 9 cities, from Puckett's 2.1/10 at the high end to Robinhood's 2.3/10 at the low end, giving landlords a precise starting point for market selection.