In court-decided eviction outcomes for Drew, MS, tenants prevail in roughly 16.2% 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 Drew, 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
$1.0–2.8k
legal + lost rent
A typical eviction in Drew, MS costs landlords $1,021 to $2,845 all-in, covering court filing fees, process-server costs, attorney time, and lost rent during the calendar between filing and possession.
Average rent
$704
38% stretched on rent
Average gross rent in Drew, MS is $704 per month per the U.S. Census American Community Survey (5-year 2023). 38% of renter households here spend more than 30% of pre-tax income on rent, the federal cost-burden threshold.
Renters
55.9%
of households
55.9% of occupied housing units in Drew, 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
38.7%
7.4% unemp.
38.7% of Drew, MS residents live below the federal poverty line, and unemployment runs at 7.4%. 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 +35.5% (2024)
7.4
Regional political climate
County-weighted neighbor mix
7.4
State political climate
Mississippi legislature & governorship
1.8
Economic stress
38.7% poverty · 7.4% unemp.
8.8
Supply constraint
$704 average · 55.9% renters
5.9
Rent Control risk
37.9% of income on rent
8.8
Eviction process difficulty
28 days filing → judgment
2.1
Tenant organizing strength
55.9% renters
9.4
Housing court bias
County bench composition
9.2
Geographic context
Risk heat across Drew and the region
Click any city to see its score
How Drew compares
Risk score vs. peers, county, state, and the U.S.
Rank in Sunflower County
Moderate
#4of 7 cities
#4 of 7 cities in Sunflower County for landlord eviction risk.
Rank in Mississippi
Very High
#26of 426 cities
#26 of 426 cities in Mississippi for landlord eviction risk.
vs. county · state · U.S.
Score story
Six-stop tour of the risk profile
2.9
/ 10 · LOW
The verdict
A Low-tier market.
Composite 2.9/10. 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 $704/mo. A contested eviction takes 28 days and costs $1,021–$2,845 per case.
50-yr trendCalendar drag rising since '15
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
55.9%
Renters
The renters
Who you'll be renting to.
Out of 2,132 residents, 55.9% rent. 38% are spending 30%+ income on rent, 38.7% below the poverty line.
50-yr trendRenter share rising
197620012026
ACS 1970-present · once the migration overlay is in.
7.4
Local + regional
The politics
Mid-range climate. Not a coastal market.
Local & regional political climate score 7.4 and 7.4 (Dem margin +35.5% (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 2.1, housing court bias 9.2, rent-control risk 8.8. Standard process speed for the state.
50-yr trendProcess difficulty +-2.9 since '00
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
8.8
Economic stress
The stress
Economic pressure is the real risk.
Economic stress: 8.8. Supply constraint: 5.9. The numbers behind those: 38.7% poverty, 7.4% unemployment, 38% of income on rent.
50-yr trendTwo visible dips · '08 + COVID
197620012026
Mirrors BLS unemployment series.
US eviction landscape · timeline × all-in cost
Drew sits in the quick & cheap quadrant
Bubble size = population · color = risk score
Drew · 28d · ~$1.9k all-in ($69/day) · score 2.9National average: 58d · $4.6k all-inHover any bubble for stats · click to openColor: 0–4 4–7 7–10
Landlording in Drew, Mississippi, presents a manageable operating environment for documented landlords. The Eviction Risk Score is 2.9/10 (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.
Drew is a city of 2,132 residents where 55.9% of occupied units are renter-occupied, and the typical renter spends 37.9% of income on rent. At an average rent of $704/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 Drew eviction process actually works
Eviction process difficulty here reads 2.1/10, 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 Drew 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 Drew's timeline is usually the calendar, not the motion practice. Housing court bias scores 9.2/10 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 Drew runs $1,021 to $2,845 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 $704/month in lost rent, that crossover happens fast here.
03Operations
Security deposits, screening, and lease terms
Tenant organizing strength scores 9.4/10 in Drew, and the city sits at the top of the rent control risk spectrum (8.8/10). 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 Drew: 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 $2,845 all-in fight is the realistic worst case.
04bPractical traps
Local traps to avoid in Drew
Trap · 8.8/10
Comparative benchmarking matters in markets like this. Drew's 6.2/10 is near the Mississippi state average. Rent-control-risk sub-score: 8.8/10. See the nearby cities grid below for direct A-vs-B comparison.
05FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Q1
Can I evict a tenant in Drew without a reason?
For a month-to-month tenancy, yes, you can terminate with a 30-day notice without needing a specific "just cause" in Mississippi, as there's no statewide requirement. However, you cannot evict for discriminatory or retaliatory reasons. For a fixed-term lease, you generally need a lease violation (like non-payment) to evict before the lease term ends.
Q2
What if my tenant refuses to leave after the court orders an eviction?
If the court issues a Writ of Possession and the tenant still doesn't leave, you must involve the local sheriff's department. They are the only ones legally authorized to physically remove a tenant and their belongings. Do NOT attempt to remove the tenant yourself or change locks before the sheriff is present; that's an illegal self-help eviction.
Q3
Is there rent control in Drew, MS?
No, there is no rent control in Drew or anywhere else in Mississippi. The state has preempted local governments from enacting rent control measures. This is reflected in the low rent-control-risk sub-score of 8.8/10, meaning the risk of future rent control laws is high. You can generally set your rent at market rates and increase it with proper notice according to your lease and state law. For more, see Mississippi rent control rules.
Q4
How long do I have to return a tenant's security deposit in Drew?
You have 45 days after the tenancy ends and the tenant delivers possession of the property to return the security deposit. If you withhold any portion, you must provide an itemized list of deductions. Failing to meet this deadline or provide a proper accounting can result in penalties, potentially owing the tenant double the amount wrongfully withheld.
Q5
Can I charge a late fee for rent in Drew?
Yes, you can charge late fees in Mississippi. However, the amount must be reasonable and clearly stated in your lease agreement. There's no specific statewide cap on late fees, but courts generally look for amounts that are not punitive. A common practice is a flat fee or a small percentage of the monthly rent.
Q6
What if my tenant claims there are maintenance issues and refuses to pay rent?
In Mississippi, tenants generally cannot withhold rent for maintenance issues unless the lease specifically allows it or there's a serious habitability issue that you've failed to address after proper written notice. Even then, they typically need to go through a specific legal process. Most often, a tenant withholding rent is still a non-payment of rent issue for eviction purposes. Always document all communication regarding maintenance requests and your responses. For more on tenant rights, see Mississippi tenant protections.
A 2.9/10 places Drew in the 95th 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 Drew (2.9/10)
Same risk band nationally · click any city for its full breakdown.
