Winston County, Mississippi Eviction Risk: Low

Winston County, Mississippi scores 4.4/10 (Moderate) across its 2 incorporated cities, placing it in the higher-risk third of the state, ranked 21 of 82 counties, meaning 20 Mississippi eviction laws counties carry greater eviction risk and 61 are more landlord-friendly. With an average rent of $633 and a rent burden averaging 28.8% of renter income, the market offers affordable entry points but thin margins, leaving tenants with limited buffer when income disrupts. Landlords operating here should expect moderate friction, not a crisis market, but conditions warrant disciplined tenant screening and proactive lease management.

The intra-county score range runs from 4 to 4.4, a narrow band that reflects a small, relatively uniform rental market, with a total population of 6,454 and a renter share of 38.3%. That renter concentration, combined with a 38.7% poverty rate, signals that a meaningful share of tenants operate on tight cash flows. The practical implication: even minor income shocks can trigger late payment, so landlords who rely on informal arrangements rather than written lease enforcement frameworks tend to absorb the most exposure.

The cities inside Winston County

Louisville carries the county's highest risk score at 4.4/10, and with a population of 5,983 it accounts for the overwhelming majority of the county's rental activity. As the county seat, it is where virtually all lease disputes, court filings, and tenant placements will be concentrated. Investors evaluating Louisville should treat its score as the effective benchmark for the whole county, not an outlier.

Noxapater, at 4/10, is the lower-risk city in the county, with a population of only 471. The lower score reflects a smaller, more stable rental base, but the thin market means vacancy risk and liquidity risk are real considerations alongside eviction risk. Comparing these two cities illustrates how hyper-local conditions vary even within a compact county: a four-tenths-point gap can separate meaningfully different operating environments when markets are this small.

State-level laws that apply here

Under Mississippi state law (Miss. Code § 89-8, Landlord and Tenant), notice requirements depend on the grounds for removal. Non-payment of rent triggers a 3-day notice; a lease violation subject to cure requires 14 days; and a no-cause end-of-term termination requires 30 days. Mississippi does not require just cause for non-renewal, and the state preempts local rent control, so Winston County landlords face no local rent caps or cause requirements layered on top of state rules. Understanding the Mississippi eviction process from notice through court filing is essential because an uncontested case typically resolves in 30 to 60 days, while a contested case can run 60 to 120 days.

On the cost side, court filing fees run $75 to $150, sheriff lockout fees add $30 to $120, and attorney fees, if retained, range from $500 to $2,500 depending on case complexity. Mississippi eviction costs can therefore reach several thousand dollars in a contested matter, which makes prevention through strong lease documentation and early communication worth far more than its cost. Mississippi security deposit limits and Mississippi tenant protections are both governed at the state level, with no local overlay to track separately in Winston County.

With a 38.7% poverty rate, Winston County's rental base is financially fragile; the city-level breakdown above, anchored by Louisville at 4.4/10 and Noxapater at 4/10, gives landlords the granular picture needed to size risk before committing capital to either market.