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Lee County, MS

Rent vs Own in Lee County, Mississippi

In Lee County the ownership stack ($1,182/mo) sits only modestly above HUD's $994/mo 2-bedroom rent, a thin premium, not a blowout. Small assumption changes in the calculator can flip the verdict. Owner-occupied homes: 23,067.

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Renting is cheaper in Lee County

HUD's 2-bedroom rent is $994/mo - only a thin step below the $1,182/mo ownership stack. That is a $188/mo difference.

Based on 20% down, 6.5% rate, 30-year mortgage. Adjust below.

What This Data Tells Us About Renting vs Owning in Lee County

Primary driver

Renting compares well inside the state

Using the assumptions above, Lee County ranks 76 of 81 Mississippi counties for buy-vs-rent value (rank 1 = the best relative deal for buying). It sits ahead of 5 other Mississippi counties on this measure.

Decision signal 2

Income supports the median purchase price

Median household income is $67,863, and the 2.9x home-price-to-income ratio leaves room for the ownership stack (property tax alone is 2.0% of median income). The monthly gap above is more about mortgage rate and insurance assumptions than about the purchase price being out of reach.

Decision signal 3

HUD moved the rent benchmark down

HUD cut its 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent for Lee County from $1,097/mo in FY2025 to $994/mo in FY2026: it decreased by $103/mo (-9.4%). A falling benchmark narrows the case for buying here, and it usually reflects HUD re-estimating the local market rather than existing rents being cut.

Decision signal 4

Renting wins, but only by a thin premium

At $199,500 for the median home and $1,384/yr in tax (0.69%), Lee County's ownership stack (~$1,182/mo) only narrowly exceeds the $994/mo HUD 2-bedroom rent - a $188/mo premium. That is the band where a rate drop or a larger down payment most often flips the cash-flow verdict.

Methodology & disclaimer

This calculator is for informational purposes only and is not tax, legal, or financial advice. Property tax figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates and rent figures come from HUD Fair Market Rents; both describe area medians, not individual transactions. Insurance is estimated at 0.35% of home value annually and closing costs, maintenance, HOA, and PMI are not included. Consult a licensed mortgage, tax, or real-estate professional before making a buy-or-rent decision based on these numbers.

Monthly Cost Breakdown

Estimated Monthly Ownership
$1,182
Mortgage (P&I) $1,009
Property Tax $115
Insurance (est.) $58
Monthly Rent (2-BR FMR)
$994
Studio$847
1-Bedroom$852
2-Bedroom$994
3-Bedroom$1,257
4-Bedroom$1,316

Adjust Your Scenario

Affordability Context

Median Household Income
$67,863
$5,655/mo
Home Price / Income
2.9x
Affordable (≤3x)
Tax-to-Income Ratio
2.0%
National benchmark: 2-4%

Who actually pays it here

In Lee County, once the mortgage ends staying put is close to free: the largest cluster of debt-free households faces a yearly charge under $800, so insurance and upkeep, not the tax office, set what the home costs to keep.

Unusually for Lee County, returns above $200,000 form the single largest block claiming it, a concentration only a minority of US counties show and a marker of high property values.

Layered on a thin rent-vs-own premium, that annual bill is often the swing factor: a paid-off owner still faces a real yearly charge even when the mortgage payment itself would have looked competitive.

Bill bands are Census ACS counts of owner-occupied homes without a mortgage. Income brackets are IRS Statistics of Income county data for tax year 2022, counted over FILERS reporting real-estate taxes on Schedule A, which is a smaller group than homeowners: most filers take the standard deduction.

Nearby Counties

DeSoto County
Home: $269,600 Tax: $1,613/yr
Hinds County
Home: $159,900 Tax: $1,403/yr
Harrison County
Home: $212,200 Tax: $1,370/yr
Rankin County
Home: $237,400 Tax: $1,428/yr
Jackson County
Home: $193,100 Tax: $1,366/yr
Madison County
Home: $311,100 Tax: $2,108/yr

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Lee County, Mississippi? ▼
HUD's 2-bedroom rent is only a thin step cheaper than owning in Lee County (about $188/mo) on the standard 20%-down / 6.5% assumptions. A larger down payment or a rate drop often closes it; equity is still the ownership-only bonus.
How much house can you afford in Lee County? ▼
On the common 3x-income guideline, a $67,863 household here can afford up to $203,589, which comfortably covers this county's $199,500 median home price -- a healthier affordability picture than many of the counties tracked on this site.
How does Lee County compare to other Mississippi counties for renting vs buying? ▼
Out of 81 Mississippi counties ranked here on buy-vs-rent value, Lee County lands at spot 76, putting it in the more rent-favorable quarter of the state. The <a href="/states/mississippi">Mississippi state page</a> lists every peer county's tax bill beside this one.
What is the average rent in Lee County? ▼
HUD prices a 2-bedroom unit at $994/mo here. Sizing up matters: going from a studio to a 4-bedroom adds about $469/mo, so the per-bedroom jump is worth checking against your actual space needs before assuming the 2-BR figure applies to your situation.
What is the median home price in Lee County? ▼
$199,500, per the Census Bureau's ACS 5-Year Estimates. The property tax on that value works out to roughly 0.69% a year, in line with typical rates for the area.
Is rent going up or down in Lee County? ▼
HUD's 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent figure has fallen 9.4% between the FY2025 and FY2026 publications, the two most recent years tracked here.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey). See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainPropertyTax

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Government Finances State and local property tax revenue by jurisdiction · 2025

Verify with HUD →