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Oktibbeha County, MS

Rent vs Own in Oktibbeha County, Mississippi

HUD prices a 2-bedroom in Oktibbeha County at $957/mo while the ownership stack lands near $1,412/mo. That mid-sized gap is large enough that rate or down-payment tweaks usually cannot close it alone. Owner-occupied homes: 10,478.

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Renting is cheaper in Oktibbeha County

A 2-bedroom rental here runs $957/mo, meaningfully below the $1,412/mo ownership stack on the default assumptions. That is a $455/mo difference.

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

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

Primary driver

Renting compares well inside the state

Using the assumptions above, Oktibbeha County ranks 81 of 81 Mississippi counties for buy-vs-rent value (rank 1 = the best relative deal for buying). It is the state's least buy-favorable county by this measure.

Decision signal 2

Renting wins by a mid-sized monthly gap

Oktibbeha County lists a $237,700 median home with $1,691/yr property tax (0.71%). HUD's $957/mo 2-bedroom rent undercuts the ~$1,412/mo ownership stack by a mid-range margin of about $455/mo. Closing that gap usually takes more than a cosmetic rate tweak, price, tax load, or both.

Decision signal 3

HUD moved the rent benchmark down

HUD cut its 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent for Oktibbeha County from $1,061/mo in FY2025 to $957/mo in FY2026: it decreased by $104/mo (-9.8%). 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

The purchase price is the larger hurdle

Median household income is $46,695, so the 5.1x home-price-to-income ratio is the binding constraint here, even before the 3.6% of income that goes to property tax. Buyers in this band usually need a larger down payment or a longer commute to a cheaper ZIP before the monthly ownership math clears.

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
$1,412
Mortgage (P&I) $1,202
Property Tax $141
Insurance (est.) $69
Monthly Rent (2-BR FMR)
$957
Studio$834
1-Bedroom$873
2-Bedroom$957
3-Bedroom$1,262
4-Bedroom$1,267

Adjust Your Scenario

Affordability Context

Median Household Income
$46,695
$3,891/mo
Home Price / Income
5.1x
Expensive (>5x)
Tax-to-Income Ratio
3.6%
National benchmark: 2-4%

Who actually pays it here

In Oktibbeha 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.

Oktibbeha County matches the national pattern: six-figure earners between $100,000 and $200,000 account for more of these write-offs than any other local group.

With ownership already mid-range more expensive than rent month-to-month, that annual bill reinforces why cash-flow renters stay put unless they are deliberately buying for tenure rather than monthly savings.

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 Oktibbeha County, Mississippi? ▼
Renting the HUD 2-bedroom is the clearer monthly path in Oktibbeha County by roughly $455/mo under default loan assumptions. Closing a gap this size usually needs a meaningfully lower price or rate, not a cosmetic tweak.
How does Oktibbeha County compare to other Mississippi counties for renting vs buying? ▼
Out of 81 Mississippi counties ranked here on buy-vs-rent value, Oktibbeha County lands at spot 81, 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.
How much house can you afford in Oktibbeha County? ▼
On the common 3x-income guideline, a $46,695 household here can afford up to $140,085 -- about $97,615 short of this county's $237,700 median home. That gap is typically closed with a larger down payment, dual incomes, or a longer search outside the median price band.
What is the average rent in Oktibbeha County? ▼
HUD prices a 2-bedroom unit at $957/mo here. Sizing up matters: going from a studio to a 4-bedroom adds about $433/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 Oktibbeha County? ▼
$237,700, per the Census Bureau's ACS 5-Year Estimates. The property tax on that value works out to roughly 0.71% a year, in line with typical rates for the area.
Is rent going up or down in Oktibbeha County? ▼
HUD's 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent figure has fallen 9.8% 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 →