Benton County

Benton County sits at a median home price of $163,087 with 11.66% year-over-year appreciation, which places it firmly on the appreciation side of the cash-flow vs. appreciation spectrum. The data does not include a median rent figure or gross rent multiplier, so a precise price-to-rent ratio cannot be calculated here, and the cap rate field returns zero, meaning the cash-flow picture cannot be fully quantified from the available inputs. What the data does show clearly is an affordability index of 95 out of 100, a 91st-percentile national ranking out of 1,000 counties scored, and a 6th-place finish among 80 Mississippi counties. The appreciation score of 76 and the overall score of 74 suggest a market that is performing well relative to peers despite its small size, driven more by price momentum than by yield.

The investor this market suits is one who is comfortable underwriting on appreciation and low entry cost rather than on day-one cash flow. At $163,087, the purchase price is low enough that even a modest rent-to-price ratio could pencil at the right financing terms, but without confirmed rent data, any cash-flow projection carries real uncertainty. The stability score of 50 is the number that deserves attention: it sits exactly at the midpoint, signaling neither a reliable, recession-resistant rental base nor a volatile one, which matters when you are counting on tenants to service debt on a buy-and-hold. This market is better suited to a patient capital buyer who can absorb some occupancy variability and is betting on continued price appreciation from a low basis, or to a value-add operator who can manufacture yield through renovation rather than relying on market rents to carry the deal from day one.

No economic anchors or employer data were provided for Benton County, so no conclusions can be drawn here about job-driven rental demand or the stability of the local employment base. That absence is itself a signal worth flagging: a population of 7,637 means this is a small, thinly traded market where tenant pool depth is inherently limited. Small-county dynamics can mean both faster price moves on the upside and sharper vacancy exposure during any local economic disruption, without the diversification that a metro labor market provides.

On carry costs, the combined monthly tax and insurance figure comes to $178, based on a state-average effective property tax rate of 0.81% and an insurance rate of 0.50%. That note is worth keeping honest: the 0.81% is a state-average estimate from Tax Foundation 2024 data, and actual county or township assessments in Benton may differ. At 0.81%, the rate falls in the normal range, neither a tailwind nor a drag that demands its own underwriting conversation. The $178 monthly figure is manageable relative to the price point, but Mississippi's insurance environment warrants a county-specific quote before you lock in assumptions, particularly for older housing stock.

The primary risks here are concentration and depth. A population under 8,000 means the rental pool is small by definition, and any single large employer exit or demographic shift, such as continued rural outmigration, would be felt quickly. There is no vacancy or regulatory data provided to quantify this further, but the structural reality of a small rural Mississippi county is that demand diversification is limited and landlord leverage on rent growth depends heavily on whether population trends are stabilizing or declining.

Against its neighbors, Benton presents an interesting entry point. Lee County, at $196,256 and a rent-to-price ratio of 0.0777, offers more measurable yield data and a higher overall score of 75, making it the more underwritable option if yield transparency matters to your process. Hinds County, at $125,430 and a rent-to-price ratio of 0.1285, is the most yield-forward county in the comparison set, with a score of 76, though the lower price likely reflects higher risk-adjusted considerations in that market. Scott County, at $123,939 and an overall score of 76, is similarly priced below Benton with a stronger overall score. Benton's case over its neighbors is essentially the appreciation argument: 11.66% year-over-year price growth and a 91st-percentile national ranking suggest momentum that the lower-priced neighbors may not be generating. Choose Benton if you are buying the price trajectory from a low basis and can accept thinner yield data; choose Lee County if you need a rent figure to underwrite before you commit.