Housing decision brief
Sharkey County, MS Housing Market
Sharkey County screens as a below-state purchase price, below-state rent, a manageable tax-rate signal market. Use the page as a decision brief, not just a price lookup, because local income, taxes, and data confidence change how affordable the county really is.
33rd lowest home value out of 82 Mississippi counties with data | 9th lowest rent out of 82
Median home value
$108,000
Purchase-price signal from Census ACS.
Median rent
$622/mo
Gross rent, including utilities where reported.
Monthly owner cost
$716/mo
Owner costs before individual loan terms.
Decision snapshot
Read this county in four signals.
Buy screen
3.0x
Median home value divided by local household income.
Rent burden
30.0%
At or above the 30% burden threshold.
Rent vs own
$94/mo
Median rent screens below owner cost.
Data confidence
2 notes
Home-value estimate has a $27,021 ACS margin of error.
What Works
Lower purchase price
$108,000 median home value is 6% below Mississippi county median
Lower rent
$622/mo is 18% below Mississippi county median
Low disaster-risk signal
Risk score is 84.2 out of 100, a stronger cross-check for long-term ownership costs.
What to Check
Lower income base
$35,741 median income is 26% below Mississippi county median
Water quality cross-check
Water quality grade is F. Review water data before treating housing cost as the full story.
Health context
Health score is 8.1 out of 100, so affordability should be weighed against local health indicators.
Crime data coverage
Crime data coverage is partial. Treat zero or low crime rates as incomplete until you check the source coverage.
Wide home-value margin
The ACS margin of error on home value is $27,021, so exact rankings should be read as directional.
Best Fit For
- Buyers comparing homes to local incomes
- Long-term owners who care about disaster-risk exposure
- Remote earners or cash buyers looking below the state price line
Poor Fit For
- Households dependent on a deep local wage market
- Buyers who will not investigate local water systems before moving
- Anyone treating reported crime rates as complete without source context
County vs State vs National
The county number only matters after you see the benchmark. These comparisons show where Sharkey County is genuinely cheap, where it is average, and where the hidden cost may be.
| Metric | County | State | U.S. | Signal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Median home value Lower usually helps affordability. | $108,000 | $114,900 | $281,900 | 6% favorable6% below Mississippi county median |
Median gross rent Lower usually helps affordability. | $622 | $756 | $1,163 | 18% favorable18% below Mississippi county median |
Monthly owner cost Lower usually helps affordability. | $716 | $615 | $1,672 | 16% pressure16% above Mississippi county median |
Median household income | $35,741 | $48,207 | $74,755 | 26% pressure26% below Mississippi county median |
Effective property-tax rate Lower usually helps affordability. | 0.93% | 1.00% | 1.02% | 7% favorable7% below Mississippi county median |
Rent burden Lower usually helps affordability. | 30.00% | 29.00% | N/A | Near state median30.00% of renter income goes to rent. |
Income Fit
A low price only helps if local income can carry the monthly cost. This panel compares the county income base with rent and owner-cost thresholds.
Rent cushion
+$10,861
Median income minus rent threshold.
Owner cushion
+$5,055
Median income minus owner-cost threshold.
Affordability Advisory
This turns the raw housing numbers into income and buy-versus-rent screens.
Affordability verdict
Sharkey County is affordable for renters, with a median gross rent of $622/month representing approximately 20.9% of median household income. The rent burden (GRAPI) stands at 30.0%.
Rent vs own
Renters in Sharkey County pay $622/month on average, compared to $716/month for homeowners. This market favors renters by about 13%.
Income needed
To afford the median rent without exceeding 30% of gross income, a household needs to earn approximately $24,880/year. For owner costs at the 28% rule, the required income is roughly $30,686/year. With a median household income of $35,741, most households can comfortably afford rent here. Notably, 30.0% of renter households in Sharkey County are cost-burdened, spending more than 30% of income on housing.
Regional context
Sharkey County sits 8% less expensive than Calhoun County ($674/month) in terms of median gross rent.
Better Counties to Compare
Similar counties are matched on home value, rent, income, and state context. This is more useful than a simple nearest-price list.
| County | Home Value | Rent | Why compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunflower County, MS | $103,400 | $670/mo | Same-state comparison near $103,400 home value and $670/mo rent. |
| Bolivar County, MS | $123,600 | $671/mo | Same-state comparison near $123,600 home value and $671/mo rent. |
| Adams County, MS | $106,300 | $720/mo | Same-state comparison near $106,300 home value and $720/mo rent. |
| Leflore County, MS | $98,200 | $701/mo | Same-state comparison near $98,200 home value and $701/mo rent. |
| Amite County, MS | $89,800 | $689/mo | Same-state comparison near $89,800 home value and $689/mo rent. |
Data Confidence
- Home-value estimate has a $27,021 ACS margin of error.
- Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
Next Checks
Housing Questions for Sharkey County
Is Sharkey County affordable for buying a home?
Is renting or owning cheaper in Sharkey County?
How much income do you need for housing in Sharkey County?
What should I double-check before moving to Sharkey County?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.