Jackson’s Zillow ZHVI typical home value is $85,739, while ZORI typical observed market rent is $1,270 monthly. Their implied gross yield is 17.8%, calculated before every operating cost, financing and vacancy. ZHVI is 2.04x ACS median household income, while annualized ZORI equals 36.2% of that income. These are city-level screening ratios, not a property return or a household-specific affordability test.
The city has 74,871 housing units; 51.4% of occupied units are renter-occupied, and the citywide vacancy rate is 18.0%. ACS reports a $111,700 median owner-reported home value and $1,055 median gross rent for surveyed occupied housing, with gross rent including contract rent and selected utilities. Those ACS measures differ in definition and period from Zillow’s typical value and observed market rent, so they should not be averaged.
Direct city context shows 60.3% of renting households are cost-burdened. Single-family homes comprise 68.6% of units and large multifamily buildings 7.0%; these survey shares do not measure available investment inventory. Of vacant units, 21.6% are classified for rent, while for-sale and seasonal vacancies are distinct reasons, so total vacancy is not rental availability. Population declined 11.9% between overlapping ACS five-year vintages; this is not annualized and may reflect boundary changes. Median household income is $42,071, poverty is 27.9%, and unemployment is 9.3%. These are descriptive demand constraints, not proof of lease-up speed or causation.
County context must be matched to the parcel. Hinds County county context reports a 0.877% property-tax rate. Madison County county context reports 0.678%, while Rankin County county context reports 0.602%; these records remain separate. At the Jackson metro scope, jobs fell 0.81%, listings with price drops were 27.44%, and supply was 3.6 months, offering broader demand and market-balance context rather than city measures. At the national scope, the 30-year mortgage rate is 6.58%, a financing benchmark rather than a Jackson borrowing quote.
The headline yield can be materially reduced by taxes, insurance, repairs, utilities, management, collection loss, turnover and financing; none is captured in the simple calculation. Before underwriting, confirm the property’s county, parcel tax bill, insurance and hazard terms, physical condition, deferred maintenance, utility responsibility, legal use, title and any existing leases. Obtain address-level sale and rent comps, test realistic downtime and concessions, and price rehabilitation through inspections and bids. Citywide tenure, vacancy and structure data cannot establish a particular property’s condition, tenant demand or achievable rent.