Maryland vs Mississippi
Same underlying data as the individual state pages, side by side. Statutory rates and redemption windows only — always confirm against the county's own auction notice before bidding.
| | Maryland | Mississippi |
|---|---|---|
| Sale type | Tax lien certificate | Redeemable deed |
| Rate / penalty | 6% default, set by each county (20% in Montgomery and Prince George's); price bidding, not rate | 1.5% a month on taxes and costs (not the overbid) |
| Redemption | Until a court forecloses (suit allowed after 6 months, 9 if owner-occupied) | 2 years |
These aren't the same kind of sale: Maryland runs a tax lien certificate, while Mississippi runs a redeemable deed. That changes what you actually hold after the sale — a claim against the debt in one case, the property itself (or a right to it) in the other.
Redemption windows differ: Maryland gives owners Until a court forecloses (suit allowed after 6 months, 9 if owner-occupied), Mississippi gives 2 years — the state with the shorter window resolves faster, for better or worse depending on what you're optimizing for.
Maryland bidders compete on price, not rate: each county fixes the redemption rate before the sale (6% by default under § 14-820, 20% in Montgomery and Prince George's) and owner-occupied homes are capped at 10%. The owner can redeem until a court forecloses, and you can't sue until 6 months after the sale (9 for owner-occupied).
Full Maryland page →Mississippi tax collectors sell the land itself on the last Monday of August to the highest bidder (Miss. Code §§ 27-41-55, 27-41-59). The buyer's title is subject to a two-year right of redemption, with no possession until the chancery clerk's deed (§§ 27-41-81, 27-45-3, 27-45-23). A redeeming owner pays the taxes and costs plus 1.5% a month, which go to the buyer, and 5% damages, which go to the county; the overbid is kept by the county if the land is redeemed (§§ 27-45-1, 27-41-77).
Full Mississippi page →Property & tax market
| | Maryland | Mississippi |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $419,900 | $169,800 |
| Median property tax / year | $4,093 | $1,215 |
| Tax / home value | 1.0% | 0.7% |
| Tax / household income | 3.9% | 2.2% |
| Homes owned outright | 29.0% | 50.6% |
| “Other vacant” homes | 3.0% | 9.1% |
| Median year built | 1979 | 1986 |
A typical home in Maryland pays 3.4× the property tax of one in Mississippi ($4,093 against $1,215 a year). That is the scale of what a typical home owes per unpaid year in each state, and of the money a certificate or a deed sale's opening bid is built from.
Homes owned outright — where no lender has a reason to pay the delinquent bill for the owner — are 29.0% of owner-occupied homes in Maryland and 50.6% in Mississippi. The Census “other vacant” share (foreclosures, homes in legal limbo or needing repairs, abandoned homes) is 3.0% against 9.1%: Mississippi has more of the empty properties that tend to go unredeemed — and to need work if the deed ends up yours.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates (tables B25077, B25103, B25081, B25002, B25004, B25035, B19013). Medians of what owners report paying, not statutory rates. County-level figures are on each state page.
Quick answers
Is Maryland or Mississippi a tax lien state?+
Maryland is a tax lien certificate state. Mississippi is a redeemable deed state.
Which has the higher rate, Maryland or Mississippi?+
Maryland: 6% default, set by each county (20% in Montgomery and Prince George's); price bidding, not rate. Mississippi: 1.5% a month on taxes and costs (not the overbid). Compare the actual statutory ceiling, not just the headline number — most "up to" rates get bid down at auction.
Which redeems faster, Maryland or Mississippi?+
Redemption windows differ: Maryland gives owners Until a court forecloses (suit allowed after 6 months, 9 if owner-occupied), Mississippi gives 2 years — the state with the shorter window resolves faster, for better or worse depending on what you're optimizing for.
Are property taxes higher in Maryland or Mississippi?+
The median homeowner pays $4,093 a year in Maryland and $1,215 in Mississippi (U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates). A typical home in Maryland pays 3.4× the property tax of one in Mississippi ($4,093 against $1,215 a year). That is the scale of what a typical home owes per unpaid year in each state, and of the money a certificate or a deed sale's opening bid is built from.
Want to line up more than two states, or swap in different ones? Use the interactive comparison tool — up to four states at once.
See where these two rank against all 50 states: full rankings.
This page is general information, not financial or legal advice. Rates and redemption periods are set by state statute and can change by county or legislative session — always confirm against the county's own auction notice before bidding.