The ranking in numbers
8.0%
Gross rental yield in Akron, the highest of the 100 largest metros
5.6%
Gross rental yield in the typical US ZIP code with rent data
$1,400
Typical monthly rent in Akron
7.7%
Gross rental yield in Mississippi, the highest-yielding state
The highest rental yields among the 100 largest metros
Gross rental yield is a year's rent divided by the home value, before taxes, insurance, upkeep and empty months. Highest first.
| # | Metro | Gross yield | Monthly rent | Home value | Rent, 12 months |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Akron, OH | 8.0% | $1,400 | $263,400 | +4.6% |
| 2 | Columbia, SC | 8.0% | $1,600 | $227,300 | +2.4% |
| 3 | El Paso, TX | 7.9% | $1,300 | $222,000 | +4.1% |
| 4 | Cleveland, OH | 7.8% | $1,400 | $282,000 | +4.4% |
| 5 | Birmingham, AL | 7.8% | $1,500 | $238,800 | +3.2% |
| 6 | Augusta, GA | 7.7% | $1,500 | $193,900 | +2.7% |
| 7 | McAllen, TX | 7.6% | $1,100 | $169,500 | +0.4% |
| 8 | Lakeland, FL | 7.6% | $1,800 | $285,300 | +2.1% |
| 9 | Dayton, OH | 7.6% | $1,400 | $248,500 | +4.2% |
| 10 | Memphis, TN | 7.4% | $1,500 | $239,000 | +1.0% |
| 11 | Cape Coral, FL | 7.3% | $1,900 | $330,200 | −0.4% |
| 12 | Baton Rouge, LA | 7.2% | $1,500 | $243,600 | +2.8% |
| 13 | Oklahoma City, OK | 7.2% | $1,400 | $223,300 | +2.4% |
| 14 | Winston-Salem, NC | 7.2% | $1,600 | $267,400 | +3.9% |
| 15 | Pensacola, FL | 7.2% | $1,800 | $290,900 | +3.4% |
| 16 | Detroit, MI | 7.1% | $1,500 | $298,800 | +3.9% |
| 17 | Pittsburgh, PA | 7.0% | $1,400 | $181,500 | +4.0% |
| 18 | North Port, FL | 7.0% | $2,100 | $388,500 | 0.0% |
| 19 | Palm Bay, FL | 7.0% | $2,000 | $347,500 | +2.0% |
| 20 | Greensboro, NC | 6.9% | $1,400 | $261,300 | +3.1% |
| 21 | New Orleans, LA | 6.9% | $1,500 | $234,800 | +1.7% |
| 22 | Tulsa, OK | 6.8% | $1,400 | $228,000 | +3.2% |
| 23 | Little Rock, AR | 6.8% | $1,300 | $238,400 | +2.7% |
| 24 | Tampa, FL | 6.8% | $2,000 | $362,600 | −0.1% |
| 25 | Killeen, TX | 6.8% | $1,400 | $285,800 | −0.1% |
The highest-yielding states
| # | State | Gross yield | Monthly rent | Home value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mississippi | 7.7% | $1,400 | $159,400 |
| 2 | Louisiana | 7.3% | $1,500 | $189,200 |
| 3 | Oklahoma | 7.2% | $1,300 | $185,900 |
| 4 | Alabama | 7.2% | $1,400 | $204,800 |
| 5 | West Virginia | 7.1% | $1,300 | $147,200 |
| 6 | Illinois | 7.0% | $1,900 | $197,600 |
| 7 | Florida | 6.9% | $2,100 | $344,900 |
| 8 | Ohio | 6.8% | $1,400 | $225,700 |
| 9 | Georgia | 6.7% | $1,800 | $257,600 |
| 10 | Indiana | 6.6% | $1,300 | $237,600 |
The highest-yielding ZIP codes
ZIP codes: the 5,000 most populous in the country, so that places with only a handful of sales a year do not crowd the list.
| # | ZIP code | Area | Metro | Gross yield | Monthly rent | Home value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 39209 | Jackson, MS | Jackson | 29.1% | $1,100 | $46,000 |
| 2 | 48205 | Detroit, MI | Detroit | 29.0% | $1,300 | $53,100 |
| 3 | 48234 | Detroit, MI | Detroit | 27.9% | $1,300 | $54,100 |
| 4 | 48238 | Detroit, MI | Detroit | 24.6% | $1,100 | $55,700 |
| 5 | 48227 | Detroit, MI | Detroit | 23.3% | $1,400 | $70,500 |
| 6 | 19132 | Philadelphia, PA | Philadelphia | 23.1% | $1,500 | $75,500 |
| 7 | 48228 | Detroit, MI | Detroit | 20.8% | $1,200 | $69,900 |
| 8 | 21217 | Baltimore, MD | Baltimore | 20.1% | $1,600 | $94,600 |
| 9 | 48224 | Detroit, MI | Detroit | 19.6% | $1,300 | $82,000 |
| 10 | 44105 | Cleveland, OH | Cleveland | 18.5% | $1,200 | $77,900 |
| 11 | 63136 | Jennings, MO | St. Louis | 18.4% | $1,300 | $83,600 |
| 12 | 31206 | Macon, GA | Macon | 17.9% | $1,100 | $76,900 |
| 13 | 48219 | Detroit, MI | Detroit | 17.8% | $1,300 | $90,800 |
| 14 | 21213 | Baltimore, MD | Baltimore | 17.7% | $1,700 | $116,100 |
| 15 | 21216 | Baltimore, MD | Baltimore | 17.0% | $1,600 | $114,200 |
| 16 | 33442 | Deerfield Beach, FL | Miami | 16.8% | $2,600 | $182,100 |
| 17 | 45417 | Dayton, OH | Dayton | 16.8% | $1,100 | $76,000 |
| 18 | 48235 | Detroit, MI | Detroit | 16.6% | $1,300 | $96,200 |
| 19 | 70805 | Baton Rouge, LA | Baton Rouge | 16.3% | $900 | $68,300 |
| 20 | 33417 | Century Village, FL | Miami | 16.2% | $1,800 | $135,200 |
Questions
Where is the best place to buy rental property?
On gross yield, Akron, OH leads the 100 largest metros at 8.0%, followed by Columbia, SC, El Paso, TX and Cleveland, OH. Yield is only the start: costs, vacancy and the direction of prices and rents decide the return.
What is a good rental yield?
The typical US ZIP code with rent data yields 5.6% gross. Above 7% is high by US standards, below 4% is low, and costs usually take a third or more of gross rent.
How is gross rental yield calculated?
Monthly rent times twelve, divided by the home value, times 100. A $250,000 home renting for $1,500 a month yields 7.2% gross.
More rankings
- Cheapest places to buy
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Sources and method
- Source: CITIZEN, Lualdi Advisors' US housing market intelligence. Home values and rents through August 2026; household incomes 2020 to 2024; migration for tax years 2022 to 2023.
- The 100 largest metros are those holding the most of the country's 5,000 most populous ZIP codes. Metro and state figures are medians across their ZIP codes, not a separate index.
- Rebuilt every month with CITIZEN's latest data. Last updated 2026-10-14.
