Counties with the highest rent-to-price
The 100 US counties of 100,000 people or more with the highest monthly rent compared with home value. It's a starting point for research, not a list of recommended places to buy.
The 100 US counties of 100,000 people or more with the highest monthly rent compared with home value. It's a starting point for research, not a list of recommended places to buy.
| County | Rent-to-price | Home value | 2-bed rent | Prices, 5 yr avg | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Robeson County, NC | 1.07% | $94,500 | $1,012 | +9.3% | 5.3% |
| 2. Oswego County, NY | 0.98% | $151,700 | $1,493 | +10.5% | 4.3% |
| 3. Fayette County, PA | 0.97% | $143,200 | $1,389 | +6.8% | 5.5% |
| 4. Wyandotte County, KS | 0.90% | $172,300 | $1,546 | +10.1% | 4.8% |
| 5. Baltimore city, MD | 0.87% | $229,600 | $2,006 | +5.5% | 5.2% |
| 6. Macon County, IL | 0.86% | $127,300 | $1,091 | +7.6% | 5.8% |
| 7. St. Lawrence County, NY | 0.85% | $121,900 | $1,041 | +6.8% | 4.6% |
| 8. Cambria County, PA | 0.84% | $121,000 | $1,014 | +7.6% | 5.0% |
| 9. Madison County, IN | 0.83% | $161,300 | $1,331 | +9.4% | 3.7% |
| 10. Wayne County, MI | 0.82% | $178,500 | $1,459 | +8.4% | 6.0% |
| 11. Delaware County, IN | 0.82% | $139,400 | $1,145 | +9.5% | 4.1% |
| 12. Liberty County, TX | 0.82% | $181,700 | $1,497 | +6.4% | 5.4% |
| 13. Hinds County, MS | 0.81% | $159,900 | $1,289 | +5.0% | 3.9% |
| 14. Sumter County, SC | 0.81% | $165,300 | $1,338 | +8.7% | 5.4% |
| 15. Clayton County, GA | 0.79% | $222,300 | $1,762 | +10.9% | 4.4% |
| 16. Broome County, NY | 0.79% | $154,900 | $1,219 | +9.2% | 4.2% |
| 17. Chautauqua County, NY | 0.79% | $127,900 | $1,014 | +9.0% | 4.3% |
| 18. Luzerne County, PA | 0.78% | $174,100 | $1,363 | +10.0% | 5.3% |
| 19. Madison County, IL | 0.78% | $173,000 | $1,349 | +8.0% | 4.0% |
| 20. Vigo County, IN | 0.78% | $148,500 | $1,164 | +8.9% | 3.9% |
| 21. Philadelphia County, PA | 0.77% | $243,100 | $1,860 | +5.1% | 5.3% |
| 22. Cumberland County, NJ | 0.77% | $221,400 | $1,704 | +11.5% | 8.1% |
| 23. Jefferson County, NY | 0.77% | $188,200 | $1,453 | +6.1% | 4.5% |
| 24. Cameron County, TX | 0.76% | $136,500 | $1,042 | +9.2% | 6.9% |
| 25. Peoria County, IL | 0.76% | $158,500 | $1,212 | +7.7% | 5.3% |
| 26. Ector County, TX | 0.76% | $200,200 | $1,522 | +3.9% | 3.7% |
| 27. Calhoun County, MI | 0.76% | $162,800 | $1,233 | +9.0% | 5.7% |
| 28. Onondaga County, NY | 0.75% | $200,200 | $1,493 | +10.8% | 3.6% |
| 29. St. Clair County, IL | 0.75% | $180,300 | $1,349 | +8.7% | 4.5% |
| 30. Niagara County, NY | 0.75% | $189,800 | $1,423 | +9.7% | 4.4% |
| 31. Saginaw County, MI | 0.75% | $152,800 | $1,141 | +9.0% | 6.5% |
| 32. Bibb County, GA | 0.75% | $174,500 | $1,309 | +9.3% | 4.3% |
| 33. Potter County, TX | 0.75% | $147,300 | $1,107 | +6.8% | 3.5% |
| 34. Hunt County, TX | 0.75% | $241,700 | $1,807 | +8.7% | 4.2% |
| 35. Cumberland County, NC | 0.74% | $199,200 | $1,476 | +10.8% | 4.8% |
| 36. Richmond County, GA | 0.74% | $178,500 | $1,329 | +9.0% | 4.7% |
| 37. Wichita County, TX | 0.74% | $153,700 | $1,145 | +8.5% | 3.8% |
| 38. Beaver County, PA | 0.73% | $190,900 | $1,389 | +6.8% | 4.5% |
| 39. Schenectady County, NY | 0.73% | $235,700 | $1,711 | +9.5% | 3.7% |
| 40. Kendall County, IL | 0.73% | $322,400 | $2,341 | +9.2% | 4.3% |
| 41. Hidalgo County, TX | 0.72% | $140,900 | $1,017 | +9.3% | 6.3% |
| 42. Jefferson County, TX | 0.72% | $169,500 | $1,218 | +5.5% | 5.7% |
| 43. Tazewell County, IL | 0.72% | $167,500 | $1,212 | +7.2% | 4.5% |
| 44. Winnebago County, IL | 0.71% | $164,500 | $1,172 | +10.9% | 5.4% |
| 45. Trumbull County, OH | 0.71% | $141,800 | $1,003 | +9.7% | 5.9% |
| 46. Kanawha County, WV | 0.71% | $147,300 | $1,048 | +6.1% | 4.1% |
| 47. Blair County, PA | 0.71% | $161,100 | $1,151 | +6.3% | 4.1% |
| 48. Wayne County, NC | 0.71% | $178,700 | $1,261 | +10.0% | 3.9% |
| 49. Allen County, OH | 0.71% | $165,300 | $1,179 | +8.8% | 4.8% |
| 50. Lucas County, OH | 0.70% | $163,900 | $1,145 | +8.6% | 6.0% |
| 51. Sangamon County, IL | 0.70% | $176,300 | $1,237 | +7.3% | 4.4% |
| 52. Penobscot County, ME | 0.70% | $214,100 | $1,496 | +11.0% | 3.7% |
| 53. Schuylkill County, PA | 0.70% | $153,000 | $1,068 | +10.3% | 4.9% |
| 54. Rock Island County, IL | 0.70% | $150,400 | $1,056 | +7.0% | 5.2% |
| 55. Kankakee County, IL | 0.70% | $192,600 | $1,349 | +7.9% | 5.5% |
| 56. Marion County, IN | 0.69% | $224,000 | $1,536 | +8.1% | 3.7% |
| 57. Montgomery County, OH | 0.69% | $180,900 | $1,248 | +9.3% | 5.0% |
| 58. Hernando County, FL | 0.69% | $276,000 | $1,917 | +10.9% | 4.6% |
| 59. Carroll County, GA | 0.69% | $255,100 | $1,762 | +9.7% | 3.3% |
| 60. Jasper County, MO | 0.69% | $166,900 | $1,153 | +9.3% | 3.8% |
| 61. Tom Green County, TX | 0.69% | $197,000 | $1,350 | +7.2% | 3.3% |
| 62. Bay County, MI | 0.69% | $152,200 | $1,055 | +9.8% | 6.1% |
| 63. Nueces County, TX | 0.68% | $208,800 | $1,421 | +6.6% | 4.2% |
| 64. Westmoreland County, PA | 0.68% | $203,500 | $1,389 | +7.4% | 4.2% |
| 65. Dauphin County, PA | 0.68% | $236,400 | $1,598 | +9.0% | 4.4% |
| 66. St. Louis city, MO | 0.68% | $197,500 | $1,349 | +6.6% | 4.6% |
| 67. Lackawanna County, PA | 0.68% | $201,800 | $1,363 | +9.0% | 4.7% |
| 68. Hampton city, VA | 0.68% | $245,700 | $1,667 | +9.3% | 4.2% |
| 69. Clark County, OH | 0.68% | $169,900 | $1,160 | +10.0% | 5.3% |
| 70. Jackson County, MO | 0.67% | $230,500 | $1,546 | +8.3% | 4.2% |
| 71. Ingham County, MI | 0.67% | $198,800 | $1,323 | +8.3% | 5.0% |
| 72. Gaston County, NC | 0.67% | $266,000 | $1,785 | +10.5% | 4.0% |
| 73. Montgomery County, AL | 0.67% | $171,900 | $1,150 | +6.3% | 3.1% |
| 74. Highlands County, FL | 0.67% | $187,900 | $1,259 | +11.6% | 5.6% |
| 75. Monroe County, NY | 0.66% | $213,700 | $1,416 | +11.1% | 3.8% |
| 76. St. Joseph County, IN | 0.66% | $192,800 | $1,276 | +9.7% | 4.1% |
| 77. Oneida County, NY | 0.66% | $182,600 | $1,210 | +9.3% | 3.9% |
| 78. Rensselaer County, NY | 0.66% | $258,400 | $1,711 | +8.6% | 3.5% |
| 79. Taylor County, TX | 0.66% | $198,600 | $1,310 | +7.3% | 3.4% |
| 80. Newton County, GA | 0.66% | $265,000 | $1,762 | +10.2% | 4.1% |
| 81. Androscoggin County, ME | 0.66% | $252,800 | $1,677 | +11.4% | 3.5% |
| 82. Columbiana County, OH | 0.66% | $151,600 | $1,003 | +8.2% | 5.3% |
| 83. Cuyahoga County, OH | 0.65% | $195,400 | $1,274 | +9.0% | 4.1% |
| 84. Camden County, NJ | 0.65% | $287,100 | $1,860 | +11.7% | 5.7% |
| 85. McHenry County, IL | 0.65% | $308,100 | $2,011 | +9.5% | 4.1% |
| 86. Mahoning County, OH | 0.65% | $154,700 | $1,003 | +10.1% | 5.4% |
| 87. Shawnee County, KS | 0.65% | $180,900 | $1,172 | +8.6% | 3.8% |
| 88. Muskegon County, MI | 0.65% | $198,300 | $1,285 | +11.2% | 5.7% |
| 89. St. Clair County, MI | 0.65% | $224,600 | $1,459 | +8.3% | 5.0% |
| 90. Pickens County, SC | 0.65% | $231,900 | $1,507 | +9.7% | 4.3% |
| 91. LaSalle County, IL | 0.65% | $161,900 | $1,052 | +8.7% | 5.4% |
| 92. Woodbury County, IA | 0.65% | $183,200 | $1,194 | +7.9% | 3.5% |
| 93. El Paso County, TX | 0.64% | $180,400 | $1,146 | +9.4% | 4.4% |
| 94. Pasco County, FL | 0.64% | $300,900 | $1,917 | +11.1% | 4.3% |
| 95. Atlantic County, NJ | 0.64% | $295,000 | $1,899 | +12.5% | 6.7% |
| 96. Newport News city, VA | 0.64% | $260,600 | $1,667 | +8.3% | 4.0% |
| 97. Houston County, GA | 0.64% | $219,800 | $1,396 | +10.1% | 3.0% |
| 98. Randolph County, NC | 0.64% | $197,100 | $1,271 | +10.5% | 3.6% |
| 99. Calhoun County, AL | 0.64% | $156,600 | $1,010 | +8.4% | 3.2% |
| 100. Ontario County, NY | 0.64% | $222,900 | $1,416 | +10.0% | 3.4% |
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Use this to shortlist, not to decide. These are county-wide figures, and a single county can hold very different neighborhoods. Check a real deal with the rental cash flow calculator.
Rent-to-price is the 2-bedroom rent as a percent of the median home value. It's a rough comparison between counties. The two figures describe different homes, and the home value lags current prices, so it can look better than today's market in places where prices rose quickly.
2-bed rent is HUD's Fair Market Rent (fiscal year from Oct 1, 2026): the 40th percentile for recent movers, including utilities. HUD often uses one figure across a whole metro area, so neighboring counties can match.
Home value and population are Census American Community Survey 5-year estimates through 2024. Home values are what owners report. Counties under 100,000 people aren't listed.
Prices are the FHFA House Price Index through 2025: the latest year's change, and the average yearly change over five years. FHFA calls its county index developmental, and it doesn't cover every county.
Property tax is median taxes paid divided by median home value, from the Census. It reflects what current owners pay. An investor buying today can pay more where assessments are capped for homeowners, as in Florida and California.
People and jobs: income, vacant homes (seasonal homes count as vacant, which can look high in vacation areas) and renters are Census 5-year estimates. Population growth compares two Census releases five years apart. Rent ÷ income is a year of the 2-bedroom rent as a percent of median household income. Unemployment is the Bureau of Labor Statistics yearly average for 2025.