Best US Cities for
Rental Yield (2026)
Gross yield ranking of the 150 largest US metro areas, based on Zillow ZORI (rent) and ZHVI (home value) data as of May 2026.
Median yield (top 150)
5.87%
Average yield (top 150)
5.85%
Top-to-bottom spread
5.99 pts
Metros above 7% yield
26 / 150
Rental Yield by State
Average gross yield across all represented metros per state (top 150 by market size). Hover a state for its average.
Look Up a City
Gross yield = annual rent ÷ home value. A $200K home renting at $1,400/mo = 8.4% gross yield. It doesn't include taxes, insurance, or vacancy — use the calculator for net returns.
Full Rankings — Top 150 Metros
150 of 150 metros shown
| Rank ↑ | Metro ↕ | Monthly Rent ↕ | Median Value ↕ | Gross Yield ↕ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shreveport, LA | $1,348 | $186,193 | 8.69% |
| 2 | Beaumont, TX | $1,332 | $185,608 | 8.61% |
| 3 | Brownsville, TX | $1,460 | $207,150 | 8.45% |
| 4 | Peoria, IL | $1,179 | $172,742 | 8.19% |
| 5 | Lafayette, LA | $1,371 | $202,312 | 8.13% |
| 6 | Jackson, MS | $1,450 | $215,136 | 8.09% |
| 7 | Mobile, AL | $1,323 | $197,857 | 8.02% |
| 8 | Pittsburgh, PA | $1,527 | $231,356 | 7.92% |
| 9 | Huntington, WV | $1,094 | $166,506 | 7.89% |
| 10 | Montgomery, AL | $1,402 | $214,099 | 7.86% |
| 11 | El Paso, TX | $1,520 | $232,910 | 7.83% |
| 12 | Chicago, IL | $2,266 | $353,998 | 7.68% |
| 13 | Toledo, OH | $1,302 | $203,726 | 7.67% |
| 14 | Gulfport, MS | $1,423 | $224,666 | 7.60% |
| 15 | Corpus Christi, TX | $1,408 | $225,070 | 7.51% |
| 16 | New Orleans, LA | $1,622 | $261,414 | 7.45% |
| 17 | Lakeland, FL | $1,849 | $298,816 | 7.42% |
| 18 | Syracuse, NY | $1,633 | $264,903 | 7.40% |
| 19 | Port St. Lucie, FL | $2,332 | $383,275 | 7.30% |
| 20 | Columbia, SC | $1,537 | $256,154 | 7.20% |
| 21 | Scranton, PA | $1,358 | $227,793 | 7.15% |
| 22 | Ocala, FL | $1,615 | $273,318 | 7.09% |
| 23 | Youngstown, OH | $1,030 | $175,405 | 7.05% |
| 24 | Trenton, NJ | $2,623 | $446,377 | 7.05% |
| 25 | Memphis, TN | $1,441 | $247,229 | 7.00% |
| 26 | Augusta, GA | $1,479 | $253,524 | 7.00% |
| 27 | McAllen, TX | $1,128 | $193,978 | 6.98% |
| 28 | Cleveland, OH | $1,461 | $252,210 | 6.95% |
| 29 | Fayetteville, NC | $1,481 | $259,183 | 6.86% |
| 30 | Pensacola, FL | $1,765 | $310,470 | 6.82% |
| 31 | Miami, FL | $2,693 | $475,622 | 6.80% |
| 32 | Oklahoma City, OK | $1,399 | $246,872 | 6.80% |
| 33 | Baton Rouge, LA | $1,393 | $248,176 | 6.74% |
| 34 | Rochester, NY | $1,597 | $285,034 | 6.72% |
| 35 | Tampa, FL | $2,018 | $360,738 | 6.71% |
| 36 | Detroit, MI | $1,500 | $269,080 | 6.69% |
| 37 | Palm Bay, FL | $1,920 | $344,841 | 6.68% |
| 38 | Cape Coral, FL | $1,881 | $339,372 | 6.65% |
| 39 | Flint, MI | $1,096 | $197,858 | 6.65% |
| 40 | Birmingham, AL | $1,448 | $262,556 | 6.62% |
| 41 | Hickory, NC | $1,496 | $271,739 | 6.61% |
| 42 | Winston, NC | $1,546 | $283,871 | 6.54% |
| 43 | Deltona, FL | $1,804 | $330,725 | 6.54% |
| 44 | Little Rock, AR | $1,246 | $231,039 | 6.47% |
| 45 | Tallahassee, FL | $1,530 | $285,256 | 6.44% |
| 46 | New Haven, CT | $2,186 | $408,096 | 6.43% |
| 47 | Greensboro, NC | $1,424 | $266,370 | 6.41% |
| 48 | North Port, FL | $2,154 | $403,601 | 6.40% |
| 49 | Tulsa, OK | $1,352 | $253,725 | 6.39% |
| 50 | Wichita, KS | $1,201 | $225,557 | 6.39% |
| 51 | Houston, TX | $1,639 | $308,306 | 6.38% |
| 52 | United States | $1,951 | $370,320 | 6.32% |
| 53 | Killeen, TX | $1,328 | $252,591 | 6.31% |
| 54 | Indianapolis, IN | $1,553 | $295,921 | 6.30% |
| 55 | St. Louis, MO | $1,451 | $276,878 | 6.29% |
| 56 | Akron, OH | $1,260 | $241,251 | 6.27% |
| 57 | Davenport, IA | $1,021 | $195,380 | 6.27% |
| 58 | Springfield, MA | $1,941 | $376,017 | 6.20% |
| 59 | Savannah, GA | $1,792 | $348,054 | 6.18% |
| 60 | Orlando, FL | $1,977 | $387,733 | 6.12% |
| 61 | Allentown, PA | $1,857 | $363,989 | 6.12% |
| 62 | Myrtle Beach, SC | $1,726 | $340,239 | 6.09% |
| 63 | Cincinnati, OH | $1,575 | $311,270 | 6.07% |
| 64 | Lansing, MI | $1,265 | $250,377 | 6.06% |
| 65 | San Antonio, TX | $1,404 | $280,297 | 6.01% |
| 66 | Buffalo, NY | $1,444 | $288,316 | 6.01% |
| 67 | Virginia Beach, VA | $1,862 | $373,678 | 5.98% |
| 68 | Canton, OH | $1,084 | $218,776 | 5.95% |
| 69 | Hartford, CT | $1,975 | $400,167 | 5.92% |
| 70 | Fresno, CA | $2,020 | $409,749 | 5.91% |
| 71 | Naples, FL | $2,739 | $556,339 | 5.91% |
| 72 | Bakersfield, CA | $1,788 | $364,264 | 5.89% |
| 73 | Philadelphia, PA | $1,914 | $390,463 | 5.88% |
| 74 | Greenville, SC | $1,544 | $315,285 | 5.88% |
| 75 | Louisville, KY | $1,385 | $283,232 | 5.87% |
| 76 | Visalia, CA | $1,775 | $363,064 | 5.87% |
| 77 | Ann Arbor, MI | $2,068 | $422,945 | 5.87% |
| 78 | Fort Wayne, IN | $1,264 | $259,816 | 5.84% |
| 79 | New York, NY | $3,503 | $727,625 | 5.78% |
| 80 | Jacksonville, FL | $1,701 | $352,994 | 5.78% |
| 81 | Reading, PA | $1,505 | $312,348 | 5.78% |
| 82 | Atlanta, GA | $1,840 | $382,938 | 5.77% |
| 83 | Knoxville, TN | $1,762 | $367,158 | 5.76% |
| 84 | Harrisburg, PA | $1,487 | $312,126 | 5.72% |
| 85 | Baltimore, MD | $1,919 | $405,877 | 5.67% |
| 86 | Kansas City, MO | $1,548 | $329,641 | 5.64% |
| 87 | Chattanooga, TN | $1,530 | $326,370 | 5.63% |
| 88 | Lexington, KY | $1,528 | $327,671 | 5.60% |
| 89 | Springfield, MO | $1,271 | $272,938 | 5.59% |
| 90 | Omaha, NE | $1,444 | $310,337 | 5.58% |
| 91 | Charleston, SC | $2,024 | $435,877 | 5.57% |
| 92 | Salisbury, MD | $1,968 | $429,483 | 5.50% |
| 93 | Dallas, TX | $1,678 | $366,823 | 5.49% |
| 94 | Columbus, OH | $1,524 | $333,537 | 5.48% |
| 95 | Stockton, CA | $2,421 | $531,785 | 5.46% |
| 96 | Albany, NY | $1,681 | $370,533 | 5.44% |
| 97 | Worcester, MA | $2,182 | $482,611 | 5.43% |
| 98 | Grand Rapids, MI | $1,623 | $359,923 | 5.41% |
| 99 | York, PA | $1,384 | $309,967 | 5.36% |
| 100 | Charlotte, NC | $1,740 | $390,321 | 5.35% |
| 101 | Richmond, VA | $1,763 | $397,705 | 5.32% |
| 102 | Modesto, CA | $2,052 | $468,302 | 5.26% |
| 103 | Huntsville, AL | $1,385 | $316,645 | 5.25% |
| 104 | Minneapolis, MN | $1,721 | $393,774 | 5.24% |
| 105 | Des Moines, IA | $1,293 | $296,070 | 5.24% |
| 106 | Boston, MA | $3,211 | $741,868 | 5.19% |
| 107 | Fayetteville, AR | $1,594 | $368,497 | 5.19% |
| 108 | Riverside, CA | $2,519 | $585,378 | 5.16% |
| 109 | Tucson, AZ | $1,473 | $343,580 | 5.14% |
| 110 | Portland, ME | $2,320 | $542,063 | 5.14% |
| 111 | Albuquerque, NM | $1,502 | $352,894 | 5.11% |
| 112 | Anchorage, AK | $1,770 | $422,103 | 5.03% |
| 113 | Vallejo, CA | $2,400 | $576,614 | 5.00% |
| 114 | Washington, DC | $2,416 | $583,013 | 4.97% |
| 115 | Bridgeport, CT | $2,853 | $689,914 | 4.96% |
| 116 | Providence, RI | $2,163 | $524,867 | 4.94% |
| 117 | Durham, NC | $1,703 | $414,340 | 4.93% |
| 118 | Manchester, NH | $2,136 | $526,340 | 4.87% |
| 119 | Las Vegas, NV | $1,737 | $430,650 | 4.84% |
| 120 | Asheville, NC | $1,708 | $428,742 | 4.78% |
| 121 | Nashville, TN | $1,798 | $455,958 | 4.73% |
| 122 | Milwaukee, WI | $1,538 | $390,238 | 4.73% |
| 123 | Lancaster, PA | $1,526 | $388,207 | 4.72% |
| 124 | Sacramento, CA | $2,283 | $582,707 | 4.70% |
| 125 | Phoenix, AZ | $1,742 | $448,352 | 4.66% |
| 126 | Eugene, OR | $1,780 | $459,366 | 4.65% |
| 127 | Raleigh, NC | $1,694 | $438,364 | 4.64% |
| 128 | Colorado Springs, CO | $1,767 | $457,300 | 4.64% |
| 129 | Austin, TX | $1,635 | $428,524 | 4.58% |
| 130 | Madison, WI | $1,683 | $452,769 | 4.46% |
| 131 | Boise City, ID | $1,837 | $496,288 | 4.44% |
| 132 | Spokane, WA | $1,549 | $423,842 | 4.39% |
| 133 | Salem, OR | $1,628 | $454,689 | 4.30% |
| 134 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $2,980 | $851,163 | 4.20% |
| 135 | Reno, NV | $1,978 | $570,546 | 4.16% |
| 136 | Fort Collins, CO | $1,928 | $556,500 | 4.16% |
| 137 | Salinas, CA | $2,895 | $850,461 | 4.08% |
| 138 | Oxnard, CA | $2,979 | $883,047 | 4.05% |
| 139 | Provo, UT | $1,825 | $546,641 | 4.01% |
| 140 | Denver, CO | $1,910 | $573,221 | 4.00% |
| 141 | Santa Maria, CA | $3,338 | $1,005,339 | 3.98% |
| 142 | Santa Rosa, CA | $2,637 | $796,761 | 3.97% |
| 143 | Portland, OR | $1,797 | $552,022 | 3.91% |
| 144 | Ogden, UT | $1,630 | $520,531 | 3.76% |
| 145 | San Diego, CA | $2,951 | $946,365 | 3.74% |
| 146 | Los Angeles, CA | $2,909 | $968,608 | 3.60% |
| 147 | Seattle, WA | $2,232 | $750,279 | 3.57% |
| 148 | Salt Lake City, UT | $1,641 | $568,656 | 3.46% |
| 149 | San Francisco, CA | $3,258 | $1,149,215 | 3.40% |
| 150 | San Jose, CA | $3,625 | $1,610,466 | 2.70% |
Methodology
Gross yield = annual rent (Zillow ZORI) ÷ median home value (Zillow ZHVI) × 100, as of May 2026. ZORI is the Zillow Observed Rent Index (smoothed, SFR + condo); ZHVI is the Zillow Home Value Index (middle tier, smoothed, seasonally adjusted). Both datasets use metro-level medians. Ranking covers the 150 largest US metros by Zillow SizeRank.
What the Data Shows
The May 2026 Zillow data reveals a sharp yield divide across the 150 largest US metros. Gross yields range from 8.69% in Shreveport, LA to 2.70% in San Jose, CA — a 5.99-point spread driven almost entirely by home price levels rather than rent levels. The median gross yield in this group is 5.87%, and only 26 of 150 metros exceed 7%.
States Dominating the Top of the Rankings
The top-yielding states among major markets are MS (7.8% average across 2 metros), LA (7.8% average across 4 metros), IL (7.4% average across 3 metros). These states combine large enough population centers to appear in the top 150 by market size, while maintaining home prices that have stayed affordable relative to local incomes.
The Structural Divide: Affordable Interior vs. Coastal and Mountain West
The pattern in this dataset is structural, not cyclical. Coastal and Mountain West metros — CO (4.3%), HI (4.2%), WA (4.0%), UT (3.7%) — sit at the bottom of the yield table because home price appreciation in these markets has consistently outpaced rent growth over the past decade. A home in San Jose, CA now trades at $1,610,466 while commanding only $3,625/month in rent. Investors in those markets are largely underwriting appreciation, not income.
The inversion is mechanical: rents track local incomes, which converge across US metros. Home prices reflect both local fundamentals and out-of-market capital flows, rate cycles, and land scarcity premiums — factors that diverge sharply between markets. When those two series decouple, yield ratios compress on the coasts and expand in the interior.
What This Means for Rental Investors
A gross yield above the 5.87% median is a meaningful screening threshold — it suggests a market where the income math works without heroic assumptions. But yield is only one axis of return. Investors should weigh:
- Liquidity: Even within the top 150 metros, higher-yielding markets tend to be smaller. Fewer buyers means longer holding periods when exiting.
- Appreciation: High-yield markets often deliver modest nominal home price growth. The Shreveport, LA investor collects strong cash flow but may not see the equity appreciation available in lower-yield markets.
- Vacancy and management: Markets with fewer employers or single-industry bases carry higher vacancy risk than diversified metros.
The most durable rental investments historically combine reasonable yield (above median), population stability or growth, and economic diversification — criteria that point toward mid-tier Midwest and South metros rather than either extreme of the yield spectrum.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a good rental yield in 2026?
Among the 150 largest US metros, gross yields range from 2.70% (San Jose, CA) to 8.69% (Shreveport, LA), with a median of 5.87%. Anything above 5.87% puts a property in the top half of major US markets by gross return. Most experienced investors consider 6–8% gross yield solid for a large metro. After accounting for property taxes, insurance, vacancy (~5–10%), and management fees (~8–10% of rent), expect net operating yields (cap rates) to run 2–4 percentage points lower.
What is the difference between gross yield and cap rate?
Gross yield = annual rent ÷ purchase price × 100 — no expenses deducted. Cap rate = net operating income (NOI) ÷ purchase price × 100, where NOI subtracts property taxes, insurance, maintenance, management fees, and an allowance for vacancy. Gross yield is a quick screening metric useful for comparing markets at a glance. Cap rate is what lenders and sophisticated investors actually underwrite. This ranking uses gross yield intentionally: it's the metric that's directly computable from public Zillow data without subjective expense assumptions.
Why do cheaper cities tend to have higher rental yields?
Rents and home prices don't scale proportionally. A home worth $186,193 in Shreveport, LA rents for $1,348/month (8.7% yield); a home worth $1,610,466 in San Jose, CA rents for $3,625/month (2.7% yield). Rents are anchored to local incomes, which converge across US metros more than home prices do. Home prices in coastal and Mountain West markets price in strong future appreciation expectations and out-of-market capital flows — rents don't follow. That structural gap compresses yields in high-price markets and inflates them in affordable ones.
Is a high rental yield always a good investment?
Not necessarily — several risks concentrate at the top of yield rankings. Liquidity: even among the 150 largest metros in this dataset, higher-yielding markets tend to have smaller populations, meaning fewer buyers when you need to exit. Appreciation: high-yield markets often deliver lower nominal home price growth — you collect cash flow but build less equity. Vacancy risk: in markets with weak or single-industry employment bases, vacancies spike with local downturns. Economic fragility: some high-yield metros rank high precisely because their economies have underperformed, depressing home values faster than rents. Always layer in job market data, population trends, and landlord-tenant law alongside the yield number.
How is rental yield calculated?
Gross yield = (monthly rent × 12) ÷ median home value × 100. This ranking uses Zillow ZORI (Zillow Observed Rent Index, smoothed, Single-Family Residence + Condo/Co-op) as the monthly rent estimate, and Zillow ZHVI (Zillow Home Value Index, middle tier, smoothed and seasonally adjusted) as the home value, both as of May 2026. Both are metro-level medians. The join is done on Zillow's RegionID, which is a stable identifier across datasets. Data is pulled from public CSV files at zillow.com/research/data.
Which US states have the best rental yields?
Among the 150 largest US metros, the leading states by average gross yield are: MS (7.8% avg across 2 metros), LA (7.8% avg across 4 metros), IL (7.4% avg across 3 metros), NJ (7.0% avg across 1 metro), AL (6.9% avg across 4 metros), TX (6.8% avg across 10 metros). These states share a common profile: large enough populations to host major metros, but home prices that have remained affordable relative to local rents. At the other end, CO (4.3%), HI (4.2%), WA (4.0%), UT (3.7%) consistently post the lowest yields — home price appreciation in these markets has outrun rent growth for over a decade.
Calculate Net ROI for a Specific Property
Gross yield is the starting point. Our calculator adds financing, taxes, vacancy, and multi-year projections to give you the full investment picture.
Open the Free ROI Calculator →Data: Zillow Research, zillow.com/research/data · ZORI (Smoothed) and ZHVI All Homes (Smoothed, Seasonally Adjusted), Metro & U.S., as of May 2026. Zillow® is a registered trademark of Zillow, Inc. Rental ROI Calculator is not affiliated with Zillow.