Rental numbers for Lee County, AL
The typical home here runs -$1,093 a month at 7.78% with 25% down, breaking even at about 0.6%. 0 of 5 ZIP codes with full Zillow data in this county are cash-flow positive; the median gross yield is 6.0%.
- Gross yield
- 5.5%
- typical home, Zillow
- Median ZIP yield
- 6.0%
- 5 ZIPs with full data
- Cash flow
- -$1,093/mo
- at 7.78%, 25% down
- Typical price
- $350,000
- Zillow ZHVI, Aug 2026
- Typical rent
- $1,617/mo
- Zillow ZORI, Aug 2026
ZIP codes in Lee County
9 with published figures
| 36870Phenix City | $247,000 | $1,592 | 7.8% | 4.4% | -$428 | n/a |
| 36877Smiths Station | $292,000 | $1,484 | 6.1% | 3.1% | -$826 | n/a |
| 36801Opelika | $299,000 | $1,505 | 6.0% | 3.0% | -$851 | n/a |
| 36832Auburn | $379,000 | $1,643 | 5.2% | 2.4% | -$1,288 | +6.9% |
| 36852Cusseta | $277,000 | $1,170* | 5.1% | 2.2% | -$975 | n/a |
| 36830Auburn | $430,000 | $1,750 | 4.9% | 2.3% | -$1,498 | +4.6% |
| 36874Salem | $333,000 | $1,170* | 4.2% | 1.5% | -$1,380 | n/a |
| 36804Opelika | $325,000 | $1,060* | 3.9% | 1.3% | -$1,410 | n/a |
| 36879Waverly | $460,000 | $1,060* | 2.8% | 0.5% | -$2,283 | n/a |
* HUD Fair Market Rent, 2 bedroom, where Zillow publishes no rent index. Conservative.
Trends
Five years to August 2026
- Price, 12 months
- +4.4%
- Rent, 12 months
- +4.7%
- Rent minus price growth
- +0.2 pts
- Property tax
- 0.48%
- effective rate, ACS 2024
Show the numbers
| Month | Typical value | Rent |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 2021 | $272,382 | $1,158 |
| Aug 2022 | $300,907 | $1,272 |
| Aug 2023 | $315,860 | $1,349 |
| Aug 2024 | $325,905 | $1,492 |
| Aug 2025 | $334,934 | $1,545 |
| Aug 2026 | $349,812 | $1,617 |
HUD Fair Market Rent
FY2027, Auburn-Opelika, AL HUD Metro FMR Area
| Bedrooms | Studio | 1 bed | 2 bed | 3 bed | 4 bed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair Market Rent | $891 | $1,167 | $1,277 | $1,548 | $1,794 |
The 40th percentile gross rent for a standard unit, set by HUD each October and used for Section 8 payment standards. It runs below market rent; Zillow's index is shown above where it exists.
Supply
- Permits per 1,000 households
- 38.6
- 2,680 units, last 12 months
- National percentile
- 98th
- among US counties
Tools
Questions
- Is Lee County good for rental property?
- The typical home here runs -$1,093 a month at 7.78% with 25% down, breaking even at about 0.6%. 0 of 5 ZIP codes with full Zillow data in this county are cash-flow positive; the median gross yield is 6.0%. The figures use a typical home, 7.78% with 25% down and default costs shown on each ZIP page. They describe the market, not any one property.
- What is the property tax rate in Lee County?
- About 0.48% of value, from Census ACS median taxes paid over median home value. On a $350,000 home that is about $1,669 a year.
- What is Fair Market Rent in Lee County?
- HUD's FY2027 Fair Market Rent here is $1,167 for a 1-bedroom, $1,277 for a 2-bedroom and $1,548 for a 3-bedroom. Typical cash flow at today's rate is -$1,093 a month.
Sources and method
- Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), mid tier, smoothed and seasonally adjusted
Zillow Research. Read: 2026-08.
Typical home value by ZIP, county, metro and state, and the price trend.
- Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI), all homes plus multifamily, smoothed
Zillow Research. Read: 2026-08.
Typical market rent by ZIP, county and metro, and the rent trend (tier A pages).
- HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents, FY2026
US Department of Housing and Urban Development. Read: FY2026.
Rent by bedroom count for every ZIP. The rent used on tier B pages, and a reference on all pages. It is the 40th percentile gross rent, so it runs below market.
- HUD Fair Market Rents by county, FY2027
US Department of Housing and Urban Development. Read: FY2027.
County rent by bedroom count on county pages.
- American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020 to 2024 (B25103 median real estate taxes paid, B25077 median home value, B11001 households)
US Census Bureau. Read: 2020 to 2024.
Effective property tax rate (median taxes paid divided by median value) by ZIP code tabulation area, county and state; households for the permits ratio.
- Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey, 30-year fixed (FRED series MORTGAGE30US)
Freddie Mac via the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. Read: 2026-09-24.
The weekly 30-year rate. The site adds a disclosed investor premium to it for the loan payment.
- Building Permits Survey, county monthly files
US Census Bureau. Read: 2025-09 to 2026-08.
New housing units permitted in the last 12 months per 1,000 households, a supply-pressure signal.
Data: Zillow Research (ZHVI, ZORI), HUD, US Census Bureau, Freddie Mac. Every formula is on the methodology page.
Estimates from public data for a typical property. Not investment, tax or legal advice. Your property, financing and costs will differ.