Rental numbers for Shelby County, AL
The typical home here runs -$1,035 a month at 7.78% with 25% down, breaking even at about 1.3%. 0 of 9 ZIP codes with full Zillow data in this county are cash-flow positive; the median gross yield is 7.2%.
- Gross yield
- 5.8%
- typical home, Zillow
- Median ZIP yield
- 7.2%
- 9 ZIPs with full data
- Cash flow
- -$1,035/mo
- at 7.78%, 25% down
- Typical price
- $360,000
- Zillow ZHVI, Aug 2026
- Typical rent
- $1,746/mo
- Zillow ZORI, Aug 2026
ZIP codes in Shelby County
15 with published figures
| 35115Montevallo | $248,000 | $1,872 | 9.0% | 5.6% | -$180 | n/a |
| 35040Calera | $257,000 | $1,703 | 8.0% | 4.6% | -$398 | +3.5% |
| 35007Alabaster | $295,000 | $1,873 | 7.6% | 4.4% | -$501 | +1.4% |
| 35147Sterrett | $326,000 | $1,955 | 7.2% | 4.2% | -$616 | n/a |
| 35043Chelsea | $381,000 | $2,278 | 7.2% | 4.3% | -$696 | n/a |
| 35080Helena | $342,000 | $1,908 | 6.7% | 3.8% | -$770 | n/a |
| 35124Pelham | $350,000 | $1,828 | 6.3% | 3.3% | -$911 | n/a |
| 35178Vincent | $259,000 | $1,020* | 4.7% | 1.9% | -$991 | n/a |
| 35114Alabaster | $344,000 | $1,310* | 4.6% | 1.9% | -$1,314 | n/a |
| 35078Harpersville | $283,000 | $1,020* | 4.3% | 1.5% | -$1,175 | n/a |
| 35186Wilsonville | $358,000 | $1,290* | 4.3% | 1.7% | -$1,410 | n/a |
| 35051Columbiana | $321,000 | $1,020* | 3.8% | 1.2% | -$1,400 | n/a |
| 35143Shelby | $323,000 | $1,020* | 3.8% | 1.1% | -$1,448 | n/a |
| 35244Hoover | $477,000 | $1,336 | 3.4% | 0.9% | -$2,227 | -1.0% |
| 35242Birmingham | $566,000 | $1,579 | 3.4% | 1.1% | -$2,540 | +1.1% |
* HUD Fair Market Rent, 2 bedroom, where Zillow publishes no rent index. Conservative.
Trends
Five years to August 2026
- Price, 12 months
- +2.2%
- Rent, 12 months
- +1.2%
- Rent minus price growth
- -1.0 pts
- Property tax
- 0.44%
- effective rate, ACS 2024
Show the numbers
| Month | Typical value | Rent |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 2021 | $302,443 | $1,428 |
| Aug 2022 | $347,825 | $1,544 |
| Aug 2023 | $347,912 | $1,597 |
| Aug 2024 | $349,041 | $1,643 |
| Aug 2025 | $352,255 | $1,725 |
| Aug 2026 | $359,967 | $1,746 |
HUD Fair Market Rent
FY2027, Birmingham-Hoover, AL HUD Metro FMR Area
| Bedrooms | Studio | 1 bed | 2 bed | 3 bed | 4 bed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair Market Rent | $1,177 | $1,263 | $1,375 | $1,727 | $1,941 |
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
- 15.3
- 1,328 units, last 12 months
- National percentile
- 84th
- among US counties
Tools
Test a listing in Shelby County against today's rate.
Open the calculatorPart of the Birmingham, AL metro.
Questions
- Is Shelby County good for rental property?
- The typical home here runs -$1,035 a month at 7.78% with 25% down, breaking even at about 1.3%. 0 of 9 ZIP codes with full Zillow data in this county are cash-flow positive; the median gross yield is 7.2%. 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 Shelby County?
- About 0.44% of value, from Census ACS median taxes paid over median home value. On a $360,000 home that is about $1,569 a year.
- What is Fair Market Rent in Shelby County?
- HUD's FY2027 Fair Market Rent here is $1,263 for a 1-bedroom, $1,375 for a 2-bedroom and $1,727 for a 3-bedroom. Typical cash flow at today's rate is -$1,035 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.