Rental numbers for Catawba County, NC
The typical home here runs -$708 a month at 7.78% with 25% down, breaking even at about 2.5%. 0 of 5 ZIP codes with full Zillow data in this county are cash-flow positive; the median gross yield is 5.7%.
- Gross yield
- 6.8%
- typical home, Zillow
- Median ZIP yield
- 5.7%
- 5 ZIPs with full data
- Cash flow
- -$708/mo
- at 7.78%, 25% down
- Typical price
- $294,000
- Zillow ZHVI, Aug 2026
- Typical rent
- $1,657/mo
- Zillow ZORI, Aug 2026
ZIP codes in Catawba County
10 with published figures
| 28602Hickory | $252,000 | $1,596 | 7.6% | 4.2% | -$482 | +2.3% |
| 28658Newton | $258,000 | $1,403 | 6.5% | 3.2% | -$700 | n/a |
| 28601Hickory | $306,000 | $1,462 | 5.7% | 2.6% | -$983 | +4.3% |
| 28610Claremont | $260,000 | $1,140* | 5.3% | 2.1% | -$941 | n/a |
| 28609Catawba | $317,000 | $1,370* | 5.2% | 2.4% | -$1,084 | n/a |
| 28673Sherrills Ford | $498,000 | $2,025 | 4.9% | 2.4% | -$1,707 | n/a |
| 28613Conover | $277,000 | $1,070* | 4.6% | 1.7% | -$1,103 | n/a |
| 28168Vale | $297,000 | $1,060* | 4.3% | 1.4% | -$1,251 | n/a |
| 28650Maiden | $316,000 | $1,060* | 4.0% | 1.3% | -$1,365 | n/a |
| 28682Terrell | $527,000 | $1,694 | 3.9% | 1.4% | -$2,235 | n/a |
* HUD Fair Market Rent, 2 bedroom, where Zillow publishes no rent index. Conservative.
Trends
Five years to August 2026
- Price, 12 months
- +1.3%
- Rent, 12 months
- +3.0%
- Rent minus price growth
- +1.8 pts
- Property tax
- 0.58%
- effective rate, ACS 2024
Show the numbers
| Month | Typical value | Rent |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 2021 | $224,915 | n/a |
| Aug 2022 | $262,314 | $1,502 |
| Aug 2023 | $272,800 | $1,515 |
| Aug 2024 | $287,056 | $1,541 |
| Aug 2025 | $290,213 | $1,608 |
| Aug 2026 | $293,908 | $1,657 |
HUD Fair Market Rent
FY2027, Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC MSA
| Bedrooms | Studio | 1 bed | 2 bed | 3 bed | 4 bed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair Market Rent | $961 | $965 | $1,147 | $1,399 | $1,707 |
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
- 34.9
- 2,314 units, last 12 months
- National percentile
- 98th
- among US counties
Tools
Test a listing in Catawba County against today's rate.
Open the calculatorPart of the Hickory, NC metro.
Questions
- Is Catawba County good for rental property?
- The typical home here runs -$708 a month at 7.78% with 25% down, breaking even at about 2.5%. 0 of 5 ZIP codes with full Zillow data in this county are cash-flow positive; the median gross yield is 5.7%. 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 Catawba County?
- About 0.58% of value, from Census ACS median taxes paid over median home value. On a $294,000 home that is about $1,711 a year.
- What is Fair Market Rent in Catawba County?
- HUD's FY2027 Fair Market Rent here is $965 for a 1-bedroom, $1,147 for a 2-bedroom and $1,399 for a 3-bedroom. Typical cash flow at today's rate is -$708 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.