What is the property tax rate in McDowell County?

About 0.53% of value, from Census ACS median taxes paid over median home value. On a $257,000 home that is about $1,367 a year.

What is Fair Market Rent in McDowell County?

HUD's FY2027 Fair Market Rent here is $910 for a 1-bedroom, $1,012 for a 2-bedroom and $1,289 for a 3-bedroom. Typical cash flow at today's rate is -$679 a month.

Rental numbers for McDowell County, NC

The typical home here runs -$679 a month at 7.78% with 25% down, breaking even at about 1.9%. 0 of 1 ZIP codes with full Zillow data in this county are cash-flow positive; the median gross yield is 6.3%.

Gross yield: 6.5%; typical home, Zillow
Median ZIP yield: 6.3%; 1 ZIPs with full data
Cash flow: -$679/mo; at 7.78%, 25% down
Typical price: $257,000; Zillow ZHVI, Aug 2026
Typical rent: $1,395/mo; Zillow ZORI, Aug 2026

ZIP codes in McDowell County

3 with published figures


28762Old Fort	$257,000	$1,430*	6.7%	3.5%	-$647	n/a
28752Marion	$236,000	$1,251	6.3%	3.1%	-$670	n/a
28761Nebo	$376,000	$990*	3.2%	0.7%	-$1,821	n/a

* HUD Fair Market Rent, 2 bedroom, where Zillow publishes no rent index. Conservative.

Trends

Five years to August 2026

Price, 12 months: -2.4%
Rent, 12 months: n/a
Rent minus price growth: n/a
Property tax: 0.53%; effective rate, ACS 2024

Typical value (Zillow ZHVI) Rent (Zillow ZORI)Indexed to 100 at Aug 2021

Show the numbers

Month	Typical value	Rent
Aug 2021	$232,977	n/a
Aug 2022	$250,218	n/a
Aug 2023	$256,794	n/a
Aug 2024	$263,850	n/a
Aug 2025	$263,251	n/a
Aug 2026	$257,025	$1,395

HUD Fair Market Rent

FY2027, McDowell County, NC

Bedrooms	Studio	1 bed	2 bed	3 bed	4 bed
Fair Market Rent	$864	$910	$1,012	$1,289	$1,330

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: 8.5; 158 units, last 12 months
National percentile: 66th; among US counties

Tools

Test a listing in McDowell County against today's rate.

Open the calculator

Part of the Marion, NC metro.

Questions

Is McDowell County good for rental property?: The typical home here runs -$679 a month at 7.78% with 25% down, breaking even at about 1.9%. 0 of 1 ZIP codes with full Zillow data in this county are cash-flow positive; the median gross yield is 6.3%. 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 McDowell County?: About 0.53% of value, from Census ACS median taxes paid over median home value. On a $257,000 home that is about $1,367 a year.
What is Fair Market Rent in McDowell County?: HUD's FY2027 Fair Market Rent here is $910 for a 1-bedroom, $1,012 for a 2-bedroom and $1,289 for a 3-bedroom. Typical cash flow at today's rate is -$679 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.