Rental numbers for ZIP 15679 (Ruffs Dale, PA)
Negative cash flow at today's 7.78% investor rate with 25% down; the typical home breaks even at about 2.7%.
- Gross yield
- 7.3%
- rent x 12 / price
- Est. cap rate
- 3.7%
- NOI / price
- Cash flow
- -$444/mo
- at 7.78%, 25% down
- Typical price
- $190,000
- Zillow ZHVI, Aug 2026
- HUD Fair Market Rent
- $1,160/mo
- HUD Fair Market Rent, 2 bedroom, FY2026
The pro forma
Typical home, default assumptions
| Operator | Line | Amount | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross rent | $13,920 | ||
| Vacancy | $696 | ||
| Management | $1,058 | ||
| Property tax | $1,815 | ||
| Insurance | $1,460 | ||
| Maintenance | $1,905 | ||
| Net operating income | $6,986 | ||
| Loan payments | $12,316 | ||
| Cash flow | -$5,329 |
| Operator | Line | Amount | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typical price | $190,458 | ||
| Down payment (25%) | $47,615 | ||
| Loan | $142,844 | ||
| Rate | 7.78% | ||
| Monthly payment | $1,026 | ||
| Cash in | $53,328 | ||
| Cash-on-cash return | -10.0% | ||
| DSCR | 0.57 | ||
| Break-even rate | 2.74% |
Assumptions
Change them in the calculator- Down payment25%
- A common minimum for investment-property and DSCR loans.
- Interest rate7.78%
- Freddie Mac 30-year 7.03% (week of 2026-09-24) + 0.75 point investor premium.
- Loan term30 years
- Fixed, fully amortising.
- Closing costs3% of price
- Added to cash invested.
- Insurance$1,460 a year
- NAIC 2023 average homeowners (HO-3) premium for Pennsylvania, $1,217, x 1.2 for a landlord policy.
- Maintenance1% of price a year
- The 1% rule of thumb; older homes run higher.
- Vacancy5% of rent
- About 18 days empty a year.
- Management8% of collected rent
- A typical full-service fee; zero if you self-manage.
Trends
Five years to August 2026
- Price, 12 months
- -5.8%
- Rent, 12 months
- n/a
- no Zillow rent series here
- Rent minus price growth
- n/a
- positive means yields are improving
Show the numbers
| Month | Typical value |
|---|---|
| Aug 2021 | $228,356 |
| Aug 2022 | $226,401 |
| Aug 2023 | $218,268 |
| Aug 2024 | $208,373 |
| Aug 2025 | $202,093 |
| Aug 2026 | $190,458 |
Rent references
Two sources, never blended
| Source | Studio | 1 bed | 2 bed | 3 bed | 4 bed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HUD Small Area FMR, FY2026 | $890 | $960 | $1,160 | $1,480 | $1,600 |
| Zillow observed rent, Aug 2026 | not published for this ZIP | ||||
HUD's Fair Market Rent is the 40th percentile gross rent (rent plus utilities) for a standard unit, and it is what Section 8 vouchers pay against. Zillow's index tracks asking rents on listed homes. The two measure different things, so they are shown side by side and never averaged. HUD area: Pittsburgh, PA HUD Metro FMR Area.
Property tax
- Effective rate
- 0.95%
- ZIP area, ACS
- At the typical price
- $1,815/yr
Median real estate taxes paid divided by median home value, Census ACS 2020 to 2024. Westmoreland County: 1.23%. Actual bills depend on the assessment, exemptions and any non-homestead rate.
Supply
- Permits per 1,000 households
- 2.4
- Westmoreland County, last 12 months
- National percentile
- 29th
- among US counties
376 new housing units permitted in 2025-09 to 2026-08, Census Building Permits Survey. A high figure means more new supply competing for tenants.
Nearby ZIP codes
| ZIP | Distance | Typical price | Rent | Gross yield | Cash flow /mo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15698Yukon | 2.5 mi | $116,000 | $1,070* | 11.0% | -$38 |
| 15639Hunker | 3.5 mi | $223,000 | $1,950* | 10.5% | +$4 |
| 15479Smithton | 3.7 mi | $157,000 | $1,160* | 8.8% | -$193 |
| 15688Tarrs | 3.8 mi | $114,000 | $1,140* | 12.0% | +$37 |
| 15672New Stanton | 4.3 mi | $243,000 | $1,280* | 6.3% | -$745 |
| 15663Madison | 4.6 mi | $179,000 | $970* | 6.5% | -$544 |
| 15640Hutchinson | 4.7 mi | $113,000 | $1,000* | 10.6% | -$80 |
| 15697Youngwood | 5.4 mi | $156,000 | $1,030* | 7.9% | -$324 |
* HUD Fair Market Rent, 2 bedroom (no Zillow rent index for that ZIP).
Every ZIP in Westmoreland CountyPittsburgh, PA metroPennsylvania
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Open the calculator for 15679Questions
- Is 15679 good for rental property?
- On the typical home here, priced at $190,000 and renting for $1,160 a month (HUD Fair Market Rent, 2 bedroom, FY2026), the gross yield is 7.3% and the estimated cap rate is 3.7%. At a 7.78% investor rate with 25% down, estimated cash flow is -$444 a month. The median gross yield across the 8,418 ZIP codes with full Zillow data is 5.6%. These are figures for a typical property, not a judgement on any particular one.
- What is the typical rent in 15679?
- Zillow does not publish a rent index for 15679. HUD's FY2026 Small Area Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom here is $1,160, the 40th percentile of gross rents and the basis for Section 8 payment standards.
- What is the property tax rate in 15679?
- The effective property tax rate is about 0.95% of value (median taxes paid divided by median home value, Census ACS 2020 to 2024). On the typical $190,000 home that is about $1,815 a year. Your bill depends on the assessment and local exemptions.
- What interest rate makes a rental in 15679 break even?
- About 2.74%. Below that rate, the typical home here cash-flows with 25% down and the default costs; above it, it does not. Today's investor rate used here is 7.78%.
- How fast are prices and rents changing in 15679?
- Over the 12 months to August 2026, the typical home value changed -5.8%.
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.
- 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.
- 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.
- NAIC Homeowners Insurance Report, data for 2023
National Association of Insurance Commissioners. Read: 2023.
Average HO-3 homeowners premium by state, multiplied by 1.2 as a landlord-policy assumption.
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.