Skip to content
RE Intelligence

Rental numbers for ZIP 17851 (Mount Carmel, PA)

Cash-flow positive at today's 7.78% investor rate with 25% down: about $274 a month on the typical home.

Rent here is HUD's Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom, because Zillow does not publish a rent index for this ZIP. It is the 40th percentile of gross rents, so market rent for a typical home is likely higher and the yield and cash flow below are conservative.
Gross yield
18.5%
rent x 12 / price
Est. cap rate
11.7%
NOI / price
Cash flow
+$274/mo
at 7.78%, 25% down
Typical price
$63,000
Zillow ZHVI, Aug 2026
HUD Fair Market Rent
$970/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent, 2 bedroom, FY2026

The pro forma

Typical home, default assumptions

Income and expenses, per year
OperatorLineAmountSource
Gross rent$11,640
Vacancy$582
Management$885
Property tax$735
Insurance$1,460
Maintenance$628
Net operating income$7,351
Loan payments$4,060
Cash flow$3,291
Purchase and loan
OperatorLineAmountSource
Typical price$62,790
Down payment (25%)$15,698
Loan$47,093
Rate7.78%
Monthly payment$338
Cash in$17,581
Cash-on-cash return18.7%
DSCR1.81
Break-even rate15.45%
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
-3.1%
Rent, 12 months
n/a
no Zillow rent series here
Rent minus price growth
n/a
positive means yields are improving
Typical value (Zillow ZHVI)Indexed to 100 at Aug 2021
9010011012013014020222023202420252026
Show the numbers
MonthTypical value
Aug 2021$51,891
Aug 2022$50,911
Aug 2023$55,645
Aug 2024$58,954
Aug 2025$64,801
Aug 2026$62,790

Rent references

Two sources, never blended

SourceStudio1 bed2 bed3 bed4 bed
HUD Small Area FMR, FY2026$670$840$970$1,240$1,360
Zillow observed rent, Aug 2026not 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: Columbia County, PA.

Property tax

Effective rate
1.17%
ZIP area, ACS
At the typical price
$735/yr

Median real estate taxes paid divided by median home value, Census ACS 2020 to 2024. Northumberland County: 1.10%. Actual bills depend on the assessment, exemptions and any non-homestead rate.

Supply

Permits per 1,000 households
1.1
Northumberland County, last 12 months
National percentile
17th
among US counties

41 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

ZIPDistanceTypical priceRentGross yieldCash flow /mo
17832Marion Heights1.6 mi$85,000$970*13.7%+$122
17834Kulpmont2.7 mi$91,000$970*12.8%+$57
17921Ashland4.9 mi$133,000$970*8.7%-$253
17824Elysburg5.7 mi$292,000$1,110*4.6%-$1,244
17820Catawissa6.5 mi$263,000$1,130*5.1%-$1,014
17935Girardville7.6 mi$35,000$980*33.5%+$455
17866Coal Township9.2 mi$71,000$970*16.4%+$224
17860Paxinos9.5 mi$306,000$1,010*4.0%-$1,376

* HUD Fair Market Rent, 2 bedroom (no Zillow rent index for that ZIP).

Every ZIP in Northumberland CountySunbury, PA metroPennsylvania

Run the numbers on a real listing

The calculator opens with this ZIP's figures. Swap in a listing's price and rent, your rate and your costs.

Open the calculator for 17851

Questions

Is 17851 good for rental property?
On the typical home here, priced at $63,000 and renting for $970 a month (HUD Fair Market Rent, 2 bedroom, FY2026), the gross yield is 18.5% and the estimated cap rate is 11.7%. At a 7.78% investor rate with 25% down, estimated cash flow is +$274 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 17851?
Zillow does not publish a rent index for 17851. HUD's FY2026 Small Area Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom here is $970, the 40th percentile of gross rents and the basis for Section 8 payment standards.
What is the property tax rate in 17851?
The effective property tax rate is about 1.17% of value (median taxes paid divided by median home value, Census ACS 2020 to 2024). On the typical $63,000 home that is about $735 a year. Your bill depends on the assessment and local exemptions.
What interest rate makes a rental in 17851 break even?
About 15.45%. 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 17851?
Over the 12 months to August 2026, the typical home value changed -3.1%.

Sources and method

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.