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RE Intelligence

Rental numbers for ZIP 26343 (Rock Cave, WV)

Negative cash flow at today's 7.78% investor rate with 25% down; the typical home breaks even at about 7.1%.

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
10.2%
rent x 12 / price
Est. cap rate
6.0%
NOI / price
Cash flow
-$39/mo
at 7.78%, 25% down
Typical price
$108,000
Zillow ZHVI, Aug 2026
HUD Fair Market Rent
$920/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent, 2 bedroom, FY2026

The pro forma

Typical home, default assumptions

Income and expenses, per year
OperatorLineAmountSource
Gross rent$11,040
Vacancy$552
Management$839
Property tax$652
Insurance$1,415
Maintenance$1,078
Net operating income$6,504
Loan payments$6,968
Cash flow-$464
Purchase and loan
OperatorLineAmountSource
Typical price$107,763
Down payment (25%)$26,941
Loan$80,822
Rate7.78%
Monthly payment$581
Cash in$30,174
Cash-on-cash return-1.5%
DSCR0.93
Break-even rate7.08%
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$1,415 a year
NAIC 2023 average homeowners (HO-3) premium for West Virginia, $1,179, 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
-7.5%
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
9510010511011520222023202420252026
Show the numbers
MonthTypical value
Aug 2021$104,374
Aug 2022$115,347
Aug 2023$112,920
Aug 2024$115,016
Aug 2025$116,540
Aug 2026$107,763

Rent references

Two sources, never blended

SourceStudio1 bed2 bed3 bed4 bed
HUD Small Area FMR, FY2026$700$740$920$1,180$1,400
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: Lewis County, WV.

Property tax

Effective rate
0.60%
ZIP area, ACS
At the typical price
$652/yr

Median real estate taxes paid divided by median home value, Census ACS 2020 to 2024. Lewis County: 0.46%. Actual bills depend on the assessment, exemptions and any non-homestead rate.

Supply

Permits per 1,000 households
0.6
Lewis County, last 12 months
National percentile
13th
among US counties

4 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
26376Ireland4.8 mi$137,000$870*7.6%-$244
26234Rock Cave6.4 mi$122,000$960*9.5%-$62
26218Rock Cave7.4 mi$136,000$960*8.5%-$181
26447Walkersville7.5 mi$151,000$870*6.9%-$341
26631Flatwoods9.0 mi$141,000$920*7.8%-$246
26372Weston10.2 mi$204,000$900*5.3%-$713
26621Flatwoods10.7 mi$140,000$900*7.7%-$238
26627Flatwoods11.0 mi$174,000$910*6.3%-$460

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

Every ZIP in Lewis CountyWest Virginia

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Open the calculator for 26343

Questions

Is 26343 good for rental property?
On the typical home here, priced at $108,000 and renting for $920 a month (HUD Fair Market Rent, 2 bedroom, FY2026), the gross yield is 10.2% and the estimated cap rate is 6.0%. At a 7.78% investor rate with 25% down, estimated cash flow is -$39 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 26343?
Zillow does not publish a rent index for 26343. HUD's FY2026 Small Area Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom here is $920, the 40th percentile of gross rents and the basis for Section 8 payment standards.
What is the property tax rate in 26343?
The effective property tax rate is about 0.60% of value (median taxes paid divided by median home value, Census ACS 2020 to 2024). On the typical $108,000 home that is about $652 a year. Your bill depends on the assessment and local exemptions.
What interest rate makes a rental in 26343 break even?
About 7.08%. 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 26343?
Over the 12 months to August 2026, the typical home value changed -7.5%.

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.