Rental numbers for ZIP 26501 (Morgantown, WV)
Negative cash flow at today's 7.78% investor rate with 25% down; the typical home breaks even at about 4.3%.
- Gross yield
- 7.5%
- rent x 12 / price
- Est. cap rate
- 4.4%
- NOI / price
- Cash flow
- -$378/mo
- at 7.78%, 25% down
- Typical price
- $224,000
- Zillow ZHVI, Aug 2026
- Typical rent
- $1,400/mo
- Zillow ZORI, Aug 2026
The pro forma
Typical home, default assumptions
| Operator | Line | Amount | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross rent | $16,800 | ||
| Vacancy | $840 | ||
| Management | $1,277 | ||
| Property tax | $1,090 | ||
| Insurance | $1,415 | ||
| Maintenance | $2,238 | ||
| Net operating income | $9,940 | ||
| Loan payments | $14,472 | ||
| Cash flow | -$4,532 |
| Operator | Line | Amount | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typical price | $223,807 | ||
| Down payment (25%) | $55,952 | ||
| Loan | $167,855 | ||
| Rate | 7.78% | ||
| Monthly payment | $1,206 | ||
| Cash in | $62,666 | ||
| Cash-on-cash return | -7.2% | ||
| DSCR | 0.69 | ||
| Break-even rate | 4.28% |
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$1,415 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
- +2.5%
- Rent, 12 months
- -0.6%
- Rent minus price growth
- -3.1 pts
- positive means yields are improving
Show the numbers
| Month | Typical value | Rent |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 2021 | $195,417 | n/a |
| Aug 2022 | $202,774 | n/a |
| Aug 2023 | $210,692 | $1,294 |
| Aug 2024 | $218,580 | $1,346 |
| Aug 2025 | $218,361 | $1,409 |
| Aug 2026 | $223,807 | $1,400 |
Rent references
Two sources, never blended
| Source | Studio | 1 bed | 2 bed | 3 bed | 4 bed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HUD Small Area FMR, FY2026 | $850 | $850 | $1,070 | $1,280 | $1,610 |
| Zillow observed rent, Aug 2026 | $1,400 typical, all home types | ||||
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: Morgantown, WV MSA.
Property tax
- Effective rate
- 0.49%
- ZIP area, ACS
- At the typical price
- $1,090/yr
Median real estate taxes paid divided by median home value, Census ACS 2020 to 2024. Monongalia County: 0.47%. Actual bills depend on the assessment, exemptions and any non-homestead rate.
Supply
- Permits per 1,000 households
- 0.5
- Monongalia County, last 12 months
- National percentile
- 12th
- among US counties
22 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26505Morgantown | 5.0 mi | $260,000 | $1,314 | 6.1% | -$690 |
| 26541Cassville | 6.3 mi | $223,000 | $1,040* | 5.6% | -$689 |
| 26588Rivesville | 6.9 mi | $141,000 | $960* | 8.2% | -$206 |
| 26508Morgantown | 7.5 mi | $333,000 | $1,460 | 5.3% | -$1,037 |
| 26574Rivesville | 9.1 mi | $64,000 | $910* | 17.0% | +$237 |
| 15474Point Marion | 10.9 mi | $93,000 | $1,180* | 15.2% | +$249 |
| 26570Fairview | 11.0 mi | $138,000 | $960* | 8.3% | -$208 |
| 26559Barrackville | 11.1 mi | $164,000 | $950* | 7.0% | -$381 |
* HUD Fair Market Rent, 2 bedroom (no Zillow rent index for that ZIP).
Every ZIP in Monongalia CountyMorgantown, WV metroWest Virginia
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Open the calculator for 26501Questions
- Is 26501 good for rental property?
- On the typical home here, priced at $224,000 and renting for $1,400 a month (Zillow ZORI, Aug 2026), the gross yield is 7.5% and the estimated cap rate is 4.4%. At a 7.78% investor rate with 25% down, estimated cash flow is -$378 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 26501?
- Zillow's observed rent index for 26501 was $1,400 a month in August 2026, across all home types. HUD's FY2026 Small Area Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom here is $1,070, the 40th percentile of gross rents and the basis for Section 8 payment standards.
- What is the property tax rate in 26501?
- The effective property tax rate is about 0.49% of value (median taxes paid divided by median home value, Census ACS 2020 to 2024). On the typical $224,000 home that is about $1,090 a year. Your bill depends on the assessment and local exemptions.
- What interest rate makes a rental in 26501 break even?
- About 4.28%. 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 26501?
- Over the 12 months to August 2026, the typical home value changed +2.5% and the typical rent changed -0.6%. Prices rising faster than rents pushes yields down.
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.
- 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.