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RE Intelligence

Rental numbers for ZIP 27949 (Southern Shores, NC)

Negative cash flow at any interest rate with 25% down: the rent does not cover operating costs and principal.

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
2.5%
rent x 12 / price
Est. cap rate
0.4%
NOI / price
Cash flow
-$3,999/mo
at 7.78%, 25% down
Typical price
$786,000
Zillow ZHVI, Aug 2026
HUD Fair Market Rent
$1,610/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent, 2 bedroom, FY2026

The pro forma

Typical home, default assumptions

Income and expenses, per year
OperatorLineAmountSource
Gross rent$19,320
Vacancy$966
Management$1,468
Property tax$3,991
Insurance$2,222
Maintenance$7,857
Net operating income$2,815
Loan payments$50,808
Cash flow-$47,993
Purchase and loan
OperatorLineAmountSource
Typical price$785,724
Down payment (25%)$196,431
Loan$589,293
Rate7.78%
Monthly payment$4,234
Cash in$220,003
Cash-on-cash return-21.8%
DSCR0.06
Break-even ratenone
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$2,222 a year
NAIC 2023 average homeowners (HO-3) premium for North Carolina, $1,852, 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
+2.0%
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
10011012013020222023202420252026
Show the numbers
MonthTypical value
Aug 2021$606,410
Aug 2022$751,899
Aug 2023$766,051
Aug 2024$775,903
Aug 2025$770,613
Aug 2026$785,724

Rent references

Two sources, never blended

SourceStudio1 bed2 bed3 bed4 bed
HUD Small Area FMR, FY2026$1,260$1,470$1,610$2,050$2,130
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: Dare County, NC.

Property tax

Effective rate
0.51%
ZIP area, ACS
At the typical price
$3,991/yr

Median real estate taxes paid divided by median home value, Census ACS 2020 to 2024. Dare County: 0.52%. Actual bills depend on the assessment, exemptions and any non-homestead rate.

Supply

Permits per 1,000 households
21.3
Dare County, last 12 months
National percentile
91th
among US counties

359 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
27964Point Harbor3.5 mi$480,000$1,700*4.3%-$1,839
27941Harbinger4.2 mi$518,000$1,770*4.1%-$2,069
27966Harbinger5.8 mi$417,000$1,800*5.2%-$1,356
27948Kill Devil Hills7.0 mi$524,000$2,1134.8%-$1,832
27947Poplar Branch7.2 mi$358,000$1,580*5.3%-$1,184
27939Grandy11.4 mi$396,000$1,460*4.4%-$1,514
27954Manteo14.0 mi$512,000$1,420*3.3%-$2,313
27965Aydlett16.1 mi$339,000$1,510*5.3%-$1,107

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

Every ZIP in Dare CountyKill Devil Hills, NC metroNorth Carolina

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 27949

Questions

Is 27949 good for rental property?
On the typical home here, priced at $786,000 and renting for $1,610 a month (HUD Fair Market Rent, 2 bedroom, FY2026), the gross yield is 2.5% and the estimated cap rate is 0.4%. At a 7.78% investor rate with 25% down, estimated cash flow is -$3,999 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 27949?
Zillow does not publish a rent index for 27949. HUD's FY2026 Small Area Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom here is $1,610, the 40th percentile of gross rents and the basis for Section 8 payment standards.
What is the property tax rate in 27949?
The effective property tax rate is about 0.51% of value (median taxes paid divided by median home value, Census ACS 2020 to 2024). On the typical $786,000 home that is about $3,991 a year. Your bill depends on the assessment and local exemptions.
What interest rate makes a rental in 27949 break even?
With the default assumptions, no interest rate brings cash flow to zero: rent does not cover operating costs plus principal on a 30-year loan with 25% down.
How fast are prices and rents changing in 27949?
Over the 12 months to August 2026, the typical home value changed +2.0%.

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.