Rental numbers for ZIP 28540 (Jacksonville, NC)
Negative cash flow at today's 7.78% investor rate with 25% down; the typical home breaks even at about 1.7%.
- Gross yield
- 6.5%
- rent x 12 / price
- Est. cap rate
- 3.2%
- NOI / price
- Cash flow
- -$713/mo
- at 7.78%, 25% down
- Typical price
- $260,000
- Zillow ZHVI, Aug 2026
- Typical rent
- $1,415/mo
- Zillow ZORI, Aug 2026
The pro forma
Typical home, default assumptions
| Operator | Line | Amount | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross rent | $16,980 | ||
| Vacancy | $849 | ||
| Management | $1,290 | ||
| Property tax | $1,758 | ||
| Insurance | $2,222 | ||
| Maintenance | $2,601 | ||
| Net operating income | $8,260 | ||
| Loan payments | $16,817 | ||
| Cash flow | -$8,557 |
| Operator | Line | Amount | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typical price | $260,062 | ||
| Down payment (25%) | $65,016 | ||
| Loan | $195,047 | ||
| Rate | 7.78% | ||
| Monthly payment | $1,401 | ||
| Cash in | $72,817 | ||
| Cash-on-cash return | -11.8% | ||
| DSCR | 0.49 | ||
| Break-even rate | 1.66% |
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$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
- +4.0%
- Rent, 12 months
- +4.6%
- Rent minus price growth
- +0.6 pts
- positive means yields are improving
Show the numbers
| Month | Typical value | Rent |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 2021 | $181,594 | n/a |
| Aug 2022 | $212,558 | n/a |
| Aug 2023 | $231,967 | $1,271 |
| Aug 2024 | $243,546 | $1,307 |
| Aug 2025 | $250,039 | $1,353 |
| Aug 2026 | $260,062 | $1,415 |
Rent references
Two sources, never blended
| Source | Studio | 1 bed | 2 bed | 3 bed | 4 bed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HUD Small Area FMR, FY2026 | $900 | $910 | $1,140 | $1,590 | $1,910 |
| Zillow observed rent, Aug 2026 | $1,415 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: Jacksonville, NC MSA.
Property tax
- Effective rate
- 0.68%
- ZIP area, ACS
- At the typical price
- $1,758/yr
Median real estate taxes paid divided by median home value, Census ACS 2020 to 2024. Onslow County: 0.64%. Actual bills depend on the assessment, exemptions and any non-homestead rate.
Supply
- Permits per 1,000 households
- 26.4
- Onslow County, last 12 months
- National percentile
- 95th
- among US counties
1,986 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28546Jacksonville | 8.4 mi | $269,000 | $1,462 | 6.5% | -$731 |
| 28454Maple Hill | 10.2 mi | $279,000 | $1,710* | 7.3% | -$572 |
| 28574Richlands | 10.6 mi | $277,000 | $1,749 | 7.6% | -$510 |
| 28544Midway Park | 11.5 mi | $203,000 | $1,388 | 8.2% | -$314 |
| 28521Chinquapin | 14.4 mi | $217,000 | $1,210* | 6.7% | -$616 |
| 28445Holly Ridge | 15.0 mi | $528,000 | $1,902 | 4.3% | -$2,104 |
| 28539Hubert | 15.5 mi | $285,000 | $1,517 | 6.4% | -$770 |
| 28460Sneads Ferry | 15.8 mi | $403,000 | $1,933 | 5.8% | -$1,200 |
* HUD Fair Market Rent, 2 bedroom (no Zillow rent index for that ZIP).
Every ZIP in Onslow CountyJacksonville, NC metroNorth Carolina
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Open the calculator for 28540Questions
- Is 28540 good for rental property?
- On the typical home here, priced at $260,000 and renting for $1,415 a month (Zillow ZORI, Aug 2026), the gross yield is 6.5% and the estimated cap rate is 3.2%. At a 7.78% investor rate with 25% down, estimated cash flow is -$713 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 28540?
- Zillow's observed rent index for 28540 was $1,415 a month in August 2026, across all home types. HUD's FY2026 Small Area Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom here is $1,140, the 40th percentile of gross rents and the basis for Section 8 payment standards.
- What is the property tax rate in 28540?
- The effective property tax rate is about 0.68% of value (median taxes paid divided by median home value, Census ACS 2020 to 2024). On the typical $260,000 home that is about $1,758 a year. Your bill depends on the assessment and local exemptions.
- What interest rate makes a rental in 28540 break even?
- About 1.66%. 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 28540?
- Over the 12 months to August 2026, the typical home value changed +4.0% and the typical rent changed +4.6%. Rents rising faster than prices pushes yields up.
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.