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RE Intelligence

Rental numbers for ZIP 28786 (Waynesville, NC)

Negative cash flow at today's 7.78% investor rate with 25% down; the typical home breaks even at about 1.6%.

Gross yield
6.1%
rent x 12 / price
Est. cap rate
3.2%
NOI / price
Cash flow
-$941/mo
at 7.78%, 25% down
Typical price
$342,000
Zillow ZHVI, Aug 2026
Typical rent
$1,749/mo
Zillow ZORI, Aug 2026

The pro forma

Typical home, default assumptions

Income and expenses, per year
OperatorLineAmountSource
Gross rent$20,988
Vacancy$1,049
Management$1,595
Property tax$1,881
Insurance$2,222
Maintenance$3,420
Net operating income$10,820
Loan payments$22,116
Cash flow-$11,296
Purchase and loan
OperatorLineAmountSource
Typical price$342,016
Down payment (25%)$85,504
Loan$256,512
Rate7.78%
Monthly payment$1,843
Cash in$95,764
Cash-on-cash return-11.8%
DSCR0.49
Break-even rate1.63%
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
-3.5%
Rent, 12 months
n/a
rent series under a year old
Rent minus price growth
n/a
positive means yields are improving
Typical value (Zillow ZHVI) Rent (Zillow ZORI)Indexed to 100 at Aug 2021
10011012013020222023202420252026
Show the numbers
MonthTypical valueRent
Aug 2021$286,091n/a
Aug 2022$327,483n/a
Aug 2023$334,405n/a
Aug 2024$354,825n/a
Aug 2025$354,353n/a
Aug 2026$342,016$1,749

Rent references

Two sources, never blended

SourceStudio1 bed2 bed3 bed4 bed
HUD Small Area FMR, FY2026$1,100$1,190$1,300$1,560$1,950
Zillow observed rent, Aug 2026$1,749 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: Haywood County, NC.

Property tax

Effective rate
0.55%
ZIP area, ACS
At the typical price
$1,881/yr

Median real estate taxes paid divided by median home value, Census ACS 2020 to 2024. Haywood County: 0.57%. Actual bills depend on the assessment, exemptions and any non-homestead rate.

Supply

Permits per 1,000 households
17.1
Haywood County, last 12 months
National percentile
87th
among US counties

464 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
28745Lake Junaluska4.2 mi$441,000$1,270*3.5%-$2,024
28707Balsam6.2 mi$296,000$1,040*4.2%-$1,194
28751Maggie Valley8.0 mi$389,000$1,280*4.0%-$1,672
28716Canton8.1 mi$288,000$1,6006.7%-$729
28723Cullowhee11.2 mi$429,000$1,110*3.1%-$1,999
28721Clyde12.3 mi$338,000$1,370*4.9%-$1,250
28779Sylva14.5 mi$332,000$1,5255.5%-$1,017
28708Balsam Grove15.1 mi$321,000$1,090*4.1%-$1,321

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

Every ZIP in Haywood CountyAsheville, NC metroNorth Carolina

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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 28786

Questions

Is 28786 good for rental property?
On the typical home here, priced at $342,000 and renting for $1,749 a month (Zillow ZORI, Aug 2026), the gross yield is 6.1% and the estimated cap rate is 3.2%. At a 7.78% investor rate with 25% down, estimated cash flow is -$941 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 28786?
Zillow's observed rent index for 28786 was $1,749 a month in August 2026, across all home types. HUD's FY2026 Small Area Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom here is $1,300, the 40th percentile of gross rents and the basis for Section 8 payment standards.
What is the property tax rate in 28786?
The effective property tax rate is about 0.55% of value (median taxes paid divided by median home value, Census ACS 2020 to 2024). On the typical $342,000 home that is about $1,881 a year. Your bill depends on the assessment and local exemptions.
What interest rate makes a rental in 28786 break even?
About 1.63%. 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 28786?
Over the 12 months to August 2026, the typical home value changed -3.5%.

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.