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RE Intelligence

Rental numbers for ZIP 56278 (Ortonville, MN)

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
5.8%
rent x 12 / price
Est. cap rate
2.1%
NOI / price
Cash flow
-$737/mo
at 7.78%, 25% down
Typical price
$204,000
Zillow ZHVI, Aug 2026
HUD Fair Market Rent
$980/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent, 2 bedroom, FY2026

The pro forma

Typical home, default assumptions

Income and expenses, per year
OperatorLineAmountSource
Gross rent$11,760
Vacancy$588
Management$894
Property tax$1,487
Insurance$2,386
Maintenance$2,043
Net operating income$4,362
Loan payments$13,211
Cash flow-$8,849
Purchase and loan
OperatorLineAmountSource
Typical price$204,306
Down payment (25%)$51,077
Loan$153,230
Rate7.78%
Monthly payment$1,101
Cash in$57,206
Cash-on-cash return-15.5%
DSCR0.33
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$2,386 a year
NAIC 2023 average homeowners (HO-3) premium for Minnesota, $1,988, 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
+11.1%
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
10011012013014015020222023202420252026
Show the numbers
MonthTypical value
Aug 2021$145,256
Aug 2022$169,685
Aug 2023$176,841
Aug 2024$176,470
Aug 2025$183,928
Aug 2026$204,306

Rent references

Two sources, never blended

SourceStudio1 bed2 bed3 bed4 bed
HUD Small Area FMR, FY2026$670$820$980$1,190$1,420
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: Big Stone County, MN.

Property tax

Effective rate
0.73%
ZIP area, ACS
At the typical price
$1,487/yr

Median real estate taxes paid divided by median home value, Census ACS 2020 to 2024. Big Stone County: 0.87%. Actual bills depend on the assessment, exemptions and any non-homestead rate.

Supply

Permits per 1,000 households
0.9
Big Stone County, last 12 months
National percentile
16th
among US counties

2 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
56225Clinton7.1 mi$225,000$1,120*6.0%-$830
57216Big Stone City7.9 mi$258,000$940*4.4%-$1,093
56276Odessa8.2 mi$194,000$990*6.1%-$681
57252Milbank15.2 mi$228,000$930*4.9%-$954
56240Barry15.7 mi$189,000$970*6.2%-$680
56208Milan19.5 mi$148,000$970*7.8%-$415
56236Graceville21.9 mi$215,000$970*5.4%-$813
56211Beardsley22.6 mi$226,000$1,040*5.5%-$855

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

Every ZIP in Big Stone CountyMinnesota

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Open the calculator for 56278

Questions

Is 56278 good for rental property?
On the typical home here, priced at $204,000 and renting for $980 a month (HUD Fair Market Rent, 2 bedroom, FY2026), the gross yield is 5.8% and the estimated cap rate is 2.1%. At a 7.78% investor rate with 25% down, estimated cash flow is -$737 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 56278?
Zillow does not publish a rent index for 56278. HUD's FY2026 Small Area Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom here is $980, the 40th percentile of gross rents and the basis for Section 8 payment standards.
What is the property tax rate in 56278?
The effective property tax rate is about 0.73% of value (median taxes paid divided by median home value, Census ACS 2020 to 2024). On the typical $204,000 home that is about $1,487 a year. Your bill depends on the assessment and local exemptions.
What interest rate makes a rental in 56278 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 56278?
Over the 12 months to August 2026, the typical home value changed +11.1%.

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.