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RE Intelligence

Rental numbers for ZIP 61038 (Garden Prairie, IL)

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
4.5%
rent x 12 / price
Est. cap rate
0.2%
NOI / price
Cash flow
-$1,747/mo
at 7.78%, 25% down
Typical price
$336,000
Zillow ZHVI, Aug 2026
HUD Fair Market Rent
$1,260/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent, 2 bedroom, FY2026

The pro forma

Typical home, default assumptions

Income and expenses, per year
OperatorLineAmountSource
Gross rent$15,120
Vacancy$756
Management$1,149
Property tax$7,340
Insurance$1,776
Maintenance$3,356
Net operating income$743
Loan payments$21,701
Cash flow-$20,958
Purchase and loan
OperatorLineAmountSource
Typical price$335,602
Down payment (25%)$83,901
Loan$251,702
Rate7.78%
Monthly payment$1,808
Cash in$93,969
Cash-on-cash return-22.3%
DSCR0.03
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$1,776 a year
NAIC 2023 average homeowners (HO-3) premium for Illinois, $1,480, 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
+8.6%
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
8010012014016020222023202420252026
Show the numbers
MonthTypical value
Aug 2021$236,114
Aug 2022$268,645
Aug 2023$271,326
Aug 2024$298,011
Aug 2025$309,162
Aug 2026$335,602

Rent references

Two sources, never blended

SourceStudio1 bed2 bed3 bed4 bed
HUD Small Area FMR, FY2026$940$1,030$1,260$1,660$1,810
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: Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL HUD Metro FMR Area.

Property tax

Effective rate
2.19%
ZIP area, ACS
At the typical price
$7,340/yr

Median real estate taxes paid divided by median home value, Census ACS 2020 to 2024. Boone County: 2.18%. Actual bills depend on the assessment, exemptions and any non-homestead rate.

Supply

Permits per 1,000 households
3.4
Boone County, last 12 months
National percentile
38th
among US counties

66 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
61008Belvidere5.4 mi$266,000$1,180*5.3%-$1,242
60152Marengo5.9 mi$364,000$1,320*4.3%-$1,903
61012Capron9.5 mi$275,000$1,170*5.1%-$1,451
61065Poplar Grove10.6 mi$280,000$1,760*7.5%-$852
60135Genoa11.1 mi$315,000$1,440*5.5%-$1,469
60180Union11.5 mi$432,000$1,600*4.5%-$2,256
61016Cherry Valley11.7 mi$294,000$1,070*4.4%-$1,637
61011Caledonia11.9 mi$383,000$1,760*5.5%-$1,670

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

Every ZIP in Boone CountyRockford, IL metroIllinois

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Open the calculator for 61038

Questions

Is 61038 good for rental property?
On the typical home here, priced at $336,000 and renting for $1,260 a month (HUD Fair Market Rent, 2 bedroom, FY2026), the gross yield is 4.5% and the estimated cap rate is 0.2%. At a 7.78% investor rate with 25% down, estimated cash flow is -$1,747 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 61038?
Zillow does not publish a rent index for 61038. HUD's FY2026 Small Area Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom here is $1,260, the 40th percentile of gross rents and the basis for Section 8 payment standards.
What is the property tax rate in 61038?
The effective property tax rate is about 2.19% of value (median taxes paid divided by median home value, Census ACS 2020 to 2024). On the typical $336,000 home that is about $7,340 a year. Your bill depends on the assessment and local exemptions.
What interest rate makes a rental in 61038 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 61038?
Over the 12 months to August 2026, the typical home value changed +8.6%.

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.