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RE Intelligence

Rental numbers for ZIP 80481 (Ward, CO)

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
4.6%
rent x 12 / price
Est. cap rate
2.0%
NOI / price
Cash flow
-$1,923/mo
at 7.78%, 25% down
Typical price
$522,000
Zillow ZHVI, Aug 2026
HUD Fair Market Rent
$1,990/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent, 2 bedroom, FY2026

The pro forma

Typical home, default assumptions

Income and expenses, per year
OperatorLineAmountSource
Gross rent$23,880
Vacancy$1,194
Management$1,815
Property tax$2,014
Insurance$2,990
Maintenance$5,217
Net operating income$10,651
Loan payments$33,733
Cash flow-$23,082
Purchase and loan
OperatorLineAmountSource
Typical price$521,667
Down payment (25%)$130,417
Loan$391,250
Rate7.78%
Monthly payment$2,811
Cash in$146,067
Cash-on-cash return-15.8%
DSCR0.32
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$2,990 a year
NAIC 2023 average homeowners (HO-3) premium for Colorado, $2,492, 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
-0.6%
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
9510010511011520222023202420252026
Show the numbers
MonthTypical value
Aug 2021$507,591
Aug 2022$565,557
Aug 2023$530,193
Aug 2024$531,840
Aug 2025$524,784
Aug 2026$521,667

Rent references

Two sources, never blended

SourceStudio1 bed2 bed3 bed4 bed
HUD Small Area FMR, FY2026$1,510$1,710$1,990$2,630$3,070
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: Boulder, CO MSA.

Property tax

Effective rate
0.39%
ZIP area, ACS
At the typical price
$2,014/yr

Median real estate taxes paid divided by median home value, Census ACS 2020 to 2024. Boulder County: 0.53%. Actual bills depend on the assessment, exemptions and any non-homestead rate.

Supply

Permits per 1,000 households
12.4
Boulder County, last 12 months
National percentile
78th
among US counties

1,696 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
80510Allenspark7.8 mi$499,000$2,010*4.8%-$1,788
80466Nederland8.0 mi$672,000$1,930*3.5%-$3,043
80455Jamestown9.5 mi$540,000$2,240*5.0%-$1,856
8047412.3 mi$569,000$1,930*4.1%-$2,211
80540Lyons12.6 mi$748,000$2,290*3.7%-$3,250
80302Boulder13.2 mi$1,099,000$2,3412.6%-$5,511
80304Boulder15.7 mi$1,220,000$2,4682.4%-$6,229
80478Granby15.8 mi$1,034,000$1,580*1.8%-$5,563

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

Every ZIP in Boulder CountyBoulder, CO metroColorado

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 80481

Questions

Is 80481 good for rental property?
On the typical home here, priced at $522,000 and renting for $1,990 a month (HUD Fair Market Rent, 2 bedroom, FY2026), the gross yield is 4.6% and the estimated cap rate is 2.0%. At a 7.78% investor rate with 25% down, estimated cash flow is -$1,923 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 80481?
Zillow does not publish a rent index for 80481. HUD's FY2026 Small Area Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom here is $1,990, the 40th percentile of gross rents and the basis for Section 8 payment standards.
What is the property tax rate in 80481?
The effective property tax rate is about 0.39% of value (median taxes paid divided by median home value, Census ACS 2020 to 2024). On the typical $522,000 home that is about $2,014 a year. Your bill depends on the assessment and local exemptions.
What interest rate makes a rental in 80481 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 80481?
Over the 12 months to August 2026, the typical home value changed -0.6%.

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.