Skip to content
RE Intelligence

Rental numbers for ZIP 92102 (San Diego, CA)

Negative cash flow at any interest rate with 25% down: the rent does not cover operating costs and principal.

Gross yield
3.8%
rent x 12 / price
Est. cap rate
1.6%
NOI / price
Cash flow
-$3,044/mo
at 7.78%, 25% down
Typical price
$744,000
Zillow ZHVI, Aug 2026
Typical rent
$2,328/mo
Zillow ZORI, Aug 2026

The pro forma

Typical home, default assumptions

Income and expenses, per year
OperatorLineAmountSource
Gross rent$27,936
Vacancy$1,397
Management$2,123
Property tax$3,380
Insurance$1,986
Maintenance$7,444
Net operating income$11,606
Loan payments$48,137
Cash flow-$36,531
Purchase and loan
OperatorLineAmountSource
Typical price$744,421
Down payment (25%)$186,105
Loan$558,316
Rate7.78%
Monthly payment$4,011
Cash in$208,438
Cash-on-cash return-17.5%
DSCR0.24
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$1,986 a year
NAIC 2023 average homeowners (HO-3) premium for California, $1,655, 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
+1.6%
Rent, 12 months
+1.1%
Rent minus price growth
-0.6 pts
positive means yields are improving
Typical value (Zillow ZHVI) Rent (Zillow ZORI)Indexed to 100 at Aug 2021
9010011012013020222023202420252026
Show the numbers
MonthTypical valueRent
Aug 2021$644,869$1,845
Aug 2022$714,591$2,134
Aug 2023$720,231$2,235
Aug 2024$762,896$2,258
Aug 2025$732,396$2,303
Aug 2026$744,421$2,328

Rent references

Two sources, never blended

SourceStudio1 bed2 bed3 bed4 bed
HUD Small Area FMR, FY2026$2,130$2,290$2,800$3,730$4,520
Zillow observed rent, Aug 2026$2,328 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: San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA MSA.

Property tax

Effective rate
0.45%
ZIP area, ACS
At the typical price
$3,380/yr

Median real estate taxes paid divided by median home value, Census ACS 2020 to 2024. San Diego County: 0.68%. Actual bills depend on the assessment, exemptions and any non-homestead rate.

Supply

Permits per 1,000 households
9.0
San Diego County, last 12 months
National percentile
68th
among US counties

10,538 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
92113San Diego1.5 mi$652,000$2,4004.4%-$2,410
92104San Diego1.9 mi$956,000$2,5423.2%-$4,308
92105San Diego2.3 mi$694,000$2,1373.7%-$2,905
92101San Diego3.2 mi$712,000$2,9234.9%-$2,565
92116San Diego3.4 mi$983,000$2,4633.0%-$4,649
91950National City3.5 mi$697,000$2,4984.3%-$2,658
92103San Diego3.6 mi$1,060,000$2,7673.1%-$4,996
92114San Diego3.7 mi$746,000$2,8194.5%-$2,660

Every ZIP in San Diego CountySan Diego, CA metroCalifornia

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 92102

Questions

Is 92102 good for rental property?
On the typical home here, priced at $744,000 and renting for $2,328 a month (Zillow ZORI, Aug 2026), the gross yield is 3.8% and the estimated cap rate is 1.6%. At a 7.78% investor rate with 25% down, estimated cash flow is -$3,044 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 92102?
Zillow's observed rent index for 92102 was $2,328 a month in August 2026, across all home types. HUD's FY2026 Small Area Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom here is $2,800, the 40th percentile of gross rents and the basis for Section 8 payment standards.
What is the property tax rate in 92102?
The effective property tax rate is about 0.45% of value (median taxes paid divided by median home value, Census ACS 2020 to 2024). On the typical $744,000 home that is about $3,380 a year. Your bill depends on the assessment and local exemptions.
What interest rate makes a rental in 92102 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 92102?
Over the 12 months to August 2026, the typical home value changed +1.6% and the typical rent changed +1.1%. Prices rising faster than rents pushes yields down.

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.