Rental numbers for ZIP 98040 (Mercer Island, WA)
Negative cash flow at any interest rate with 25% down: the rent does not cover operating costs and principal.
- Gross yield
- 1.5%
- rent x 12 / price
- Est. cap rate
- -0.3%
- NOI / price
- Cash flow
- -$12,643/mo
- at 7.78%, 25% down
- Typical price
- $2,258,000
- Zillow ZHVI, Aug 2026
- Typical rent
- $2,827/mo
- Zillow ZORI, Aug 2026
The pro forma
Typical home, default assumptions
| Operator | Line | Amount | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross rent | $33,924 | ||
| Vacancy | $1,696 | ||
| Management | $2,578 | ||
| Property tax | $11,290 | ||
| Insurance | $1,478 | ||
| Maintenance | $22,581 | ||
| Net operating income | -$5,699 | ||
| Loan payments | $146,014 | ||
| Cash flow | -$151,714 |
| Operator | Line | Amount | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typical price | $2,258,055 | ||
| Down payment (25%) | $564,514 | ||
| Loan | $1,693,541 | ||
| Rate | 7.78% | ||
| Monthly payment | $12,168 | ||
| Cash in | $632,255 | ||
| Cash-on-cash return | -24.0% | ||
| DSCR | -0.04 | ||
| Break-even rate | none |
Assumptions
Change them in the calculator- 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$1,478 a year
- NAIC 2023 average homeowners (HO-3) premium for Washington, $1,232, 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
- -0.8%
- Rent, 12 months
- +3.0%
- Rent minus price growth
- +3.8 pts
- positive means yields are improving
Show the numbers
| Month | Typical value | Rent |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 2021 | $1,960,562 | $2,317 |
| Aug 2022 | $2,365,968 | $2,580 |
| Aug 2023 | $2,114,495 | $2,584 |
| Aug 2024 | $2,264,660 | $2,708 |
| Aug 2025 | $2,276,502 | $2,744 |
| Aug 2026 | $2,258,055 | $2,827 |
Rent references
Two sources, never blended
| Source | Studio | 1 bed | 2 bed | 3 bed | 4 bed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HUD Small Area FMR, FY2026 | $2,500 | $2,590 | $3,020 | $3,950 | $4,650 |
| Zillow observed rent, Aug 2026 | $2,827 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: Seattle-Bellevue, WA HUD Metro FMR Area.
Property tax
- Effective rate
- 0.50%
- ZIP area, ACS
- At the typical price
- $11,290/yr
Median real estate taxes paid divided by median home value, Census ACS 2020 to 2024. King County: 0.83%. Actual bills depend on the assessment, exemptions and any non-homestead rate.
Supply
- Permits per 1,000 households
- 12.1
- King County, last 12 months
- National percentile
- 77th
- among US counties
11,408 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
| ZIP | Distance | Typical price | Rent | Gross yield | Cash flow /mo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 98118Seattle | 2.3 mi | $718,000 | $1,976 | 3.3% | -$3,333 |
| 98144Seattle | 3.1 mi | $760,000 | $1,990 | 3.1% | -$3,596 |
| 98006Bellevue | 3.8 mi | $1,572,000 | $3,701 | 2.8% | -$7,584 |
| 98004Bellevue | 3.9 mi | $1,954,000 | $3,049 | 1.9% | -$10,432 |
| 98108Seattle | 4.0 mi | $671,000 | $2,324 | 4.2% | -$2,722 |
| 98056Renton | 4.1 mi | $834,000 | $2,312 | 3.3% | -$3,903 |
| 98122Seattle | 4.3 mi | $806,000 | $2,063 | 3.1% | -$3,877 |
| 98178Bryn Mawr-Skyway | 4.6 mi | $643,000 | $2,036 | 3.8% | -$2,819 |
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 98040Questions
- Is 98040 good for rental property?
- On the typical home here, priced at $2,258,000 and renting for $2,827 a month (Zillow ZORI, Aug 2026), the gross yield is 1.5% and the estimated cap rate is -0.3%. At a 7.78% investor rate with 25% down, estimated cash flow is -$12,643 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 98040?
- Zillow's observed rent index for 98040 was $2,827 a month in August 2026, across all home types. HUD's FY2026 Small Area Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom here is $3,020, the 40th percentile of gross rents and the basis for Section 8 payment standards.
- What is the property tax rate in 98040?
- The effective property tax rate is about 0.50% of value (median taxes paid divided by median home value, Census ACS 2020 to 2024). On the typical $2,258,000 home that is about $11,290 a year. Your bill depends on the assessment and local exemptions.
- What interest rate makes a rental in 98040 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 98040?
- Over the 12 months to August 2026, the typical home value changed -0.8% and the typical rent changed +3.0%. Rents rising faster than prices pushes yields up.
Sources and method
- Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), mid tier, smoothed and seasonally adjusted
Zillow Research. Read: 2026-08.
Typical home value by ZIP, county, metro and state, and the price trend.
- Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI), all homes plus multifamily, smoothed
Zillow Research. Read: 2026-08.
Typical market rent by ZIP, county and metro, and the rent trend (tier A pages).
- HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents, FY2026
US Department of Housing and Urban Development. Read: FY2026.
Rent by bedroom count for every ZIP. The rent used on tier B pages, and a reference on all pages. It is the 40th percentile gross rent, so it runs below market.
- American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020 to 2024 (B25103 median real estate taxes paid, B25077 median home value, B11001 households)
US Census Bureau. Read: 2020 to 2024.
Effective property tax rate (median taxes paid divided by median value) by ZIP code tabulation area, county and state; households for the permits ratio.
- Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey, 30-year fixed (FRED series MORTGAGE30US)
Freddie Mac via the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. Read: 2026-09-24.
The weekly 30-year rate. The site adds a disclosed investor premium to it for the loan payment.
- Building Permits Survey, county monthly files
US Census Bureau. Read: 2025-09 to 2026-08.
New housing units permitted in the last 12 months per 1,000 households, a supply-pressure signal.
- NAIC Homeowners Insurance Report, data for 2023
National Association of Insurance Commissioners. Read: 2023.
Average HO-3 homeowners premium by state, multiplied by 1.2 as a landlord-policy assumption.
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.