Rental DSCR · ranking
The 100 largest rental markets, ranked by rent-to-payment
At a 7% example rate, a 3-bedroom rental on a mid-market home covers its full payment in 23 of the 100 U.S. counties with the most renter homes. The highest DSCRs are in Baltimore (city), MD at 1.33, Philadelphia County, PA at 1.25, Marion County, IN at 1.21, Allegheny County, PA at 1.21 and Broward County, FL at 1.19. The lowest are in New York County, NY at 0.45, Santa Clara County, CA at 0.53, San Mateo County, CA at 0.58, Essex County, NJ at 0.61 and Alameda County, CA at 0.63.
| # | County | Renter homes | 3-bed rent | Home price | DSCR at 7% (example) | Break-even rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Baltimore (city), MD | 134,197 | $1,864 | $210,000 | 1.33 | 11.1% |
| 2 | Philadelphia County, PA | 327,523 | $1,700 | $224,200 | 1.25 | 9.9% |
| 3 | Marion County, IN | 173,991 | $1,663 | $222,600 | 1.21 | 9.5% |
| 4 | Allegheny County, PA | 190,128 | $1,738 | $216,300 | 1.21 | 9.6% |
| 5 | Broward County, FL | 274,613 | $3,025 | $400,400 | 1.19 | 9.3% |
| 6 | Pinellas County, FL | 130,561 | $2,419 | $329,600 | 1.18 | 9.2% |
| 7 | Wayne County, MI | 246,939 | $1,356 | $171,300 | 1.17 | 9.2% |
| 8 | Jackson County, MO | 125,355 | $1,625 | $226,100 | 1.12 | 8.5% |
| 9 | Baltimore County, MD | 111,893 | $2,365 | $339,100 | 1.12 | 8.4% |
| 10 | Jefferson County, AL | 97,464 | $1,449 | $215,900 | 1.09 | 8.1% |
| 11 | Hamilton County, OH | 144,332 | $1,762 | $248,000 | 1.08 | 8.0% |
| 12 | Shelby County, TN | 166,362 | $1,446 | $211,300 | 1.08 | 7.9% |
| 13 | Cuyahoga County, OH | 225,378 | $1,471 | $196,500 | 1.06 | 7.8% |
| 14 | DuPage County, IL | 94,284 | $3,108 | $419,600 | 1.06 | 7.8% |
| 15 | Oklahoma County, OK | 137,172 | $1,462 | $208,400 | 1.05 | 7.7% |
| 16 | Palm Beach County, FL | 181,166 | $2,907 | $444,200 | 1.04 | 7.6% |
| 17 | Duval County, FL | 173,409 | $1,860 | $284,400 | 1.04 | 7.5% |
| 18 | Macomb County, MI | 89,612 | $1,637 | $246,200 | 1.02 | 7.3% |
| 19 | Cook County, IL | 887,660 | $2,336 | $329,000 | 1.02 | 7.4% |
| 20 | Kern County, CA | 113,798 | $2,019 | $326,200 | 1.02 | 7.3% |
| 21 | El Paso County, TX | 107,181 | $1,400 | $180,000 | 1.01 | 7.2% |
| 22 | Miami-Dade County, FL | 465,971 | $3,134 | $503,300 | 1.00 | 7.1% |
| 23 | Harris County, TX | 795,727 | $1,818 | $255,100 | 1.00 | 7.0% |
| 24 | Pima County, AZ | 152,188 | $1,771 | $304,100 | 0.99 | 6.9% |
| 25 | Hillsborough County, FL | 224,630 | $2,258 | $365,500 | 0.98 | 6.8% |
| 26 | Bexar County, TX | 309,018 | $1,662 | $235,000 | 0.97 | 6.7% |
| 27 | Prince George’s County, MD | 131,052 | $2,556 | $420,000 | 0.97 | 6.7% |
| 28 | Tarrant County, TX | 318,750 | $2,094 | $303,600 | 0.97 | 6.6% |
| 29 | Bernalillo County, NM | 101,241 | $1,769 | $296,300 | 0.97 | 6.7% |
| 30 | Tulsa County, OK | 109,868 | $1,454 | $226,000 | 0.97 | 6.6% |
| 31 | Orange County, FL | 227,990 | $2,323 | $385,900 | 0.97 | 6.6% |
| 32 | Jefferson County, KY | 125,573 | $1,465 | $246,900 | 0.96 | 6.5% |
| 33 | St. Louis County, MO | 127,319 | $1,630 | $264,300 | 0.96 | 6.5% |
| 34 | Douglas County, NE | 91,733 | $1,771 | $263,100 | 0.96 | 6.4% |
| 35 | Dallas County, TX | 483,826 | $1,903 | $284,200 | 0.95 | 6.3% |
| 36 | Hennepin County, MN | 201,230 | $2,272 | $376,900 | 0.94 | 6.3% |
| 37 | Bronx County, NY | 426,925 | $2,698 | $465,000 | 0.94 | 6.2% |
| 38 | Davidson County, TN | 153,381 | $2,232 | $409,700 | 0.93 | 6.2% |
| 39 | Queens County, NY | 463,708 | $3,786 | $678,600 | 0.93 | 6.1% |
| 40 | Fresno County, CA | 144,331 | $2,065 | $379,400 | 0.92 | 6.1% |
| 41 | Arapahoe County, CO | 90,698 | $2,752 | $515,300 | 0.91 | 6.0% |
| 42 | Franklin County, OH | 260,976 | $1,734 | $291,600 | 0.91 | 5.8% |
| 43 | Erie County, NY | 140,013 | $1,583 | $247,100 | 0.90 | 5.6% |
| 44 | Sacramento County, CA | 233,991 | $2,644 | $499,700 | 0.90 | 5.8% |
| 45 | DeKalb County, GA | 118,371 | $1,858 | $333,500 | 0.90 | 5.7% |
| 46 | Oakland County, MI | 144,960 | $1,922 | $342,200 | 0.89 | 5.5% |
| 47 | Denver County, CO | 171,873 | $2,785 | $543,900 | 0.88 | 5.7% |
| 48 | District of Columbia, DC | 189,808 | $2,982 | $589,100 | 0.88 | 5.7% |
| 49 | Mecklenburg County, NC | 209,360 | $2,174 | $412,100 | 0.88 | 5.5% |
| 50 | South Central Connecticut Region, CT | 91,053 | $2,366 | $386,400 | 0.88 | 5.2% |
| 51 | Pierce County, WA | 123,930 | $2,692 | $516,500 | 0.87 | 5.4% |
| 52 | Westchester County, NY | 142,281 | $3,793 | $664,300 | 0.87 | 5.3% |
| 53 | Monroe County, NY | 115,720 | $1,603 | $240,800 | 0.87 | 5.0% |
| 54 | San Bernardino County, CA | 256,079 | $2,478 | $488,300 | 0.87 | 5.4% |
| 55 | Clark County, NV | 364,134 | $2,112 | $436,300 | 0.86 | 5.5% |
| 56 | Maricopa County, AZ | 602,808 | $2,117 | $436,000 | 0.86 | 5.4% |
| 57 | San Joaquin County, CA | 93,220 | $2,486 | $489,100 | 0.86 | 5.4% |
| 58 | Gwinnett County, GA | 110,314 | $2,090 | $397,500 | 0.85 | 5.1% |
| 59 | Worcester County, MA | 114,910 | $2,400 | $444,500 | 0.84 | 4.9% |
| 60 | El Paso County, CO | 97,958 | $2,082 | $428,800 | 0.84 | 5.1% |
| 61 | Suffolk County, MA | 207,832 | $3,410 | $695,700 | 0.84 | 5.1% |
| 62 | Hudson County, NJ | 207,608 | $3,262 | $579,200 | 0.84 | 4.7% |
| 63 | Montgomery County, PA | 96,010 | $2,450 | $459,400 | 0.84 | 4.8% |
| 64 | Cobb County, GA | 97,524 | $2,041 | $417,100 | 0.82 | 4.8% |
| 65 | Capitol Region, CT | 134,059 | $2,090 | $360,400 | 0.82 | 4.3% |
| 66 | Riverside County, CA | 239,349 | $2,616 | $545,000 | 0.81 | 4.7% |
| 67 | Montgomery County, MD | 135,071 | $2,946 | $603,900 | 0.81 | 4.7% |
| 68 | Denton County, TX | 124,469 | $2,330 | $416,600 | 0.80 | 4.2% |
| 69 | Norfolk County, MA | 88,556 | $3,386 | $690,600 | 0.79 | 4.3% |
| 70 | Washington County, OR | 92,176 | $2,538 | $544,000 | 0.79 | 4.4% |
| 71 | Essex County, MA | 114,309 | $3,106 | $636,600 | 0.79 | 4.3% |
| 72 | Collin County, TX | 147,833 | $2,519 | $461,700 | 0.79 | 4.0% |
| 73 | Multnomah County, OR | 163,104 | $2,356 | $497,400 | 0.79 | 4.3% |
| 74 | Middlesex County, NJ | 111,894 | $2,896 | $525,800 | 0.78 | Under 4% |
| 75 | Los Angeles County, CA | 1,848,466 | $3,605 | $800,900 | 0.77 | 4.3% |
| 76 | Fulton County, GA | 211,288 | $2,012 | $426,500 | 0.77 | 4.1% |
| 77 | Providence County, RI | 111,642 | $2,107 | $419,800 | 0.77 | Under 4% |
| 78 | Milwaukee County, WI | 196,633 | $1,308 | $248,400 | 0.76 | Under 4% |
| 79 | Suffolk County, NY | 91,419 | $3,240 | $633,700 | 0.76 | Under 4% |
| 80 | San Diego County, CA | 532,140 | $3,582 | $839,700 | 0.73 | Under 4% |
| 81 | Wake County, NC | 165,106 | $2,011 | $459,500 | 0.73 | Under 4% |
| 82 | Fairfax County, VA | 129,906 | $3,221 | $721,800 | 0.73 | Under 4% |
| 83 | Travis County, TX | 279,582 | $2,204 | $443,300 | 0.73 | Under 4% |
| 84 | Middlesex County, MA | 245,322 | $3,255 | $738,300 | 0.71 | Under 4% |
| 85 | Snohomish County, WA | 100,610 | $2,837 | $680,100 | 0.71 | Under 4% |
| 86 | Contra Costa County, CA | 132,598 | $3,229 | $768,000 | 0.71 | Under 4% |
| 87 | Kings County, NY | 712,011 | $3,430 | $828,600 | 0.70 | Under 4% |
| 88 | Orange County, CA | 472,301 | $4,005 | $990,300 | 0.70 | Under 4% |
| 89 | Honolulu County, HI | 136,264 | $3,335 | $874,100 | 0.70 | Under 4% |
| 90 | King County, WA | 419,249 | $3,244 | $789,100 | 0.70 | Under 4% |
| 91 | Dane County, WI | 107,847 | $1,916 | $426,400 | 0.68 | Under 4% |
| 92 | Salt Lake County, UT | 144,370 | $2,008 | $522,700 | 0.68 | Under 4% |
| 93 | Ventura County, CA | 99,321 | $3,126 | $798,500 | 0.67 | Under 4% |
| 94 | San Francisco County, CA | 224,913 | $4,698 | $1,229,000 | 0.65 | Under 4% |
| 95 | Bergen County, NJ | 123,102 | $2,935 | $682,600 | 0.65 | Under 4% |
| 96 | Alameda County, CA | 272,737 | $3,528 | $949,900 | 0.63 | Under 4% |
| 97 | Essex County, NJ | 176,209 | $2,399 | $569,700 | 0.61 | Under 4% |
| 98 | San Mateo County, CA | 109,812 | $4,689 | $1,391,400 | 0.58 | Under 4% |
| 99 | Santa Clara County, CA | 296,206 | $4,235 | $1,381,900 | 0.53 | Under 4% |
| 100 | New York County, NY | 583,299 | $3,088 | $1,123,900 | 0.45 | Under 4% |
Rates on this page are a 7% example, not a quote or an offer. DSCR here is 3-bedroom rent divided by principal, interest, property tax and insurance on a 75% loan with a 30-year fixed payment. At 1.00 the rent pays all of it. Figures are estimates from public data, for education only.
Questions
Which big U.S. rental markets still cover the payment at 7%?
At a 7% example rate, a 3-bedroom rental on a mid-market home covers its full payment in 23 of the 100 U.S. counties with the most renter homes. The highest DSCRs are in Baltimore (city), MD at 1.33, Philadelphia County, PA at 1.25, Marion County, IN at 1.21, Allegheny County, PA at 1.21 and Broward County, FL at 1.19. The lowest are in New York County, NY at 0.45, Santa Clara County, CA at 0.53, San Mateo County, CA at 0.58, Essex County, NJ at 0.61 and Alameda County, CA at 0.63.
What is the break-even rate in the largest rental markets?
The break-even rate is the highest rate at which rent still covers the full payment. Baltimore (city), MD breaks even at 11.1%; Philadelphia County, PA breaks even at 9.9%; Marion County, IN breaks even at 9.5%. In 25 of the 100, rent falls short even at a 4% example rate, including New York County, NY, Santa Clara County, CA and San Mateo County, CA.
How are these markets chosen and ranked?
The 100 counties with the most renter-occupied homes in the Census Bureau’s 2020 to 2024 American Community Survey, ranked by DSCR: HUD FY2027 3-bedroom Fair Market Rent divided by principal, interest, property tax and insurance on a 75% loan for a mid-market home, at a 7% example rate, which is not a quote or an offer.
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