2026 US Rental Yield Rankings — 25 Cities Compared
Free data on gross yield, net yield, property prices, and vacancy rates for the top 25 US rental investment markets. Updated Q1 2026 using US Census Bureau, BLS, and NAA data.
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Check any city's rental yield Free preview • 30-second resultsTop 25 US Cities Ranked by Net Rental Yield
| Rank | City | Net Yield | Gross Yield | Median Price | Median Rent | Vacancy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Toledo, OH | 7.5% | 12.3% | $95,000 | $975 | 5.0% |
| 2 | Cleveland, OH | 7.2% | 11.2% | $145,000 | $1,350 | 4.8% |
| 3 | Memphis, TN | 7.0% | 10.8% | $155,000 | $1,400 | 5.1% |
| 4 | Indianapolis, IN | 6.8% | 10.5% | $165,000 | $1,450 | 4.5% |
| 5 | Birmingham, AL | 6.5% | 10.0% | $140,000 | $1,175 | 5.3% |
| 6 | Detroit, MI | 6.3% | 11.0% | $120,000 | $1,100 | 5.7% |
| 7 | Syracuse, NY | 6.1% | 9.4% | $135,000 | $1,060 | 5.2% |
| 8 | Kansas City, MO | 6.0% | 9.5% | $175,000 | $1,390 | 5.0% |
| 9 | Cincinnati, OH | 5.8% | 9.2% | $170,000 | $1,310 | 4.7% |
| 10 | Columbus, OH | 5.6% | 8.8% | $195,000 | $1,430 | 5.2% |
| 11 | Pittsburgh, PA | 5.5% | 8.7% | $165,000 | $1,200 | 4.8% |
| 12 | Dallas, TX | 5.2% | 8.0% | $285,000 | $1,900 | 6.5% |
| 13 | Atlanta, GA | 5.0% | 7.8% | $290,000 | $1,890 | 6.8% |
| 14 | Charlotte, NC | 4.8% | 7.5% | $275,000 | $1,720 | 7.2% |
| 15 | Houston, TX | 5.1% | 8.1% | $240,000 | $1,620 | 6.2% |
| 16 | Chicago, IL | 4.5% | 7.2% | $295,000 | $1,775 | 5.8% |
| 17 | San Antonio, TX | 5.0% | 7.9% | $225,000 | $1,480 | 5.5% |
| 18 | Phoenix, AZ | 4.1% | 6.8% | $340,000 | $1,930 | 8.7% |
| 19 | Nashville, TN | 4.0% | 6.5% | $365,000 | $1,980 | 8.1% |
| 20 | Austin, TX | 3.8% | 6.2% | $395,000 | $2,050 | 9.4% |
| 21 | Tampa, FL | 3.9% | 6.4% | $335,000 | $1,790 | 7.8% |
| 22 | Denver, CO | 3.7% | 6.1% | $420,000 | $2,140 | 6.0% |
| 23 | Seattle, WA | 3.2% | 5.5% | $550,000 | $2,520 | 4.8% |
| 24 | Boston, MA | 3.0% | 5.2% | $590,000 | $2,560 | 4.2% |
| 25 | San Francisco, CA | 2.8% | 4.8% | $780,000 | $3,120 | 4.5% |
Table: US rental yield rankings, Q1 2026 (Sources: US Census Bureau, BLS, NAA, RealPage)
The Yield Pattern: Why Midwest Leads
Three structural factors drive the Midwest yield advantage:
- Property prices stayed below $200,000. Lower denominators produce higher yield percentages. A $1,400/month rent on a $155,000 Memphis home yields 10.8% gross. The same rent on a $395,000 Austin home yields just 4.3%.
- New construction stayed modest. Cleveland delivered 2,800 new apartment units in 2025. Austin delivered 15,000. Oversupply depresses rents and raises vacancy.
- Population growth is steady, not speculative. Midwest cities attract affordability migrants from coastal markets — sustainable demand that does not crash when interest rates change.
Read the full analysis in our blog post on why the Midwest beats the Sun Belt for rental yield. For state-level data, see our rental yield by state rankings.