Markets · State evidence and coverage
Compare state rental markets without a false #1
A state receives a public ordinal rank only with at least 20 evaluable cities across 10 county contexts. 37 states currently qualify. Every state remains searchable and shows its median city score, coverage, modeled pass count, and pass share. The three tables answer different questions instead of collapsing them into one arbitrary state score. Compare Census regions →
Strongest median city fundamentals
Eligible states are ordered by the median Overall City Market Score. Ineligible states stay in the table with an explicit coverage label and no ordinal rank.
| Headline rank | State | Region | Median Overall | Grade | Gross yield | Home-value growth | Price-to-income | Job growth | Ranked cities | Screen coverage | Pass rate | Pass count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Alabama | East South Central | 59.1 | A | 7.2% | 3.0% | 3.7× | 1.1% | 108 | 107 · 44 counties | 20.6% | 22 |
| #2 | Oklahoma | West South Central | 58.7 | A | 7.3% | 3.8% | 3.3× | 1.3% | 75 | 72 · 42 counties | 20.8% | 15 |
| #3 | Georgia | South Atlantic | 57.8 | A | 6.4% | 4.2% | 4.5× | 1.1% | 141 | 136 · 75 counties | 13.2% | 18 |
| #4 | Indiana | East North Central | 56 | B | 6.8% | 5.1% | 3.8× | 0.8% | 125 | 125 · 69 counties | 2.4% | 3 |
| #5 | Florida | South Atlantic | 55 | B | 6.7% | 2.7% | 5.5× | 1.3% | 226 | 217 · 50 counties | 27.2% | 59 |
| #6 | Tennessee | East South Central | 54.9 | B | 6.0% | 3.8% | 4.9× | 1.3% | 104 | 100 · 59 counties | 7.0% | 7 |
| #7 | South Carolina | South Atlantic | 54.1 | B | 6.1% | 4.0% | 4.9× | 1.8% | 64 | 63 · 32 counties | 15.9% | 10 |
| #8 | North Carolina | South Atlantic | 53.2 | B | 5.6% | 3.8% | 4.7× | 1.4% | 140 | 136 · 60 counties | 8.8% | 12 |
| #9 | Idaho | Mountain | 53.1 | B | 4.4% | 5.2% | 6.1× | 2.4% | 36 | 36 · 21 counties | 0.0% | 0 |
| #10 | Arkansas | West South Central | 52.7 | B | 6.7% | 3.7% | 3.8× | 1.1% | 69 | 65 · 42 counties | 7.7% | 5 |
| #11 | Nebraska | West North Central | 52.4 | B | 5.8% | 4.3% | 3.9× | 1.0% | 32 | 32 · 27 counties | 6.3% | 2 |
| #12 | Mississippi | East South Central | 51.9 | B | 9.0% | 1.8% | 3.5× | 0.6% | 61 | 61 · 41 counties | 18.0% | 11 |
| #13 | Arizona | Mountain | 51.7 | B | 4.7% | 3.1% | 5.2× | 2.0% | 57 | 57 · 12 counties | 1.8% | 1 |
| #14 | Kentucky | East South Central | 51.2 | B | 6.0% | 4.8% | 4.2× | 0.5% | 80 | 73 · 48 counties | 15.1% | 11 |
| #15 | Texas | West South Central | 50.9 | B | 6.5% | 1.8% | 3.9× | 2.0% | 372 | 355 · 137 counties | 3.4% | 12 |
| #16 | Utah | Mountain | 50.8 | B | 3.9% | 4.8% | 5.7× | 2.2% | 94 | 89 · 18 counties | 0.0% | 0 |
| #17 | Missouri | West North Central | 50.6 | B | 6.5% | 4.6% | 3.8× | 0.5% | 129 | 126 · 53 counties | 1.6% | 2 |
| #18 | Ohio | East North Central | 50.1 | C | 7.6% | 5.5% | 3.6× | 0.3% | 253 | 246 · 72 counties | 3.3% | 8 |
| #19 | Minnesota | West North Central | 47.8 | C | 5.5% | 3.3% | 3.9× | 0.4% | 150 | 150 · 50 counties | 0.7% | 1 |
| #20 | Illinois | East North Central | 47.1 | C | 7.5% | 4.8% | 3.7× | 0.2% | 327 | 321 · 62 counties | 0.6% | 2 |
| #21 | Kansas | West North Central | 46.9 | C | 6.2% | 4.8% | 3.6× | 0.8% | 64 | 63 · 35 counties | 1.6% | 1 |
| #22 | New Mexico | Mountain | 45.5 | C | 5.9% | 3.7% | 4.9× | 0.7% | 35 | 34 · 23 counties | 5.9% | 2 |
| #23 | Iowa | West North Central | 45.4 | C | 6.1% | 3.6% | 3.3× | 0.2% | 85 | 84 · 56 counties | 1.2% | 1 |
| #24 | Virginia | South Atlantic | 44.7 | C | 5.9% | 4.2% | 4.9× | 0.4% | 63 | 63 · 59 counties | 0.0% | 0 |
| #25 | Pennsylvania | Middle Atlantic | 44.6 | C | 7.7% | 4.9% | 4.1× | 0.2% | 194 | 161 · 48 counties | 0.6% | 1 |
| #26 | Wisconsin | East North Central | 44.2 | C | 5.4% | 6.2% | 4.5× | 0.1% | 155 | 145 · 46 counties | 0.7% | 1 |
| #27 | West Virginia | South Atlantic | 43.7 | D | 7.7% | 4.0% | 3.3× | -0.2% | 26 | 24 · 17 counties | 0.0% | 0 |
| #28 | Colorado | Mountain | 43.4 | D | 4.4% | 2.0% | 5.7× | 1.1% | 77 | 75 · 30 counties | 0.0% | 0 |
| #29 | Louisiana | West South Central | 43.1 | D | 7.8% | 0.3% | 3.9× | -0.1% | 58 | 54 · 33 counties | 0.0% | 0 |
| #30 | Michigan | East North Central | 43.1 | D | 9.2% | 5.4% | 3.6× | 0.3% | 153 | 151 · 46 counties | 0.0% | 0 |
| #31 | Washington | Pacific | 41.3 | D | 3.9% | 3.8% | 6.6× | 0.9% | 122 | 122 · 28 counties | 0.8% | 1 |
| #32 | Oregon | Pacific | 41.2 | D | 4.3% | 2.6% | 6.0× | 0.9% | 80 | 80 · 28 counties | 0.0% | 0 |
| #33 | Maryland | South Atlantic | 39.4 | D | 8.0% | 2.9% | 4.0× | -0.4% | 44 | 43 · 17 counties | 0.0% | 0 |
| #34 | Massachusetts | New England | 38.8 | D | 5.1% | 4.8% | 6.8× | 0.5% | 56 | 45 · 11 counties | 0.0% | 0 |
| #35 | New York | Middle Atlantic | 37.7 | D | 6.1% | 4.1% | 8.9× | 0.4% | 167 | 127 · 38 counties | 0.0% | 0 |
| #36 | New Jersey | Middle Atlantic | 35.4 | F | 5.5% | 5.9% | 6.6× | 0.7% | 190 | 186 · 20 counties | 0.5% | 1 |
| #37 | California | Pacific | 30.3 | F | 4.1% | 3.6% | 8.6× | 0.4% | 428 | 423 · 49 counties | 0.5% | 2 |
| Insufficient coverage for headline state rank | Delaware | South Atlantic | 60.2 | A | 6.4% | 4.0% | 5.4× | 0.9% | 11 | 11 · 3 counties | 0.0% | 0 |
| Insufficient coverage for headline state rank | Nevada | Mountain | 48.3 | C | 4.8% | 4.1% | 5.8× | 1.6% | 12 | 12 · 7 counties | 0.0% | 0 |
| Insufficient coverage for headline state rank | South Dakota | West North Central | 47.1 | C | 4.8% | 4.0% | 4.5× | 1.1% | 18 | 18 · 15 counties | 0.0% | 0 |
| Insufficient coverage for headline state rank | Maine | New England | 44.6 | C | 5.7% | 5.3% | 5.6× | 0.4% | 20 | 19 · 10 counties | 0.0% | 0 |
| Insufficient coverage for headline state rank | Connecticut | New England | 43.6 | D | 6.4% | 6.9% | 5.4× | 0.2% | 21 | 21 · 8 counties | 0.0% | 0 |
| Insufficient coverage for headline state rank | Rhode Island | New England | 42.5 | D | 5.7% | 6.4% | 6.1× | 0.7% | 8 | 8 · 3 counties | 0.0% | 0 |
| Insufficient coverage for headline state rank | North Dakota | West North Central | 41.2 | D | 4.4% | 3.4% | 4.5× | 0.9% | 13 | 13 · 12 counties | 0.0% | 0 |
| Insufficient coverage for headline state rank | Montana | Mountain | 39.9 | D | 4.1% | 5.1% | 6.6× | 1.2% | 19 | 17 · 13 counties | 0.0% | 0 |
| Insufficient coverage for headline state rank | Alaska | Pacific | 38.8 | D | 5.4% | 3.1% | 4.3× | 0.3% | 11 | 10 · 8 counties | 0.0% | 0 |
| Insufficient coverage for headline state rank | New Hampshire | New England | 37.4 | D | 5.5% | 6.2% | 5.4× | 0.1% | 13 | 13 · 9 counties | 0.0% | 0 |
| Insufficient coverage for headline state rank | District of Columbia | South Atlantic | 34.4 | F | 5.3% | -0.7% | 5.2× | 0.6% | 1 | 1 · 1 counties | 0.0% | 0 |
| Insufficient coverage for headline state rank | Hawaii | Pacific | 32.3 | F | 4.2% | 1.0% | 9.0× | 0.1% | 1 | 1 · 1 counties | 0.0% | 0 |
| Insufficient coverage for headline state rank | Wyoming | Mountain | 31.5 | F | 4.5% | 3.6% | 5.4× | -0.3% | 16 | 16 · 13 counties | 0.0% | 0 |
| Insufficient coverage for headline state rank | Vermont | New England | 31.3 | F | 5.7% | 3.3% | 5.7× | -0.2% | 8 | 7 · 4 counties | 0.0% | 0 |
Highest modeled Buy & Hold pass rate
Share of evaluable cities that clear the complete baseline screen. A high share does not mean every property works.
| Rank | State | Buy & Hold pass rate | Evaluable coverage |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Florida | 27.2% | 217 cities · 50 counties |
| #2 | Oklahoma | 20.8% | 72 cities · 42 counties |
| #3 | Alabama | 20.6% | 107 cities · 44 counties |
| #4 | Mississippi | 18.0% | 61 cities · 41 counties |
| #5 | South Carolina | 15.9% | 63 cities · 32 counties |
| #6 | Kentucky | 15.1% | 73 cities · 48 counties |
| #7 | Georgia | 13.2% | 136 cities · 75 counties |
| #8 | North Carolina | 8.8% | 136 cities · 60 counties |
| #9 | Arkansas | 7.7% | 65 cities · 42 counties |
| #10 | Tennessee | 7.0% | 100 cities · 59 counties |
| #11 | Nebraska | 6.3% | 32 cities · 27 counties |
| #12 | New Mexico | 5.9% | 34 cities · 23 counties |
| #13 | Texas | 3.4% | 355 cities · 137 counties |
| #14 | Ohio | 3.3% | 246 cities · 72 counties |
| #15 | Indiana | 2.4% | 125 cities · 69 counties |
| #16 | Arizona | 1.8% | 57 cities · 12 counties |
| #17 | Missouri | 1.6% | 126 cities · 53 counties |
| #18 | Kansas | 1.6% | 63 cities · 35 counties |
| #19 | Iowa | 1.2% | 84 cities · 56 counties |
| #20 | Washington | 0.8% | 122 cities · 28 counties |
| #21 | Wisconsin | 0.7% | 145 cities · 46 counties |
| #22 | Minnesota | 0.7% | 150 cities · 50 counties |
| #23 | Illinois | 0.6% | 321 cities · 62 counties |
| #24 | Pennsylvania | 0.6% | 161 cities · 48 counties |
| #25 | New Jersey | 0.5% | 186 cities · 20 counties |
| #26 | California | 0.5% | 423 cities · 49 counties |
| #27 | Colorado | 0.0% | 75 cities · 30 counties |
| #28 | Idaho | 0.0% | 36 cities · 21 counties |
| #29 | Louisiana | 0.0% | 54 cities · 33 counties |
| #30 | Maryland | 0.0% | 43 cities · 17 counties |
| #31 | Massachusetts | 0.0% | 45 cities · 11 counties |
| #32 | Michigan | 0.0% | 151 cities · 46 counties |
| #33 | New York | 0.0% | 127 cities · 38 counties |
| #34 | Oregon | 0.0% | 80 cities · 28 counties |
| #35 | Utah | 0.0% | 89 cities · 18 counties |
| #36 | Virginia | 0.0% | 63 cities · 59 counties |
| #37 | West Virginia | 0.0% | 24 cities · 17 counties |
Largest number of modeled qualifying markets
Count of evaluable cities that clear the screen. This rewards breadth rather than a high percentage from a small denominator.
| Rank | State | Qualifying markets | Evaluable coverage |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Florida | 59 | 217 cities · 50 counties |
| #2 | Alabama | 22 | 107 cities · 44 counties |
| #3 | Georgia | 18 | 136 cities · 75 counties |
| #4 | Oklahoma | 15 | 72 cities · 42 counties |
| #5 | North Carolina | 12 | 136 cities · 60 counties |
| #6 | Texas | 12 | 355 cities · 137 counties |
| #7 | Mississippi | 11 | 61 cities · 41 counties |
| #8 | Kentucky | 11 | 73 cities · 48 counties |
| #9 | South Carolina | 10 | 63 cities · 32 counties |
| #10 | Ohio | 8 | 246 cities · 72 counties |
| #11 | Tennessee | 7 | 100 cities · 59 counties |
| #12 | Arkansas | 5 | 65 cities · 42 counties |
| #13 | Indiana | 3 | 125 cities · 69 counties |
| #14 | Nebraska | 2 | 32 cities · 27 counties |
| #15 | New Mexico | 2 | 34 cities · 23 counties |
| #16 | Missouri | 2 | 126 cities · 53 counties |
| #17 | Illinois | 2 | 321 cities · 62 counties |
| #18 | California | 2 | 423 cities · 49 counties |
| #19 | Arizona | 1 | 57 cities · 12 counties |
| #20 | Kansas | 1 | 63 cities · 35 counties |
| #21 | Iowa | 1 | 84 cities · 56 counties |
| #22 | Washington | 1 | 122 cities · 28 counties |
| #23 | Wisconsin | 1 | 145 cities · 46 counties |
| #24 | Minnesota | 1 | 150 cities · 50 counties |
| #25 | Pennsylvania | 1 | 161 cities · 48 counties |
| #26 | New Jersey | 1 | 186 cities · 20 counties |
| #27 | Colorado | 0 | 75 cities · 30 counties |
| #28 | Idaho | 0 | 36 cities · 21 counties |
| #29 | Louisiana | 0 | 54 cities · 33 counties |
| #30 | Maryland | 0 | 43 cities · 17 counties |
| #31 | Massachusetts | 0 | 45 cities · 11 counties |
| #32 | Michigan | 0 | 151 cities · 46 counties |
| #33 | New York | 0 | 127 cities · 38 counties |
| #34 | Oregon | 0 | 80 cities · 28 counties |
| #35 | Utah | 0 | 89 cities · 18 counties |
| #36 | Virginia | 0 | 63 cities · 59 counties |
| #37 | West Virginia | 0 | 24 cities · 17 counties |
Overall City Market Score and Buy & Hold holdability answer different questions. The screen uses a bottom-tier value, market rent, measured property tax, a 0.5% insurance allowance, 7% financing, reserves, and rent stress. Read the full assumptions and limitations →
Data as of: Zillow ZHVI/ZORI through the latest monthly release · Census ACS 5-yr 2020–2024 · Census PEP July 2025 · BLS LAUS county 2025 annual (11-month average). Generated 2026-10-06. Methodology & limitations · underwrite any specific deal with the free calculators.