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Is Chicago a Good Place to Invest in Real Estate?

The median tracked Chicago ZIP has a home-value-to-annual-rent ratio of 15.0, and that ratio varies more between Chicago ZIPs than it does between metros. The home-value-to-annual-rent ratio runs from 6.9 in 60621 to 24.7 in 60646, so the same metro contains both ends of the range. 30 of 56 ZIPs (54%) show faster rent growth. The median tracked ZIP in Chicago has a typical home value of $335,515 and typical rent of $1,862 per month.

Key stats

  • The home-value-to-annual-rent ratio runs from 6.9 in 60621 to 24.7 in 60646, so the same metro contains both ends of the range.
  • The median tracked ZIP in Chicago has a typical home value of $335,515 and typical rent of $1,862 per month.
  • 6 of 56 ZIPs (11%) show faster inventory growth.
  • 30 of 56 ZIPs (54%) show faster rent growth.
Tracked ZIP markets
56
Median ZIP home value
$335,515
Median ZIP rent
$1,862
yield spread
The home-value-to-annual-rent ratio runs from 6.9 in 60621 to 24.7 in 60646, so the same metro contains both ends of the range.
rent acceleration share
30 of 56 ZIPs (54%) show faster rent growth.
inventory growth share
6 of 56 ZIPs (11%) show faster inventory growth.

The measurable part of the question

The median tracked Chicago ZIP has a home-value-to-annual-rent ratio of 15.0, and that ratio varies more between Chicago ZIPs than it does between metros.

Price-to-rent is a yield proxy and nothing more: it carries no financing cost, no tax, no insurance, no vacancy and no management, so it ranks opportunities rather than pricing them.

Where the yield actually differs

The home-value-to-annual-rent ratio runs from 6.9 in 60621 to 24.7 in 60646, so the same metro contains both ends of the range.

A metro-level ratio is an average of neighborhoods that behave differently; the decision is made inside that range, not at its midpoint.

Sources and method

Figures are updated monthly by the HomeMarketCap.com team under our editorial policy. Spotted something wrong? Report a correction.

Gross rental yield by city

Median annual rent over typical home value, across the tracked ZIP codes that publish both figures. Gross: before vacancy, maintenance, insurance and tax.

CityGross yieldMedian home valueMedian rent
Chicago7.56%$335,515$1,862
Atlanta7.47%$307,175$1,893
Houston6.67%$250,640$1,551
Dallas5.98%$290,226$1,594
Miami5.89%$602,196$2,736
New York5.13%$1,118,052$4,756
Boston4.97%$788,761$3,209
Austin4.29%$552,168$1,657
Los Angeles3.60%$911,968$2,738
Seattle3.18%$790,152$2,290

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