2026 rankings · June 2026 data
The best markets for a first rental in 2026
Affordable to enter, rentable from day one, and supply-stable enough to hold — 142 below-median-priced metros ranked on a published three-part blend.
A first rental has different rules: the down payment has to be reachable, the rent has to cover the mortgage, and the market can't be one supply surge away from a correction. This list blends all three — every metro is priced below the national metro median of $334,450, then ranked on an equal blend of gross rental yield, affordability and inventory stability. Johnstown, PA leads 2026: $101,175 median price, 12.3% gross yield.
Johnstown, PA
Decatur, IL
Charleston, WV
Peoria, IL
Altoona, PA
Elmira, NY
Lima, OH
Erie, PA
Weirton, WV
Muncie, IN
Beckley, WV
Binghamton, NY
Huntington, WV
Williamsport, PA
Springfield, IL
Youngstown, OH
Davenport, IA
Kokomo, IN
Bay City, MI
Terre Haute, IN
Kankakee, IL
Watertown, NY
Akron, OH
Saginaw, MI
Battle Creek, MI
The formula, exactly
Universe: metros with a published fair market rent, at least 100 active listings, a supply-risk subscore, and a median listing price below the national metro median ($334,450, June 2026) — 142 qualify. Each gets three percentile ranks: gross yield (higher is better), price (lower is better) and supply stability (the inverse of our supply-risk subscore — inventory that never re-built past 2019 levels ranks highest). The blend is their simple mean, shown on each row. It deliberately ignores momentum: a first rental is a hold, not a trade. Model any specific property in the deal analyzer with the metro's own rent, tax and vacancy defaults.