Is Blount County, AL good for real estate investing?

Blount County has an investment score of 62/100, rated as "Buy". The county ranks #272 nationally among 1000 counties analyzed.

What is the rent-to-price ratio in Blount?

The rent-to-price ratio in Blount County is 7.84% annually, which ranks in the 89th percentile nationally. Higher ratios indicate better cash flow potential.

What is the median home price in Blount?

The median home price in Blount County is $230,362. This ranks #481 in affordability among all US counties.

Can you cash flow on rental properties in Blount?

Based on median values with 20% down at current rates, a typical rental in Blount County would generate negative cash flow of $230/month. Individual property performance varies based on purchase price, rent, and operating expenses.

Blount County

AlabamaPopulation: 59,077

/100

Hold

#272 of 1,000 counties

#20 in Alabama (67 counties)

Analysis by RentalCalcs ResearchIndependent data + algorithm-driven scoring

Updated May 11, 2026Sources: Zillow ZHVI, Zillow ZORI, US Census ACS, Tax Foundation

Market Snapshot

$230,362

Median Home Price

1% below national median

$1,505/mo

Median Rent

0% below national median

7.84%

Rent-to-Price Ratio

Top 11% nationally

-$230

Est. Monthly Cash Flow

With 20% down at 6.9% rate

Scenario comparison

Same $1,505/mo rent assumption, 20% down, 6.85% rate. What changes is the acquisition price.

Scenario	Purchase price	Monthly cash flow	Cap rate	Cash-on-cash
75% of median value-add or distressed	$172,771	+$72/mo	6.8%	+2.2%
Median typical MLS deal	$230,362	-$230/mo	5.1%	-5.2%
125% of median newer / premium	$287,952	-$531/mo	4.1%	-9.6%

Price History

Historical data from Zillow ZHVI/ZORI

Quick Investment Calculator

Down Payment20%

5%50%100%

Purchase

Purchase Price$230,362

Down Payment (20%)$46,072

Loan Amount$184,290

Interest Rate6.85%

Monthly Cash Flow

Gross Rent+$1,505

Monthly P&I-$1,208

Est. Expenses (35%)-$527

Net Cash Flow-$230/mo

5.1%

Cap Rate (all cash)

-5.2%

Cash-on-Cash Return

7.84%

Rent-to-Price Ratio

Negative leverage: At 6.85% rates, borrowing costs exceed the 5.1% cap rate. All-cash buyers may see better returns.

* Based on county median values. 35% expenses include taxes, insurance, maintenance, vacancy, and property management. Actual results vary by property.

Run Full Analysis Try House Hack Strategy

Score Breakdown

Overall Investment Score

62/100

Cash Flow(30%)

78/100

Based on 7.84% rent-to-price ratio. Higher ratios indicate stronger cash flow potential.

Appreciation(25%)

47/100

Based on -0.7% YoY price growth. Moderate growth (3-8%) scores highest.

Stability(25%)

50/100

Population data not available.

Affordability(20%)

70/100

Price-to-income ratio of 4.0x. Lower ratios indicate more affordable markets.

Scores are calculated using real Zillow home value and rent data, Census population data, and economic indicators. The weighted average produces the overall investment score. Markets with missing rent data use estimated values based on regional averages.

Investment Outlook

Strengths

+Above-average rent-to-price ratio (7.84%)
+Affordable relative to local incomes
+Complete rent data available

Challenges

-Declining home values (-0.7% YoY)
-Negative cash flow at typical financing (-$230/mo)
-Negative leverage (cap rate 5.1% < mortgage rate 6.9%)

Economic Indicators

Population

59,077

Median Income

$57,440

vs $57,059 national est.

Unemployment Rate

—

Data pending

Price-to-Income

4.0x

Moderately affordable

Who this market fits

Best for

+All-cash buyers: removing debt service flips the cap rate to actual yield
+Value-add operators who can buy below median and force rent up

Skip if

−You need positive cash flow on day one at typical leverage
−You can't tolerate negative leverage (cap rate below mortgage rate today)
−You expect appreciation to carry the deal, but prices have declined year over year

Compare to Nearby Counties

County					Verdict
Saint ClairAL	63	$265,188	$1,674	7.58%	Buy	View
CurrentBlountAL	62	$230,362	$1,505	7.84%	Buy
De KalbAL	62	$201,634	Est. pending	—	Buy	View
MobileAL	62	$191,438	$1,258	7.89%	Buy	View
MarshallAL	61	$233,686	$1,512	7.76%	Buy	View
ClayAL	61	$176,274	Est. pending	—	Buy	View

The Bottom Line

HoldBlount scores well overall, but a typical leveraged buy-and-hold loses $230/mo at current rates. Consider house hacking, value-add, or all-cash; otherwise a worse score with positive cash flow may be the better deal.

Blount County in Alabama scores 62/100, ranking #272 of 1,000 US counties (top 36%). At 20% down and current rates, a median-priced rental loses about $230/month; the 7.84% gross rent-to-price ratio doesn't survive debt service. The thesis here is appreciation, value-add, house hacking, or all-cash.

Monthly Cash Flow

$-230/mo

Cap Rate

5.1%

Cash-on-Cash

-5.2%

Related markets

Markets like Blount with stronger cash flow

Cheaper alternatives to Blount

Head-to-head comparisons

All counties in Alabama →

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Scenario comparison

Same $1,505/mo rent assumption, 20% down, 6.85% rate. What changes is the acquisition price.

Scenario	Purchase price	Monthly cash flow	Cap rate	Cash-on-cash
75% of median value-add or distressed	$172,771	+$72/mo	6.8%	+2.2%
Median typical MLS deal	$230,362	-$230/mo	5.1%	-5.2%
125% of median newer / premium	$287,952	-$531/mo	4.1%	-9.6%

Quick Investment Calculator

Down Payment20%

5%50%100%

Purchase

Purchase Price$230,362

Down Payment (20%)$46,072

Loan Amount$184,290

Interest Rate6.85%

Monthly Cash Flow

Gross Rent+$1,505

Monthly P&I-$1,208

Est. Expenses (35%)-$527

Net Cash Flow-$230/mo

5.1%

Cap Rate (all cash)

-5.2%

Cash-on-Cash Return

7.84%

Rent-to-Price Ratio

Negative leverage: At 6.85% rates, borrowing costs exceed the 5.1% cap rate. All-cash buyers may see better returns.

* Based on county median values. 35% expenses include taxes, insurance, maintenance, vacancy, and property management. Actual results vary by property.

Run Full Analysis Try House Hack Strategy

Score Breakdown

Overall Investment Score

62/100

Cash Flow(30%)

78/100

Based on 7.84% rent-to-price ratio. Higher ratios indicate stronger cash flow potential.

Appreciation(25%)

47/100

Based on -0.7% YoY price growth. Moderate growth (3-8%) scores highest.

Stability(25%)

50/100

Population data not available.

Affordability(20%)

70/100

Price-to-income ratio of 4.0x. Lower ratios indicate more affordable markets.

Who this market fits

Best for

+All-cash buyers: removing debt service flips the cap rate to actual yield
+Value-add operators who can buy below median and force rent up

Skip if

−You need positive cash flow on day one at typical leverage
−You can't tolerate negative leverage (cap rate below mortgage rate today)
−You expect appreciation to carry the deal, but prices have declined year over year

County

Verdict

Saint ClairAL

$265,188

$1,674

7.58%

Buy

View

CurrentBlountAL

$230,362

$1,505

7.84%

Buy

De KalbAL

$201,634

Est. pending

—

Buy

View

MobileAL

$191,438

$1,258

7.89%

Buy

View

MarshallAL

$233,686

$1,512

7.76%

Buy

View

ClayAL

$176,274

Est. pending

—

Buy

View

The Bottom Line

Monthly Cash Flow

$-230/mo

Cap Rate

5.1%

Cash-on-Cash

-5.2%