DuPage County

DuPage County's raw numbers tell a clear story: this is an appreciation market wearing an investor's clothing, not a cash-flow machine. At a median home price of $432,425 and median rent of $2,088, the gross rent-to-price ratio sits at 0.579%, or roughly 5.79% annualized, which is thin by any cash-flow standard. The cap rate of 3.76% barely clears the cost of debt at today's 6.85% interest rate, and the modeled cash-on-cash return of negative 10.98% confirms what the rent-to-price ratio implies: a leveraged buyer at market price is writing a check every month. Estimated monthly cash flow comes in at negative $910 on a 20% down payment. The appreciation side of the ledger is more compelling, with home prices up 4.94% year-over-year and an appreciation score of 86 out of 100. DuPage ranks in the 72nd percentile nationally across 1,000 counties, but its cash-flow score of 57 and stability score of 50 are honest signals that this county rewards patience and equity growth rather than day-one income.

This market suits the long-hold appreciation buyer who can carry a monthly deficit and is betting on DuPage's price trajectory to generate equity over a five-to-ten year horizon. With a median household income of $107,035 and an affordability index of 69, the renter base here is well-qualified and relatively stable, which reduces credit risk even if the cash-flow math doesn't work on day one. A value-add operator has a harder case to make: at a $432,425 median entry price, there is limited margin to manufacture equity through renovation without chasing a price point where rents simply do not follow. The cash-flow buyer should look elsewhere in this dataset. The numbers at 6.85% financing with a negative $910 monthly drag leave essentially no room for capex surprises, extended vacancy, or rate volatility.

The tax and insurance picture materially worsens the carry cost story and deserves its own line on any underwrite. At a state-average effective property tax rate of 2.27%, Illinois ranks among the highest in the country, and on a $432,425 purchase that produces $9,816 in annual property taxes, or $818 per month, before you add $97 in monthly insurance. Combined, taxes and insurance run $915 per month, which alone represents 43.8% of the $2,088 gross rent. That is not a rounding error, it is a structural headwind. The 2.27% figure is a state-average estimate from Tax Foundation 2024 data, and county and township rates in DuPage can deviate from that figure, so underwriting at the actual assessed value and local millage rate before closing is non-negotiable. This tax burden is one of the primary reasons the cash-flow score is 57 despite a healthy rent level and well-qualified renter pool.

Concentration and regulatory risk in DuPage are worth acknowledging on the basis of what the data does show. The stability score of 50 out of 100 is the lowest of DuPage's five scored dimensions, sitting at the median nationally. Illinois carries well-documented fiscal stress at the state level, which creates ongoing risk of property tax escalation. Investors who are already absorbing a 2.27% effective rate should model scenarios where that rate moves to 2.5% or higher over a hold period, since state and municipal budget pressures in Illinois have historically flowed through to property owners.

Compared to its neighbors in this dataset, DuPage is the highest-priced and lowest-yielding option for a cash-flow-oriented buyer. Kane County, at a median price of $363,905 and a rent-to-price ratio of 6.64%, generates meaningfully better gross yield than DuPage's 5.79%, and its overall score of 68 edges DuPage's 65. DeKalb County at $279,603 and a 5.72% gross yield offers a lower entry point but similar yield compression. Adams County at $174,680 and a 6.74% rent-to-price ratio leads the group on gross yield and sits at an overall score of 68, though its smaller market and different economic profile make it a different investment thesis entirely. An investor should choose DuPage over its neighbors specifically when the goal is capital preservation in a high-income, supply-constrained suburban market near Chicago, where tenant quality and long-term price support justify absorbing a negative carry. If the mandate is monthly cash flow, Kane County at a lower price point and a 66 basis point yield advantage is the more logical starting point within this comparison set.