Best Places to Buy Rental Property in Alabama (2026)

We ranked all 28 Alabama counties that have both a median home price and a median rent, ordered by the cap rate a median-priced rental would produce. Walker County leads at 7.2%, with a median price of $161,006.

Alabama counties ranked by cap rate

#MarketCap rateMedian priceMedian rentCash flowAnalyze
1Walker County, AL7.2%$161,006$1,481$71Run numbers
2Dale County, AL7.1%$161,405$1,467$60Run numbers
3Montgomery County, AL6.3%$163,380$1,330-$41Run numbers
4Coffee County, AL6.3%$177,245$1,421-$58Run numbers
5Russell County, AL5.4%$197,342$1,364-$207Run numbers
6Tuscaloosa County, AL5.2%$249,799$1,679-$292Run numbers
7Mobile County, AL5.1%$195,684$1,280-$252Run numbers
8Talladega County, AL5.0%$177,293$1,147-$237Run numbers
9Autauga County, AL5.0%$265,448$1,687-$374Run numbers
10Jefferson County, AL4.9%$214,208$1,339-$316Run numbers
11Houston County, AL4.7%$200,548$1,214-$322Run numbers
12Chilton County, AL4.7%$221,906$1,341-$358Run numbers
13Marshall County, AL4.6%$240,091$1,425-$403Run numbers
14Saint Clair County, AL4.6%$279,967$1,663-$470Run numbers
15Etowah County, AL4.5%$185,226$1,072-$329Run numbers
16Calhoun County, AL4.4%$170,425$965-$317Run numbers
17Pike County, AL4.4%$169,469$958-$316Run numbers
18Cullman County, AL4.4%$252,044$1,419-$474Run numbers
19Elmore County, AL4.2%$272,853$1,465-$559Run numbers
20Lauderdale County, AL4.0%$227,549$1,182-$492Run numbers
21Morgan County, AL3.8%$227,725$1,108-$541Run numbers
22Colbert County, AL3.8%$196,003$949-$469Run numbers
23Shelby County, AL3.8%$359,660$1,730-$868Run numbers
24Limestone County, AL3.7%$319,959$1,501-$797Run numbers
25Baldwin County, AL3.6%$371,447$1,701-$952Run numbers
26Lee County, AL3.5%$350,993$1,595-$908Run numbers
27Blount County, AL3.5%$235,551$1,061-$615Run numbers
28Madison County, AL3.5%$311,524$1,378-$830Run numbers

Looking for every county in the state, including those without rent data? Browse the full Alabama market directory.

How this ranking is calculated

We scored 28 counties in Alabama and ranked them by capitalization rate, calculated as annual net operating income divided by median home price. Markets without both a median home price and a median rent are excluded, because cash flow cannot be estimated without both.

Every figure assumes a median-priced home rented at the local median rent, financed with 20 percent down on a 30-year loan at 7.40%, with closing costs at 3 percent of price and operating costs at 35 percent of rent. Operating costs cover taxes, insurance, maintenance, vacancy, and management.

These are modeled estimates for comparing markets, not quotes on a specific property. A real deal turns on the individual property, its condition, and the actual rent it can command. Run any market that interests you through the calculator with real numbers before you make an offer.

National rankings

Compare Alabama against the rest of the country.

Other states

States with fewer than 5 counties reporting both price and rent are omitted, because a ranking that short would not be meaningful.

Run the numbers on a Alabama property

Start from Walker County median values and replace them with a real listing price and rent to see whether the deal actually works.