Best Places to Buy Rental Property in Minnesota (2026)

We ranked all 34 Minnesota counties that have both a median home price and a median rent, ordered by the cap rate a median-priced rental would produce. Pennington County leads at 5.0%, with a median price of $196,456.

Minnesota counties ranked by cap rate

#MarketCap rateMedian priceMedian rentCash flowAnalyze
1Pennington County, MN5.0%$196,456$1,260-$269Run numbers
2Mower County, MN4.5%$201,999$1,161-$364Run numbers
3Freeborn County, MN4.4%$200,077$1,136-$370Run numbers
4Saint Louis County, MN4.2%$255,915$1,373-$525Run numbers
5Wright County, MN3.6%$397,588$1,845-$1,003Run numbers
6Hennepin County, MN3.6%$386,707$1,784-$983Run numbers
7Ramsey County, MN3.6%$334,747$1,543-$851Run numbers
8McLeod County, MN3.6%$297,246$1,370-$756Run numbers
9Olmsted County, MN3.6%$349,397$1,603-$893Run numbers
10Anoka County, MN3.5%$373,109$1,699-$962Run numbers
11Rice County, MN3.5%$350,912$1,579-$918Run numbers
12Washington County, MN3.5%$445,711$2,000-$1,169Run numbers
13Douglas County, MN3.4%$347,708$1,527-$934Run numbers
14Dakota County, MN3.4%$393,429$1,711-$1,067Run numbers
15Isanti County, MN3.3%$339,624$1,452-$937Run numbers
16Blue Earth County, MN3.3%$301,642$1,274-$843Run numbers
17Goodhue County, MN3.3%$321,212$1,348-$903Run numbers
18Beltrami County, MN3.3%$263,076$1,099-$743Run numbers
19Scott County, MN3.2%$442,767$1,822-$1,268Run numbers
20Polk County, MN3.2%$254,854$1,049-$730Run numbers
21Stearns County, MN3.2%$310,038$1,259-$899Run numbers
22Sherburne County, MN3.2%$391,353$1,590-$1,134Run numbers
23Carver County, MN3.1%$490,761$1,982-$1,430Run numbers
24Mille Lacs County, MN3.1%$317,172$1,275-$928Run numbers
25Chisago County, MN3.0%$384,657$1,497-$1,157Run numbers
26Winona County, MN3.0%$282,899$1,093-$856Run numbers
27Steele County, MN2.8%$293,327$1,068-$931Run numbers
28Clay County, MN2.8%$303,991$1,070-$988Run numbers
29Nicollet County, MN2.7%$315,897$1,078-$1,049Run numbers
30Crow Wing County, MN2.6%$369,756$1,242-$1,241Run numbers
31Le Sueur County, MN2.6%$363,121$1,193-$1,236Run numbers
32Benton County, MN2.5%$313,228$1,003-$1,083Run numbers
33Kandiyohi County, MN2.5%$285,215$909-$989Run numbers
34Otter Tail County, MN2.3%$334,672$981-$1,216Run numbers

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

How this ranking is calculated

We scored 34 counties in Minnesota 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 Minnesota 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 Minnesota property

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