Best Places to Buy Rental Property in Pennsylvania (2026)

We ranked all 48 Pennsylvania counties that have both a median home price and a median rent, ordered by the cap rate a median-priced rental would produce. Indiana County leads at 8.6%, with a median price of $172,619.

Pennsylvania counties ranked by cap rate

#MarketCap rateMedian priceMedian rentCash flowAnalyze
1Indiana County, PA8.6%$172,619$1,913$287Run numbers
2Philadelphia County, PA5.9%$231,558$1,757-$140Run numbers
3Cambria County, PA5.6%$124,304$886-$113Run numbers
4Pike County, PA5.4%$305,224$2,108-$320Run numbers
5Clearfield County, PA5.2%$144,352$968-$171Run numbers
6Fayette County, PA5.0%$143,795$923-$196Run numbers
7Schuylkill County, PA5.0%$179,851$1,147-$251Run numbers
8Allegheny County, PA5.0%$236,739$1,504-$334Run numbers
9Monroe County, PA4.8%$310,974$1,918-$476Run numbers
10Lackawanna County, PA4.5%$242,972$1,415-$426Run numbers
11Luzerne County, PA4.5%$227,445$1,322-$400Run numbers
12Lawrence County, PA4.5%$164,572$946-$297Run numbers
13Blair County, PA4.5%$175,427$1,004-$319Run numbers
14Butler County, PA4.3%$331,467$1,842-$639Run numbers
15Centre County, PA4.3%$351,727$1,947-$682Run numbers
16Northumberland County, PA4.3%$175,473$971-$341Run numbers
17Tioga County, PA4.3%$218,488$1,200-$430Run numbers
18Mercer County, PA4.3%$179,580$979-$358Run numbers
19Armstrong County, PA4.2%$161,968$881-$324Run numbers
20Washington County, PA4.2%$235,765$1,270-$481Run numbers
21Beaver County, PA4.2%$208,836$1,122-$427Run numbers
22Bradford County, PA4.1%$199,574$1,058-$418Run numbers
23Huntingdon County, PA4.0%$181,292$935-$396Run numbers
24Carbon County, PA4.0%$265,940$1,364-$586Run numbers
25Montour County, PA4.0%$285,477$1,460-$632Run numbers
26Dauphin County, PA4.0%$277,230$1,411-$618Run numbers
27Crawford County, PA4.0%$175,975$896-$392Run numbers
28Erie County, PA4.0%$222,044$1,126-$498Run numbers
29Lehigh County, PA3.9%$363,024$1,820-$828Run numbers
30Berks County, PA3.9%$310,918$1,551-$714Run numbers
31Northampton County, PA3.9%$374,198$1,864-$861Run numbers
32Clinton County, PA3.8%$198,515$969-$470Run numbers
33Delaware County, PA3.8%$362,572$1,748-$872Run numbers
34Westmoreland County, PA3.7%$213,431$1,022-$518Run numbers
35Cumberland County, PA3.7%$341,579$1,622-$838Run numbers
36Columbia County, PA3.7%$243,148$1,148-$600Run numbers
37Franklin County, PA3.6%$289,562$1,335-$736Run numbers
38Lycoming County, PA3.6%$235,755$1,087-$599Run numbers
39Lebanon County, PA3.5%$319,829$1,454-$826Run numbers
40York County, PA3.5%$309,136$1,380-$816Run numbers
41Perry County, PA3.5%$292,119$1,298-$775Run numbers
42Bucks County, PA3.4%$523,860$2,252-$1,438Run numbers
43Montgomery County, PA3.3%$492,975$2,073-$1,383Run numbers
44Union County, PA3.3%$295,020$1,233-$832Run numbers
45Adams County, PA3.2%$331,644$1,373-$944Run numbers
46Lancaster County, PA3.2%$386,389$1,575-$1,116Run numbers
47Mifflin County, PA3.2%$197,401$800-$573Run numbers
48Chester County, PA3.0%$579,006$2,242-$1,750Run numbers

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

How this ranking is calculated

We scored 48 counties in Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania property

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