Is Mobile County, AL good for real estate investing?

Mobile County has an investment score of 67/100, rated as "Buy". The county ranks #0 nationally among 0 counties analyzed.

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

The rent-to-price ratio in Mobile County is 7.85% annually, which ranks in the 50th percentile nationally. Higher ratios indicate better cash flow potential.

What is the median home price in Mobile?

The median home price in Mobile County is $195,684. This ranks #0 in affordability among all US counties.

Can you cash flow on rental properties in Mobile?

Based on median values with 20% down at current rates, a typical rental in Mobile County would generate negative cash flow of $194/month. Individual property performance varies based on purchase price, rent, and operating expenses.

Mobile, AL Real Estate Investing (2026)

Scenario comparison

Same $1,280/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	$146,763	+$62/mo	6.8%	+2.2%
Median typical MLS deal	$195,684	-$194/mo	5.1%	-5.2%
125% of median newer / premium	$244,605	-$450/mo	4.1%	-9.6%

Price History

Median Home Price

Median Rent

Historical data from Zillow ZHVI/ZORI

Quick Investment Calculator

Down Payment20%

5%50%100%

Purchase

Purchase Price$195,684

Down Payment (20%)$39,137

Loan Amount$156,547

Interest Rate6.85%

Monthly Cash Flow

Gross Rent+$1,280

Monthly P&I-$1,026

Est. Expenses (35%)-$448

Net Cash Flow-$194/mo

5.1%

Cap Rate (all cash)

-5.2%

Cash-on-Cash Return

7.85%

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.

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Score Breakdown

Overall Investment Score

67/100

Cash Flow(30%)

78/100

Based on 7.85% rent-to-price ratio. Higher ratios indicate stronger cash flow potential.

Appreciation(25%)

54/100

Based on 0.4% YoY price growth. Moderate growth (3-8%) scores highest.

Stability(25%)

50/100

Population data not available.

Affordability(20%)

88/100

Based on price relative to estimated local incomes.

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

+Affordable relative to local incomes
+Complete rent data available

Challenges

-Negative leverage (cap rate 5.1% < mortgage rate 6.9%)

Economic Indicators

Population

413,878

Median Income

—

Data pending

Unemployment Rate

—

Data pending

Price-to-Income

—

Data pending

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)

Compare to Nearby Counties

County					Verdict
CullmanAL	68	$249,144	$1,497	7.21%	Buy	View
ElmoreAL	68	$262,416	$1,435	6.56%	Buy	View
CurrentMobileAL	67	$195,684	$1,280	7.85%	Buy
TalladegaAL	67	$174,954	$1,124	7.71%	Buy	View
EtowahAL	67	$181,241	$932	6.17%	Buy	View
TuscaloosaAL	66	$222,534	$1,648	8.89%	Buy	View

Section 8 in Mobile County: payment standards by ZIP, PHA waitlist status, and voucher counts are on VoucherMatch, the same HUD dataset with the tenant demand side attached.

The Bottom Line

HoldMobile scores well overall, but a typical leveraged buy-and-hold loses $194/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.

Mobile County in Alabama scores 67/100, ranking #0 of 0 US counties (top 50%). At 20% down and current rates, a median-priced rental loses about $194/month; the 7.85% 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

$-194/mo

Cap Rate

5.1%

Cash-on-Cash

-5.2%

Related markets

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Head-to-head comparisons

All counties in Alabama →

Average rent by city in Mobile County

Average rent in Mobile$1,299/mo

Typical asking rent across each city's ZIP codes (Zillow Observed Rent Index). Open a city for rent by ZIP and bedroom count.

Rent vs buy in Alabama cities

Rent vs buy in Birmingham, ALMedian $208,520 · rent $1,292/mo Rent vs buy in Mobile, ALMedian $191,438 · rent $1,258/mo Rent vs buy in Huntsville, ALMedian $305,199 · rent $1,379/mo All Alabama citiesFull rent-vs-buy directory for the state

Mobile County

Market Snapshot

Scenario comparison

Price History

Quick Investment Calculator

Purchase

Monthly Cash Flow

Score Breakdown

Investment Outlook

Strengths

Challenges

Economic Indicators

Who this market fits

Compare to Nearby Counties

The Bottom Line

Related markets

Markets like Mobile with stronger cash flow

Cheaper alternatives to Mobile

Head-to-head comparisons

Average rent by city in Mobile County

Rent vs buy in Alabama cities

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