Taylor County

Taylor County, Georgia sits at a median home price of $156,753 with year-over-year appreciation of 8.0%, producing an affordability index of 96 out of 100. The tool scores it 95 out of 100 for appreciation and 96 for affordability, but the cash flow score registers zero, and the cap rate, estimated cash flow, and cash-on-cash return are all listed as zero in the underlying data. That combination tells you exactly where this market lives on the spectrum: it is an appreciation and affordability play, not a cash flow engine. The price point is low enough to attract buyers with limited capital, and the 8% annual price gain is real movement for a county with fewer than 8,000 residents, but investors who need their rentals to service themselves from day one should treat the zero cash flow score as a hard flag, not a rounding error.

The buyer this market suits is someone making a long-term appreciation bet on a deeply affordable, small-population Georgia county, or an owner-operator willing to accept thin or negative monthly spread in exchange for below-$160K entry. The $156,753 purchase price with a 20% down payment requires only $31,351 out of pocket, which keeps the absolute capital at risk low even if the monthly economics are difficult. An affordability score of 96 suggests room for further price appreciation as demand catches up, but with a cash flow score of zero, any investor underwriting to positive monthly returns will need to stress-test their rent assumptions carefully before committing. Value-add operators might find opportunity here if they can force appreciation through renovation in a market where 8% annual gains are already occurring organically, but the thin rental economics make that a higher-execution play.

The taxInsurance data provides a baseline for carry costs that matters here precisely because cash flow is already at zero. At the state-average effective property tax rate of 0.92%, the annual tax burden on a $156,753 home runs approximately $1,442, with insurance adding another $564 at the 0.36% state-average rate. Combined, that is $167 per month in tax and insurance alone before mortgage, maintenance, vacancy, or management. The 0.92% rate is flagged as "normal" for Georgia, so it is not a penalty, but at a zero cash flow baseline every fixed cost line matters. Note that the 0.92% figure is a state-average estimate from Tax Foundation 2024; actual rates in Taylor County or its specific townships may differ, and pulling the county assessor's millage rate before closing is a basic step this data does not replace.

The data does not include economic anchors or employer information for Taylor County, so no employment-base analysis can be offered here. What the population figure of 7,799 does communicate is concentration risk: this is a very small market, and rental demand is thin by definition. A handful of employer moves or demographic shifts can swing vacancy meaningfully in either direction. No vacancy or crime data is provided, but investors accustomed to working in counties with 50,000 or 100,000 residents should price in the illiquidity and demand shallowness that come with a sub-8,000 population base. Exit timing matters more here than in larger markets; if you need to sell in a compressed window, buyer depth will be limited.

Compared to the five neighboring counties, Taylor scores highest overall at 82, above Sumter (80), Decatur (77), Lanier (73), Toombs (72), and Tattnall (71). Its median home price of $156,753 is the second lowest in the group, with only Sumter at $136,878 coming in cheaper. Lanier County is the one neighbor with rent and rent-to-price data available, showing a median rent of $1,722 on a $210,779 median home price for a rent-to-price ratio of 0.098, or roughly 9.8 annualized gross yield. That figure is meaningfully better on the cash flow side than what Taylor's zero score implies, and investors who need yield should look hard at Lanier before defaulting to Taylor on price alone. The case for choosing Taylor over its neighbors comes down to two factors: the highest appreciation score in the group (95) combined with the lowest-tier entry price and a one-year gain of 8.0%. If your thesis is price appreciation in affordable small-market Georgia, Taylor is the strongest-scoring option in this peer set. If your thesis is rental income coverage, the data points you toward Lanier.