Troup County

Troup County sits at a gross rent-to-price ratio of 6.94%, which lands it squarely in the middle ground between pure cash-flow plays and appreciation-driven markets. The 4.51% cap rate confirms that reading: enough yield to justify serious underwriting, not enough to make this a set-and-forget cash machine. At a $234,932 median home price with $1,359 median rent, the raw numbers are reasonable for Georgia, but the leveraged picture is harder. Financed at 6.85% with 20% down, the model produces a monthly mortgage of $1,232 and estimated expenses of $476, leaving a cash-flow deficit of $348 per month and a cash-on-cash return of negative 7.73%. That gap is the defining fact about Troup right now: it's an unleveraged or low-leverage story, not a high-LTV one. Home prices are appreciating at 2.08% year-over-year, which is real but not dramatic, putting Troup in the modest-appreciation tier rather than the growth-market tier.

The overall score of 67 out of 100, ranking 208th nationally out of 1,000 counties and in the 73rd percentile, tells you this is a legitimate secondary market worth a look, not a top-tier target and not a market to skip entirely. The cash-flow score of 69 and appreciation score of 71 are close enough that the market doesn't force a binary choice between those two strategies. The affordability index of 80 is the most compelling single number here: buying in at under $235,000 limits your downside and keeps the equity base manageable. The investor this market suits best is someone who can bring more equity to the table, either buying with a larger down payment to close the cash-flow gap, or targeting distressed assets below the median to improve yield. A value-add operator who can acquire at $170,000 to $190,000 and push rents toward the $1,359 median will find the cap rate picture meaningfully better than the base-case model suggests. A pure appreciation buyer will find 2.08% annual price growth underwhelming unless paired with a longer hold horizon.

The stability score of 50 is the one number that demands attention before committing capital. At a population of 69,527, Troup is small enough that its economic base concentration matters. LaGrange, the county seat, anchors the local economy, and Kia Georgia's manufacturing plant, located in West Point within Troup County, is the dominant private employer in the area. That single large employer creates meaningful upside, as the plant draws suppliers and service workers who need housing, but also creates tail risk. If Kia's production footprint shifts or contracts, Troup's rental demand profile changes with it. The stability score of 50 is likely reflecting exactly that concentration dynamic. Investors should underwrite with that in mind, particularly when evaluating long-term vacancy assumptions.

The combined monthly tax and insurance figure of $251, built into the $476 estimated expense figure, is not a deal-killer at a 0.92% state-average effective property tax rate. That rate lands in the normal range for Georgia, meaning it's neither a tailwind nor a headwind worth separate underwriting concern. As always, the 0.92% figure is a state-average estimate from Tax Foundation 2024 data, and actual Troup County or municipal rates may differ, so confirm the millage rate directly with the county tax assessor before closing. The insurance component at 0.36% is also in line with what you'd expect for inland Georgia, away from coastal wind and flood exposure.

Comparing Troup to its neighbors, the most direct contrast is with Lee County, GA, which carries a 7.68% rent-to-price ratio at a $266,123 median price and a $1,704 median rent. Lee County's yield is materially better on a gross basis and its overall score of 66 is slightly below Troup's 67, which means Troup is scoring comparably despite a weaker rent-to-price ratio, likely on the back of its affordability and price point. Floyd County, GA, at a 6.42% rent-to-price ratio and a $227,971 median price, is the clearest apples-to-apples neighbor: similar price tier, lower yield, and a lower overall score of 62. Troup beats Floyd on every income metric. Chattahoochee County and Cook County offer lower price points at $138,388 and $157,160 respectively, which may appeal to investors chasing absolute affordability, but neither shows rent data in this comparison set, and their lower overall scores of 64 and 68 suggest the yield-to-risk trade-off isn't clearly superior. Tattnall County scores 71 overall, the highest among the neighbors, and at a $188,123 median is cheaper than Troup. Investors who prioritize overall score over the specific Kia-anchored demand thesis in Troup should put Tattnall County on the short list alongside it. Choose Troup when you have a specific view on LaGrange and West Point industrial demand, can underwrite with reduced leverage, and want a market where the affordability index of 80 gives you room to negotiate price without chasing thin margins at the top of a cycle.