Jackson County

Jackson County posts a median home price of $230,543, up 5.3% year-over-year, with an affordability index of 81, which means buyers here are getting meaningfully more purchasing power relative to income than the national baseline. The overall score of 74 puts it at the 91st percentile nationally out of 1,000 counties, and 16th out of 87 Minnesota counties. The appreciation score of 87 is the standout number. The cash flow score, by contrast, is 0, and cap rate data comes back at zero as well, which tells you plainly that the rent-to-price relationship here does not pencil for income-focused buyers at current prices. This is a market that is pricing in price growth, not yield.

That profile makes Jackson County a fit for one type of buyer: the appreciation-oriented investor who is comfortable with thin or negative monthly carry in exchange for equity accumulation. The 5.3% annual price appreciation on a $230,543 asset represents roughly $12,100 in annual equity gain at that rate, which is the real return story here. The stability score of 50 is the qualifier, suggesting meaningful variance in that trajectory. A cash-flow buyer needs to look elsewhere; the numbers are explicit on that point. A value-add operator working to force equity through renovation might find the affordability index of 81 useful as evidence that the buyer pool for an exit is reasonably broad, but they should underwrite a prolonged hold if market rents cannot cover expenses.

On carry costs, the combined monthly tax and insurance burden runs $284, using a state-average effective property tax rate of 1.13% (Tax Foundation 2024) and an insurance rate of 0.35%. That is $2,605 annually in property tax and $807 in insurance. It is worth noting that 1.13% is a state-average estimate and actual county or township rates in Jackson County may differ, so pull the assessor's actual rate before finalizing any underwrite. The property tax flag is "normal," meaning this rate is neither a meaningful tailwind nor a drag relative to peer markets. At a $284 monthly tax-and-insurance line, it is still a real number that eats into any gross rent, particularly when cap rate is effectively zero, so stress-testing your rent assumption against that fixed cost is essential.

The stability score of 50 deserves direct attention as a risk factor. For a county of roughly 9,990 people, economic concentration is a structural concern even if specific employer data is not provided here. Small rural Minnesota counties at this population level typically depend on agriculture and a limited number of institutional employers, which creates sensitivity to commodity cycles and any single employer decision to expand or contract. That is not an invented risk; it is a function of the market size and the stability score the data surfaces. Vacancy and regulatory risk data are not provided, so no claims are made there, but any investor underwriting a buy-and-hold here should scenario-test income loss from a single tenant vacancy more aggressively than they would in a larger metro.

Against its neighbors, Jackson County sits at a median price of $230,543 with an overall score of 74, in line with Rock County (score 74, $260,804) and Wilkin County (score 74, $209,079). Swift County ($188,268, score 73) and Renville County ($187,350, score 75) both come in cheaper with comparable or slightly better overall scores. If cash flow is the priority, Swift or Renville offer lower entry prices that mechanically improve rent coverage at equivalent rent levels, and Renville's score of 75 edges Jackson by one point. Rock County costs $30,000 more for the same overall score, which is hard to justify unless its specific appreciation or stability sub-scores tell a differentiated story. An investor should choose Jackson over its neighbors specifically when the 5.3% YoY price trajectory and the 87 appreciation score represent a sustained trend they are underwriting, and when they are willing to carry the asset through periods where rent alone does not cover expenses. If that tolerance is not there, Renville or Swift deserve the first look.