Daviess County

Daviess County sits at a median home price of $297,308 with 11.4% year-over-year appreciation, which is the headline number that defines this market's character. The data does not supply a cap rate or gross rent multiplier for Daviess itself, which is telling: the cash flow score registers at zero, while the appreciation score comes in at 77 out of 100. That gap is the clearest signal in the dataset. This is not a county you underwrite for day-one yield; it is a county where the thesis, if there is one, runs through price growth. The 11.4% annual price gain puts Daviess in a different conversation from the neighboring counties, most of which carry overall scores in the 65-67 range without comparable price momentum.

The appreciation score of 77 and an affordability index of 66 suggest a market that has been moving but hasn't yet priced itself out of reach, at least by the metrics provided. An affordability index of 66 is moderate rather than compressed, meaning buyers can still access the market without extreme leverage. For an appreciation-oriented investor, that combination, prices rising at 11.4% from a base of $297,308, is worth attention. A cash-flow buyer, however, has no numbers here to work with. The cash flow score of zero and the absence of rent data in the Daviess record mean any income projection would require independent rent comparables. Investors who need a market to pencil from day one on yield should look elsewhere or do significant additional legwork before committing. A value-add operator might find opportunity if they can force appreciation through renovation in a market where prices are already trending upward, but that thesis depends on acquiring below the $297,308 median, which the data does not confirm is achievable at scale.

The stability score of 50 warrants direct attention. That is a middling figure, and in a county of 8,418 people it reflects the real risk of a thin market. No economic anchors are provided in this data, which means there is no named employer base or institutional demand driver on record to explain what is pulling prices higher or supporting rental demand. An 8,418-person county with no documented economic anchor and a stability score of 50 is a market where a single facility closure or demographic shift can move vacancy and prices noticeably. That is not disqualifying, but it requires an investor to do independent diligence on local employment, which this dataset does not supply.

On carrying costs, the combined monthly tax and insurance estimate is $349, based on a state-average effective property tax rate of 0.97% and an insurance rate of 0.44% applied to the $297,308 purchase price. Missouri's 0.97% state-average rate is flagged as normal, meaning it is neither a tailwind nor a headwind relative to national norms. Worth noting: the $349 monthly figure is a meaningful line item regardless of flag. At a $297,308 purchase price with a $59,462 down payment and a 6.85% interest rate, that $349 sits on top of the mortgage payment in any underwrite. Because rent figures for Daviess are not provided in this dataset, it is impossible to calculate a coverage ratio here, which loops back to the core issue: this market cannot be underwritten for cash flow without external data.

The primary risks are concentration and demographic. A population of 8,418 means the rental pool is small, tenant turnover is expensive in relative terms, and any single vacancy in a small portfolio carries outsized impact. The stability score of 50 reinforces this. There is no data here on regulatory environment or zoning constraints, so those risks cannot be quantified.

Comparing Daviess to the five neighboring counties on record, the picture becomes clearer. Monroe County ($216,427, score 65), DeKalb County ($228,527, score 65), and Saint Francois County ($186,017, score 65, gross yield of 6.57%) all offer lower entry prices. Saint Francois in particular, with a rent-to-price ratio of 6.57%, is the strongest cash-flow candidate in the peer group. Jefferson County ($281,743, 6.23% gross yield, score 67) and Cass County ($326,634, 6.31% gross yield, score 67) offer documented rent figures and slightly higher overall scores than Daviess. The case for choosing Daviess over any of these neighbors rests entirely on the 11.4% appreciation rate and the belief that it continues, since Daviess lacks the rent documentation and stability score that would make it competitive on yield or income certainty. If an investor's primary objective is capital appreciation and they are comfortable underwriting without confirmed rent data in a small-population county, Daviess earns consideration. If the objective is cash flow, income stability, or a data-supported underwrite from the start, the neighbors, particularly Saint Francois or Jefferson, offer a more complete picture.