Is Hamilton County, OH good for real estate investing?

Hamilton County has an investment score of 61/100, rated as "Buy". The county ranks #344 nationally among 1000 counties analyzed.

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

The rent-to-price ratio in Hamilton County is 6.62% annually, which ranks in the 66th percentile nationally. Higher ratios indicate better cash flow potential.

What is the median home price in Hamilton?

The median home price in Hamilton County is $266,241. This ranks #608 in affordability among all US counties.

Can you cash flow on rental properties in Hamilton?

Based on median values with 20% down at current rates, a typical rental in Hamilton County would generate negative cash flow of $442/month. Individual property performance varies based on purchase price, rent, and operating expenses.

Hamilton, OH Real Estate Investing (2026)

Deep-dive analysis

Rent vs Buy

Break-even math + market-specific verdict for buying vs renting

Investment Analysis

Investor thesis, where to buy by profile, forward catalysts

Cap Rates

Gross + net yield by sub-market, compression outlook

Rental Prices

Rent trends, affordability, forecast for renters and landlords

House Hack

Duplex / ADU / fourplex strategies with real numbers

Scenario comparison

Same $1,468/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	$199,681	-$93/mo	5.7%	-2.4%
Median typical MLS deal	$266,241	-$442/mo	4.3%	-8.7%
125% of median newer / premium	$332,801	-$791/mo	3.4%	-12.4%

Price History

Median Home Price

Median Rent

Historical data from Zillow ZHVI/ZORI

Quick Investment Calculator

Down Payment20%

5%50%100%

Purchase

Purchase Price$266,241

Down Payment (20%)$53,248

Loan Amount$212,993

Interest Rate6.85%

Monthly Cash Flow

Gross Rent+$1,468

Monthly P&I-$1,396

Est. Expenses (35%)-$514

Net Cash Flow-$442/mo

4.3%

Cap Rate (all cash)

-8.7%

Cash-on-Cash Return

6.62%

Rent-to-Price Ratio

Negative leverage: At 6.85% rates, borrowing costs exceed the 4.3% 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

61/100

Cash Flow(30%)

66/100

Based on 6.62% rent-to-price ratio. Higher ratios indicate stronger cash flow potential.

Appreciation(25%)

58/100

Based on 0.8% YoY price growth. Moderate growth (3-8%) scores highest.

Stability(25%)

50/100

Population data not available.

Affordability(20%)

73/100

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 cash flow at typical financing (-$442/mo)
-Negative leverage (cap rate 4.3% < mortgage rate 6.9%)

Economic Indicators

Population

827,671

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

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
MuskingumOH	63	$202,550	$1,075	6.37%	Buy	View
WarrenOH	63	$395,975	$1,935	5.86%	Buy	View
CurrentHamiltonOH	61	$266,241	$1,468	6.62%	Buy
VintonOH	61	$172,686	Est. pending	—	Buy	View
LickingOH	60	$327,794	$1,630	5.97%	Buy	View
FranklinOH	59	$288,459	$1,478	6.15%	Hold	View

Section 8 in Hamilton 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

HoldHamilton scores well overall, but a typical leveraged buy-and-hold loses $442/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.

Hamilton County in Ohio scores 61/100, ranking #344 of 1,000 US counties (top 44%). At 20% down and current rates, a median-priced rental loses about $442/month; the 6.62% 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

$-442/mo

Cap Rate

4.3%

Cash-on-Cash

-8.7%

Related markets

Markets like Hamilton with stronger cash flow

Cheaper alternatives to Hamilton

Head-to-head comparisons

All counties in Ohio →

Average rent by city in Hamilton County

Average rent in Cincinnati$1,410/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 Ohio cities

Rent vs buy in Columbus, OHMedian $288,459 · rent $1,478/mo Rent vs buy in Cleveland, OHMedian $211,436 · rent $1,379/mo Rent vs buy in Cincinnati, OHMedian $262,214 · rent $1,516/mo Rent vs buy in Toledo, OHMedian $169,370 · rent $1,105/mo Rent vs buy in Dayton, OHMedian $195,315 · rent $1,244/mo All Ohio citiesFull rent-vs-buy directory for the state

Hamilton County

Market Snapshot

Deep-dive analysis

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 Hamilton with stronger cash flow

Cheaper alternatives to Hamilton

Head-to-head comparisons

Average rent by city in Hamilton County

Rent vs buy in Ohio cities

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