DSCRDayton Ohio Rental Property Guide, Cash Flow, Prices, and DSCR in 2026
Published September 28, 2026 · DSCRRadar
Dayton, OH is the cheapest major metro on the Investor Yield Index this week, and that shows directly in the cash-flow math. The metro-level median single-family price sits near $74,000 with typical rent near $1,340 per month, a rent-to-price ratio above 1.7% per month.
What the numbers say
Run through the same model as every other metro (25% down, 40% operating-expense load, prevailing 6.80% 30-year rate), Dayton scores 100/100, grade A:
- Gross yield: 21.7%
- Cap rate: 13.0%
- DSCR: 2.22, nearly double the 1.2 line lenders want
- Cash-on-cash: 25.5%
That is the strongest DSCR of any tracked metro, ahead of Birmingham (1.44) and Memphis (1.40). Check the live figures on the Dayton, OH market page.
Why Dayton pencils
The one percent rule is a quick screen: monthly rent at or near 1% of the purchase price. Dayton’s median rent-to-price is roughly 1.8%, so average deals clear the screen without needing a distressed purchase. Prices are low enough that a 25% down payment is around $18,500 on the median house, which keeps the barrier to entry far below coastal markets.
The trade-offs
Low price usually means slow appreciation, older housing stock, and thinner resale demand. Dayton rents grow slowly and vacancy in weaker neighborhoods can run high, so the 40% expense load in the Index is not conservative for the cheapest submarkets. Screen specific properties with the DSCR calculator rather than relying on metro medians.
How to qualify
Because a Dayton rental’s rent covers the payment so comfortably, a DSCR loan qualifies on the property’s cash flow rather than your personal income. Compare the financing routes in DSCR vs. conventional, and see how Ohio compares with other states in best states for DSCR loans.
Scores are model estimates from Zillow metro-level price and rent data, not lender quotes or investment advice.
About the author. This guide was written by the DSCRRadar data team, the same analysts who maintain the weekly Investor Yield Index and recompute all 26 metro scores from raw Zillow research CSVs every week. The methodology is the site’s published Index model, 25% down, 40% operating-expense load, and the prevailing 30-year rate, applied identically to every metro so the numbers stay comparable.
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