Investing in Baytown, TX
Rents, prices, taxes and cash flow for Baytown rental property, from 1,442 home sales and 467 house leases on HAR MLS. Updated October 2026.
Is Baytown, TX a good place to buy a rental property in 2026?
At typical prices a financed rental in Baytown does not cash flow right now. An entry-level 3-bed house ($191,000, the 25th-percentile sale) rents for about $1,650 a month, a 10.4% gross yield and a 0.97 lender DSCR. With an 80% DSCR loan, estimated cash flow is −$475 a month after the loan, taxes, insurance, vacancy, management and repairs. A 1.25 DSCR, what most DSCR lenders want, needs a purchase at or under $147,738; 9% of last year's 3-bed sales closed that low on the MLS. That is why investors here buy below market: off-market, distressed or needing work.
Baytown investor market report
The same sections as our monthly Investor Market Update, for Baytown: resale houses closed 2025-10-18 to 2026-10-18, HAR MLS.
▲▼ = change vs the 12 months before (2024-10-18 to 2025-10-18). Resale single-family houses, new construction excluded.
457 single-family homes active, 124 pending, against 121 closings a month (new builds included). Under 4 months favors sellers, over 6 favors buyers.
Loan: DSCR 30-yr fixed quote from Blink Lending (2026-10-14), 80% of price, 30 years; cash in = down payment + 3% closing costs ($43,930). Tax at the city's median MLS tax rate, insurance 0.9% of price a year, HOA where most homes have one, and vacancy 8%, management 8%, repairs 5%, capex reserve 5% of rent. An estimate, not a promise.
- In 100-year flood zone
- 3% of resale homes sold
- Flood claims, 10 years
- 1,312 FEMA NFIP, city ZIP codes
- Property tax rate
- 2.58% median on MLS, incl. MUD/PID
- HOA
- $420/yr 53% of homes · check lease rules
- Insurance (estimate)
- 0.9% of value ≈ $143/mo
- Cash buyers
- 24% of 82 sales reporting terms
- Days to lease
- 26 days ▲ 4 days
- Rental supply
- 3.1 mo 138 for lease now
- Prices down 2.7% vs last year, days on market +6. Tight supply at 3.8 months. Homes sell for 99.1% of list in 34 days, so lead with clean, fast offers.
- An entry-level 3-bed house ($191K, ~$1,650/mo) is a 0.97 lender DSCR. A 1.25 needs a buy at or under $148K, and 9% of last year's 3-bed sales closed there.
Rates: 30-year fixed average 7.40% (2026-10-15), 6.27% a year earlier; 15-year 6.71% (Freddie Mac via FRED). Investor DSCR loan quote 7.875% (Blink Lending, 2026-10-14).
The math works below market. That is where our deals are.
We source off-market and distressed houses in Baytown and across Houston, and send them to investors whose buy box fits, with our numbers attached. Free account, no obligation.
Baytown ZIP codes compared
3-bedroom resales and 3-bedroom house leases by ZIP code, last 12 months. Flood claims are FEMA flood insurance claims in the last 10 years.
| ZIP | Median price | Median rent | Gross yield | Sales | Leases | Flood claims (10 yr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 77521 | $235,000 | $1,900 | 9.7% | 256 | 179 | 925 |
| 77520 | $190,000 | $1,550 | 9.8% | 127 | 72 | 382 |
Baytown subdivisions with the most rental activity
Subdivisions with at least 6 sales and 6 house leases in the last 12 months. All home sizes, so compare like with like before you offer.
| Subdivision | Median price | Median rent | Gross yield | Sales | Leases |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sterling Point | $260,000 | $2,150 | 9.9% | 10 | 13 |
| Meadow Lake Sec 01 | $204,000 | $1,905 | 11.2% | 7 | 7 |
Baytown investor questions
How much does a house rent for in Baytown, TX?
What do homes sell for in Baytown, TX?
What are property taxes in Baytown, TX?
Is Baytown a buyer's or seller's market right now?
Which ZIP code in Baytown has the best rent-to-price?
Does Baytown flood?
Compare other Houston areas
Also for Baytown: what homes sell for · buying a home.
Sources: HAR MLS closed sales and leases (single-family houses); Freddie Mac 30-year average rate via FRED; FEMA National Flood Insurance Program claims (OpenFEMA). Data as of 2026-10-20. Medians of single-family homes and house leases in the Baytown postal city (Harris and Chambers counties). Based on information from the Houston Association of REALTORS® MLS; not guaranteed accurate. Nothing here is a guarantee of returns. Verify every number with your own due diligence.
Want deals in Baytown?
Tell us your market, budget and strategy. We will send deals that fit, or run a free CMA on a property you are looking at.
Prefer email? hello@gableway.com