According to the ATTOM Data Solutions 2021 U.S. Single Family Rental Market Report just released, among the 495 U.S. counties analyzed, the average annual gross rental yield for 2021 is 7.7 percent. That figure is down from an average of 8.4 percent in 2020.

ATTOM’s latest single family rental market analysis reported that the potential annual gross rental yields for 2021 decreased compared to 2020 in 86.9 percent of the counties included in the analysis. Those counties posting the greatest decreases in rental returns include Baltimore City/County, MD (yield down 43.9 percent); St. Louis City/County, MO (down 35.5 percent); St. Louis County, MO (down 29.3 percent); Bonneville County (Idaho Falls), ID (down 26.7 percent) and Fairfield County (Stamford), CT (down 24 percent).

The 2021 SFR market report noted that among the top 50 highest rental returns for counties analyzed in 2021, 25 are in the Midwest, 15 are in the South and 10 are in the Northeast. According to the report, counties with the highest potential annual gross rental yields for 2021 include Schuylkill County, PA, in the Pottsville metro area (26.1 percent); Bibb County, GA, in the Macon metro area (18.1 percent); Baltimore City/County, MD (16.2 percent); La Salle County, IL, in the Ottawa metro area (14.1 percent) and Chautauqua County, NY, in the Jamestown metro area (13.7 percent).

ATTOM’s new report also uncovered the counties with the lowest potential annual gross rental yields for 2021. Those counties include Williamson County, TN, in the Nashville metro area (3.7 percent); Santa Clara County, CA, in the San Jose metro area (3.8 percent); San Mateo County, CA, in the San Francisco metro area (3.8 percent); San Francisco County, CA (3.9 percent) and Maui County, HI (3.9 percent).