Philadelphia, PA Rental Market for Investors
An estimated 58% of Philadelphia's active listings could cash-flow as a short-term rental — here's what the numbers say for investors, as of August 2026.
Homes in Philadelphia that pencil right now
A sample of active Philadelphia listings whose DSCR clears 1.25 using short-term rental income projections we accept as a direct lender. These are spread across the price range, not ranked, and current as of August 2026.
$140,000DSCR 2.103 bed · 1 bath · 1,120 sqft
- STR revenue
- $27,484/yr
- Est. interest-only payment
- $874/mo
On the market 59 days · Listed by Realty Mark Huntingdon Valley
Scout this home & market: 3-bed townhouse in Philadelphia
$167,000DSCR 1.932 bed · 1 bath · 784 sqft
- STR revenue
- $29,365/yr
- Est. interest-only payment
- $1,015/mo
On the market 134 days · Listed by Equity Pennsylvania Real Estate Llc
Scout this home & market: 2-bed townhouse in Philadelphia
$184,000DSCR 1.392 bed · 1 bath · 1,062 sqft
- STR revenue
- $25,284/yr
- Est. interest-only payment
- $1,214/mo
On the market 120 days · Listed by Marvin Capps Realty
Scout this home & market: 2-bed townhouse in Philadelphia
$255,000DSCR 1.321 bed · 1 bath · 570 sqft
- STR revenue
- $45,414/yr
- Est. interest-only payment
- $2,302/mo
On the market 103 days · Listed by Matlis Real Estate Services
Scout this home & market: 1-bed condo in Philadelphia
$299,999DSCR 1.373 bed · 1 bath · 1,230 sqft
- STR revenue
- $42,133/yr
- Est. interest-only payment
- $2,057/mo
On the market 152 days · Listed by Homelink Realty
Scout this home & market: 3-bed townhouse in Philadelphia
$339,000DSCR 1.592 bed · 2.5 bath · 1,170 sqft
- STR revenue
- $49,707/yr
- Est. interest-only payment
- $2,081/mo
On the market 72 days · Listed by COMPASS
Scout this home & market: 2-bed condo in Philadelphia
$435,000DSCR 1.484 bed · 3 bath · 2,000 sqft
- STR revenue
- $55,684/yr
- Est. interest-only payment
- $2,516/mo
On the market 152 days · Listed by Homesmart Realty Advisors
Scout this home & market: 4-bed townhouse in Philadelphia
$499,999DSCR 1.594 bed · 2.5 bath · 1,735 sqft
- STR revenue
- $80,029/yr
- Est. interest-only payment
- $3,347/mo
On the market 159 days · Listed by KW Empower
Scout this home & market: 4-bed townhouse in Philadelphia
As of August 2026, we analyzed 4,860 active for-sale homes in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The typical listing is priced at $309,999 and is projected to generate about $32,657 a year as a short-term rental.
After setting aside an estimated 20% for operating costs, an estimated 57.5% of those homes could still cover an investor mortgage payment on short-term-rental income — roughly in line with the 52.5% median across the 200 major metros we track, ranking Philadelphia #78 of 200 for cash-flow potential.
On market momentum: homes in Philadelphia sit a median of 68 days on the market, and 25% of active listings came on in just the last 30 days — a steadily paced market, which shapes how much room there is to negotiate.
For a DSCR loan — which qualifies on the property's rental income rather than your personal income — that's a relatively healthy setup: in Philadelphia, a meaningful share of listings throw off enough short-term-rental income, after costs, to cover an estimated investor mortgage payment.
What actually works in Philadelphia
Philadelphia is a broad cash-flow market right now: 1,205 of the 2,696 Philadelphia homes, condos and townhomes we can price confidently clear a DSCR of 1.25. Nine in ten of them are priced under $383,000.
| Price | 1 bed | 2 bed | 3 bed | 4 bed | 5 bed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under $150k | — | 100%1.89 | 96%2.10 | — | — |
| $150k–$250k | 23%1.06 | 67%1.40 | 94%1.69 | 94%1.91 | 100%2.73 |
| $250k–$350k | 5%0.84 | 12%1.02 | 41%1.21 | 86%1.47 | 100%2.02 |
| $350k–$500k | 0%0.63 | 4%0.88 | 20%1.05 | 59%1.30 | 79%1.48 |
| $500k+ | 0%0.44 | 0%0.57 | 1%0.80 | 14%0.91 | 27%0.96 |
Darker means a larger share of that group cash-flows. “—” means fewer than 8 active listings — too few to draw a conclusion from.
Philadelphia in full
| Active for-sale homes analyzed | 4,860 |
|---|---|
| Median list price | $309,999 |
| Median projected STR revenue (annual, gross) | $32,657 |
| Median average daily rate (ADR) | $153 |
| Median occupancy | 58% |
| Median beds | 3 |
| Median size | 1,408 sqft |
| Estimated cash-flow-positive share | 57.5% |
| Median days on market | 68 days |
| New listings (last 30 days) | 24.9% of active |
As a user of this system, you agree to all Scout Terms & Conditions and Home & Mortgage Conditions.
Would a Philadelphia rental qualify for a DSCR loan?
Pre-filled with Philadelphia's median price and projected short-term-rental income — change any field to match a specific property.
Advanced
On a 5-minute call with you, we can use Scout to run real numbers on real properties.
Estimates for educational purposes. Final terms subject to credit, property & program approval.
5 senior bankers · 47 statesPressure-test the market before you trust the median.
We’ll help you compare the market-level signal with the exact property, local costs, rental rules, and financing structure.
Thinking about an investment property in Philadelphia?
Send the address or your target buy box. We’ll run the property with today’s assumptions.
Prefer to talk now? Call or text Chad: 858-353-8331.