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 October 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 October 2026.
$175,000DSCR 1.973 bed · 1.5 bath · 1,022 sqft
- STR revenue
- $32,969/yr
- Est. interest-only payment
- $1,114/mo
On the market 50 days · Listed by Keller Williams Real Estate
Scout this home & market: 3-bed townhouse in Philadelphia
$229,000DSCR 1.333 bed · 2.5 bath · 1,350 sqft
- STR revenue
- $30,768/yr
- Est. interest-only payment
- $1,541/mo
On the market 123 days · Listed by KW Empower
Scout this home & market: 3-bed townhouse in Philadelphia
$250,000DSCR 1.263 bed · 1 bath · 2,015 sqft
- STR revenue
- $29,263/yr
- Est. interest-only payment
- $1,546/mo
On the market 132 days · Listed by VORO Keystone, LLC
Scout this home & market: 3-bed townhouse in Philadelphia
$435,000DSCR 1.454 bed · 3 bath · 2,000 sqft
- STR revenue
- $55,684/yr
- Est. interest-only payment
- $2,552/mo
On the market 201 days · Listed by Homesmart Realty Advisors
Scout this home & market: 4-bed townhouse in Philadelphia
As of October 2026, we analyzed 5,230 active for-sale homes in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The typical listing is priced at $315,000 and is projected to generate about $33,835 a year as a short-term rental.
After setting aside an estimated 20% for operating costs, an estimated 57.9% of those homes could still cover an investor mortgage payment on short-term-rental income — roughly in line with the 53.1% median across the 200 major metros we track, ranking Philadelphia #74 of 200 for cash-flow potential.
On market momentum: homes in Philadelphia sit a median of 66 days on the market, and 29% 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: 1,332 of the 2,986 Philadelphia homes, condos and townhomes we can price confidently clear a DSCR of 1.25. Nine in ten of them are priced under $389,000.
| Price | 1 bed | 2 bed | 3 bed | 4 bed | 5 bed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under $150k | — | 87%1.88 | 100%2.18 | — | — |
| $150k–$250k | 19%1.04 | 62%1.35 | 92%1.70 | 98%1.85 | 100%2.72 |
| $250k–$350k | 3%0.86 | 12%1.03 | 48%1.24 | 76%1.51 | 100%2.12 |
| $350k–$500k | 0%0.69 | 4%0.89 | 22%1.04 | 57%1.31 | 67%1.51 |
| $500k+ | 0%0.44 | 0%0.58 | 1%0.84 | 11%0.93 | 32%0.99 |
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 | 5,230 |
|---|---|
| Median list price | $315,000 |
| Median projected STR revenue (annual, gross) | $33,835 |
| Median average daily rate (ADR) | $163 |
| Median occupancy | 57% |
| Median beds | 3 |
| Median size | 1,440 sqft |
| Estimated cash-flow-positive share | 57.9% |
| Median days on market | 66 days |
| New listings (last 30 days) | 28.7% of active |
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Estimates for educational purposes. Final terms subject to credit, property & program approval.
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