Side-by-side comparison of Ashland, OH and Bellefontaine, OH — cap rates, rent, prices, and investment metrics.
Cash flow: Bellefontaine has the edge with an estimated cap rate of 3.12% compared to Ashland's 1.86%. Neither city passes the 1% rule outright, so deal sourcing and value-add strategies become more important. Median home prices are $235,000 in Ashland vs $240,000 in Bellefontaine, while rents come in at $890/mo and $1,180/mo respectively. For context, the national average cap rate is 3.81% and average price is $333K.
Growth & appreciation: Ashland is growing faster at 0.2% annually vs Bellefontaine's 0.2%. Ashland leads on home value appreciation at 2.2% per year.
Costs & risk: Property taxes are 1.58% in Ashland vs 1.58% in Bellefontaine. Vacancy rates of 6.7% and 6.7% are mixed — Bellefontaine has the tighter rental market.
Entry point: Ashland offers a lower entry at $235K vs Bellefontaine's $240K — a difference of $5K. With a 20% down payment, that's $47K vs $48K. Bellefontaine's higher price may be justified by better market fundamentals.
Bottom line: Bellefontaine edges out Ashland on most key metrics. While cap rates are moderate at 3.12%, Bellefontaine's overall profile is stronger. Use our free calculators to model specific deals in Ashland or Bellefontaine.