Side-by-side comparison of Rome, GA and St. Marys, GA — cap rates, rent, prices, and investment metrics.
Cash flow: Rome has the edge with an estimated cap rate of 4.04% compared to St. Marys's 3.81%. Neither city passes the 1% rule outright, so deal sourcing and value-add strategies become more important. Median home prices are $230,000 in Rome vs $305,000 in St. Marys, while rents come in at $1,180/mo and $1,500/mo respectively. For context, the national average cap rate is 3.81% and average price is $333K.
Growth & appreciation: Rome is growing faster at 0.9% annually vs St. Marys's 0.9%. Rome leads on home value appreciation at 2.9% per year.
Costs & risk: Property taxes are 0.93% in Rome vs 0.93% in St. Marys. Vacancy rates of 6.2% and 6.2% are mixed — St. Marys has the tighter rental market.
Entry point: Rome offers a lower entry at $230K vs St. Marys's $305K — a difference of $75K. With a 20% down payment, that's $46K vs $61K. Rome combines the lower price with a higher cap rate — a compelling combination.
Bottom line: Rome edges out St. Marys on most key metrics. While cap rates are moderate at 4.04%, Rome's overall profile is stronger. Use our free calculators to model specific deals in Rome or St. Marys.