Brockton’s Zillow ZHVI typical home value is $516,482, and its ZORI typical observed market rent is $2,406 per month. Annual ZORI divided by ZHVI produces a 5.6% gross yield before all operating costs and financing, so it is a screening figure rather than a return. ZHVI equals 6.45x ACS median household income, while annual ZORI equals 36.0% of that income. These citywide comparisons signal affordability pressure, not individual loan terms or tenant budgets.
The city contains 37,730 housing units; 4.5% are vacant, and renters occupy 42.6% of occupied units. ACS reports a $437,500 owner-reported median home value and $1,641 median gross rent for surveyed occupied housing; gross rent includes contract rent plus selected utilities. These are not substitutes for Zillow’s typical home value and observed market rent, which use different measures and periods. These citywide measures provide tenure and housing-stock context but cannot establish lease-up for a particular property.
Direct city evidence adds constraints and stock detail. ACS classifies 54.5% of renter households as rent-burdened; single-family homes represent 50.9% of units and large multifamily buildings 9.2%. Among vacant units, 19.4% are categorized as for rent, while other recorded reasons include for-sale and seasonal use. Population is 105,386, up 10.2% between overlapping ACS vintages; this is not annualized and may reflect boundary changes. Median household income is $80,115, with poverty at 13.5% and unemployment at 8.6%. These survey facts describe demand constraints and stock, not available investment inventory or causal drivers.
For Plymouth County, the county Realtor record shows a median 34 days on market and price reductions on 13.9% of county listings, useful for negotiating context but not Brockton-specific liquidity. In Plymouth County, the county property-tax rate is 1.169%, which is not a parcel’s actual bill. In the broader Boston metro, employment fell 0.8% and year-to-date building permits totaled 12,696; these metro measures do not isolate city demand or supply. The national Freddie Mac 30-year mortgage rate is 6.58%, a financing input rather than evidence about Brockton values or rents.
Underwriting is limited by aggregation, survey uncertainty and mismatched measurement periods. Before acting, verify achievable contract rent, utility responsibility, occupancy and lease history; inspect condition and deferred maintenance; and obtain insurance, parcel-tax and management quotes while confirming legal use. Obtain lender quotes and model debt service, turnover, repairs, reserves and vacancy under downside assumptions. Compare live property listings and relevant transactions; city, county, metro and national aggregates do not establish a specific asset’s value, rent or performance.