Rockland County’s central underwriting tension is a 4.62% gross yield before costs on Zillow’s 2026-06 median home value of $765,908 and median asking rent of $2,946 per month, against material carrying costs and softer listing conditions. This is a county for investors who can validate property-level expenses and tenant demand; buyers dependent on a large income cushion should be cautious. The supplied HUD FMR is a payment standard, not an asking-rent estimate, and is not used to derive yield.
Zillow’s associated year-over-year changes show home value up 3.72% and measured asking rent up 4.53%, a favorable income-versus-price relationship at that observation. FHFA’s 2025 repeat-transaction HPI increased 4.77%; it supports a similar directional appreciation signal, but is neither a dollar home value nor the same vintage or method as Zillow, so the rates should not be combined. The 1.68% effective property-tax rate increases the need to test actual tax bills, insurance, maintenance, vacancy and management costs before treating gross yield as net cash flow.
Realtor.com’s 2026-06 MLS evidence shows active listings increased 14.51% year over year and 12.09% of listings had price reductions. These are visible supply and seller-concession measures, not closed-sale prices or proof of buyer demand. Investor activity was 491 of 2,450 purchases, or 20.04%, so non-owner competition is present but does not represent the whole purchase market. The record does not identify investor property types or local submarkets.
QCEW’s 2025 annual covered workplace employment slipped 0.10%, a measure of jobs located in the county rather than resident employment or a forecast. Tax-return migration showed a net loss of 2,384 households, while departing movers’ average AGI exceeded entrants’ by $11,692; neither establishes the cause or scale of rental demand. Modeled expected annual building-value loss is 0.09%, with inland flood the dominant hazard. Vacancy, operating expenses, insurance premiums, flood-zone status, property condition and submarket sales are not published, preventing a net-yield, property-risk or valuation conclusion.