Scott County’s decision tension is rising price evidence beside a weakening covered-workplace base: an underwriter cannot turn appreciation into a rental case without property evidence. Investors relying on near-term cash flow should be cautious; those prepared for parcel-level rent, insurance and flood diligence should investigate. Zillow’s county median home value was $163,895 in 2026-06, up 9.14% year over year. FHFA’s repeat-transaction HPI rose 16.05% in 2025. The methods and vintages differ, so they indicate a common direction only and must not be blended into one growth rate.
No county market rent is published, so gross yield cannot be computed. HUD’s two-bedroom FMR of $880 per month is a payment standard rather than an estimate of asking rent and cannot be used to derive rent or yield. The effective property-tax rate is 0.44%, a useful carrying-cost input alongside the price signal but not a measure of operating cash flow. Missing property tax bills, insurance, maintenance, vacancy and lease evidence prevents a supported cash-flow conclusion.
Realtor.com shows 41 active MLS listings, which measures visible asking-market supply rather than closed-sale liquidity. QCEW annual covered employment at county workplaces fell 3.99% in 2025; Manufacturing, the largest disclosed private supersector, represents 50.19% of disclosed private covered jobs. Net migration was 42 tax-return households, and arrivals’ average AGI exceeded departures’ by $394; this is a modest positive mover-income signal, not tenant-demand proof. Investor mortgages were 11 of 83 purchases, or 13.25%, indicating competition within a limited purchase count rather than investor rent performance.
Inland flood is the dominant hazard. Modeled annual climate loss is 0.27% of building value, not an observed claim rate or a parcel-level dollar loss. This changes diligence toward flood-zone status, elevation, prior losses, mitigation, and insurance quotes before reserves are set. Closed-sale comparables, market rents, lease terms, insurance, debt terms and property condition are not published; their absence prevents a supported value, yield, and all-in carrying-cost underwriting. QCEW also is neither resident employment nor a forecast.