Cap Rate Calculator
The institutional way to measure a property's earning power, independent of how you finance it. Calculate cap rate, NOI, or implied value.
What cap rate measures
Capitalization rate (cap rate) is the unlevered yield of an income property — the percentage return you'd earn if you bought it for cash. It strips out the mortgage entirely so you can compare properties apples-to-apples regardless of how they're financed.
Where NOI (Net Operating Income) is gross rent minus all operating expenses, but excluding mortgage payments, depreciation, and income taxes.
What goes in NOI — and what doesn't
Includes: property taxes, insurance, repairs & maintenance, property management, utilities (if landlord-paid), HOA, vacancy reserve, advertising, legal.
Excludes: mortgage principal & interest, depreciation, capital improvements (only ongoing maintenance), and your income taxes. These are financing and accounting items, not operating costs.
A small apartment building generates $36,000 in annual rent with a 5% vacancy rate.
Operating expenses: $3,600 taxes + $1,800 insurance + $2,400 maintenance + $2,880 management + $600 other.
The property is listed at $400,000.
If you wanted a 7.5% cap rate (more typical for that property type), you'd back into the price you're willing to pay:
At a 7.5% target cap, you'd offer no more than $305,600. The asking price is $94,400 above your max.
What cap rates look like by market
Cap rates vary wildly by location, property type, and market cycle. As rough current ranges:
- Class A apartments in major metros — 4.5–5.5%
- Class B/C apartments in secondary cities — 6–8%
- Single-family rentals (most markets) — 5–8%
- Small multifamily in tertiary markets — 7–10%
- Mobile home parks, self-storage — 6–9%
- Office, retail (post-2020) — 7–11%
Higher cap rate isn't automatically better — it usually signals higher risk, less stable income, weaker market, or deferred maintenance. Lower cap rate doesn't mean a worse deal — Class A properties in strong markets trade at low caps because they're safer and growing.
Cap rate vs cash-on-cash return — which matters more?
Use cap rate when comparing properties, valuing a building, or talking to commercial lenders. It's market-driven and ignores your personal financing.
Use cash-on-cash when measuring your actual return as an investor with a specific down payment and mortgage. It reflects your reality, not the market's.
Cap rate is what the property earns. Cash-on-cash is what you earn.
Frequently asked questions
Why doesn't cap rate include the mortgage?
Because the mortgage is a function of how you chose to buy the property — not a property characteristic. Two investors can buy the same building with completely different financing and get completely different cash returns, but the property's cap rate is the same in both cases. That's the point: cap rate compares properties, cash-on-cash compares deals.
Should I include CapEx in NOI?
Pure NOI doesn't include capital expenditures (new roof, HVAC replacement) — only routine maintenance. But many investors compute a "real NOI" that includes a CapEx reserve (5–10% of rent) to get a more conservative number. Be clear which version you're using.
How do appraisers and lenders use cap rate?
Commercial appraisers value income properties primarily by capitalizing NOI at a market cap rate (Value = NOI / Cap rate). Lenders use cap rate to size loans — a property's debt service coverage depends on NOI, which depends on cap rate assumptions.
What's "cap rate compression"?
When property values rise faster than NOI, cap rates fall — investors are accepting lower yields because they expect more appreciation. Cap rate expansion is the opposite: prices drop relative to NOI, often when interest rates rise. The 2022–2024 rate hike cycle pushed cap rates up across most markets.
Cap rates depend heavily on accurate expense reporting. Sellers often present "pro forma" NOI that excludes real costs. Always verify with actual P&L statements and conservative expense assumptions.