What U.S. cities are the most profitable for multifamily investors in 2026? New research from LoopNet found that investors who are most interested in yield should investigate Detroit and Chicago, while those looking for the lowest average listing prices should look at El Paso, Cincinnati and San Antonio.
Those are some of the key findings from LoopNet’s Most Profitable Cities for Multifamily Investments in 2026 report, released on Jan. 30.
While no Midwest or Texas markets made LoopNet’s top-five list of best cities for multifamily investing in 2026, several of these markets did show up on other lists in the company’s report.
For example, LoopNet said that investors prioritizing yield can find the highest cap rates in Detroit (11.42%) and Chicago (8.92%).
LoopNet reported that markets with the most affordable multifamily property listing prices include El Paso, Texas, at $631,250, topping this list; Cincinnati, $909,569, coming in second; and San Antonio, which ranked fifth at $1,289,501.
The best cities in which to buy multifamily properties? Washington, D.C.; Las Vegas; Denver; Miami; and Richmond, Virginia, topped LoopNet’s list.
The first Midwest city on LoopNet’s list of most profitable U.S. cities for multifamily investing was Detroit, which ranked seventh. Kansas City, Missouri, ranked 11th, while Cincinnati came in at 13. Chicago also made it in the top 20, according to LoopNet, ranking 19th.
To make its list, LoopNet analyzed 50 cities across the United States. The company defines profitability as a city’s potential to maximize total return on investment by balancing income potential and low overhead.
