Free calculator

Cap Rate Calculator

Enter income, vacancy, and operating expenses to get NOI and capitalization rate. Unlevered, the way buyers and appraisers compare properties. Nothing you type leaves your browser.

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Cap rate
Effective gross income
Operating expenses
Net operating income
NOI per month
Operating expense ratio
LineHow it is calculated
Effective gross incomeGross rent − vacancy loss + other income
Net operating incomeEffective gross income − operating expenses
Cap rateNOI ÷ purchase price
Operating expense ratioOperating expenses ÷ effective gross income

The expense ratio is the number most worth checking against reality. Owner-reported opex on a listing is often understated because management, reserves, or the owner's own labor are missing. If a seller hands you a 25% expense ratio on a small multifamily building, ask which lines are not in it.

Underwriting a deal and want the numbers checked by someone who does this daily? That is a 20-minute conversation.

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Frequently asked questions

What is a good cap rate?

It depends entirely on market and asset class, so there is no universal number. A cap rate is a price-to-income ratio, not a quality score: a low cap rate means you paid more per dollar of income, which is normal in low-risk, high-demand markets. Compare a property only against recent sales of similar assets in the same submarket.

Does the cap rate include my mortgage?

No. Cap rate is deliberately unlevered — it measures the property, not your financing. Debt service never belongs in NOI. That is what makes cap rates comparable between a cash buyer and a leveraged one.

What counts as an operating expense?

Property taxes, insurance, management, repairs and maintenance, utilities you pay, HOA or admin, and turnover costs. Excluded: mortgage principal and interest, capital improvements, depreciation, and income taxes. Putting any of those four in opex understates NOI and makes the cap rate look worse than it is.

Cap rate or cash-on-cash return — which should I use?

Both, for different questions. Cap rate compares properties to each other independent of how you pay for them. Cash-on-cash measures what your specific deal returns on the cash you actually put in, after debt service.

General information, not tax or accounting advice. Your situation and current law (which changes) govern; confirm with a qualified advisor.