Run your Ohio DSCR in one screen
No email gate, no "check your inbox for your result" — the number appears the moment you enter your numbers. What makes this calculator Ohio-specific is the county dropdown: pick your county and the effective property tax rate pre-loads automatically, instead of forcing you to go find it yourself or accept a national average that's wrong for every Ohio county except the one it happens to match.
Inputs: purchase price, down payment %, rate, term, county, insurance, HOA, monthly rent, vacancy %. Outputs: PITIA, DSCR, monthly cash flow, cap rate, cash-on-cash. County dropdown pre-loads Cuyahoga (1.80%), Hamilton (1.53%), Franklin (1.47%), and a statewide default (1.36%); insurance defaults to $1,220/year with an $800–$2,500 range slider.
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The formula, plainly
DSCR = gross monthly rent ÷ PITIA. PITIA is Principal, Interest, Taxes, Insurance, and Association dues (HOA) — everything the lender counts as your monthly obligation on the property, not just the mortgage payment. A DSCR of 1.00 means the rent exactly covers PITIA. Below 1.00, the property doesn't cover its own debt service on paper; above 1.25, you're in the band where most lenders offer their best pricing and leverage.
| DSCR result | What it means |
|---|---|
| Below 1.00 | Rent doesn't cover PITIA. Some programs still lend here at reduced leverage; most don't. |
| 1.00–1.19 | Clears the floor most lenders require. Pricing and terms are typically not the best available. |
| 1.20–1.24 | A solid, financeable ratio on most Ohio properties. |
| 1.25 and above | The band that unlocks the best rate and leverage most DSCR lenders publish. |
SOURCE: SEE CITATIONS BELOW
03
Why gross rent isn't "the number that counts"
Gross rent is what shows up in the listing. It's not what a lender uses, and it's not what lands in your account. The DSCR test strips out vacancy, maintenance, and management before it ever gets to cash flow — it only compares rent to PITIA. That's a narrower question than "is this a good investment," and it's worth knowing the difference: a property can clear DSCR comfortably and still be a mediocre cash-flow deal once real operating expenses are counted, or clear DSCR marginally and still be a strong long-term hold if the market is appreciating. See the full walk-down from gross yield to cap rate to cash-on-cash on the markets hub.
04
Ohio county tax rates (major counties)
| County | Metro | Effective rate |
|---|---|---|
| Cuyahoga | Cleveland | 1.80% |
| Hamilton | Cincinnati | 1.53% |
| Franklin | Columbus | 1.47% |
| Summit | Akron | 1.54% |
| Lucas | Toledo | 1.55%–1.75% (varies by taxing district) |
| Montgomery | Dayton | high; parts exceed 2.3% |
| Stark | Canton | 1.32% |
| Mahoning | Youngstown | ~2.1% |
| Statewide average | — | 1.36% |
SOURCE: SEE CITATIONS BELOW
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Three worked Ohio examples
- Cleveland SFR — $125,000 at 20% down, $1,200/mo rent, Cuyahoga tax (1.80%), $1,220/yr
insurance, observed 7.20% average rate: DSCR 1.24. Full worked example →
- Columbus suburb — $230,000 Reynoldsburg 3BR at 20% down, $1,700/mo rent, Franklin tax (1.47%),
same insurance and rate assumptions: DSCR 1.04. Full worked example →
- Cincinnati duplex — $210,000 Pleasant Ridge duplex at 20% down, $1,900/mo combined rent,
Hamilton tax (1.53%): DSCR 1.26. Full worked example →
Observed rate figures used above are market data we compile, not an offer of credit — your rate depends on your DSCR, credit, LTV and loan purpose, and is set by the lender, not by us.
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Calculator FAQ
01Does this calculator submit my information anywhere?
No. The math runs in your browser. Nothing you enter here is sent to us or to any lender unless you separately choose to [request quotes](/quote/).02Why does the county matter so much?
Property tax is part of PITIA, and Ohio's county rates range from under 1% to over 2.3% — a bigger swing than most states, and big enough to move a property from a 1.25 DSCR to a 1.10 on identical rent and price. Most calculators use one national tax assumption; this one doesn't.03What if my property is outside Ohio?
This calculator's whole value is its Ohio county tax presets — it will give you a wrong answer on a Texas or Georgia property. [REIRates runs a national DSCR calculator](https://reirates.com/) built for exactly that case.04My DSCR came back under 1.00 — am I stuck?
Not necessarily. A larger down payment, an interest-only structure, or a 2–4 unit property with a higher combined rent roll against one tax bill can move the ratio. [See what actually moves your number on the rates page →](/ohio-dscr-rates/)