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When beating your friends in Monopoly becomes your next favorite thing, understanding how you can constantly do so becomes the next thing on your mind. One factor that can help you in your quest is understanding the best Monopoly properties to buy as soon as the game begins. It might be news to you, but some properties in Monopoly properties are better than others.
This article explains in detail why you should buy some properties over others. You will also get statistical reasons for buying properties and color sets. Following this complete guide could guarantee you can beat your friends at Monopoly easily.
Note: This article is for the United States version of the Monopoly board. If you’re in the UK, then check out the UK version.
In order to win a Monopoly game, you must use the best strategy. To do this, you must buy the properties that are landed on the most or have high investment returns. Here is an ordered list of the best properties to Buy in Monopoly.
- Orange Properties
- Dark Blue Properties
- Red Properties
- Yellow Properties
- Green Properties
- Pink Properties
- Light Blue Properties
- Brown Properties
In the order above, you’ll get the best properties in Monopoly. The list orders them according to their worth, relevance, or importance.
What Is The Best Property To Buy in Monopoly?
The Orange properties are the best properties to buy in Monopoly. On the US board, they are New York Avenue, Tennessee Avenue, and St. James Place. Because of their strategic positions, they are considered the properties most landed on. They are positioned 6,8 and 9 spaces after the dreaded jail space. Counting from Go, they are on the 17, 18, and 19 squares on the Monopoly board. The Orange Monopoly properties have the best ROIs of all the color sets in Monopoly.
If your board is a different color, and you can’t easily find the Orange properties, you can find them by their names or position. Finding the last three properties before Free Parking on the Monopoly board is the easiest way. See? Super easy!
Aiming to buy the Orange properties each time you play Monopoly isn’t realistic, and even if you manage to, your friends will soon understand your strategy. So, how do you go about it all? Well, read on to find other color sets that can, to an extent, guarantee your success on the Monopoly board.
Quick Facts About Buying Properties in Monopoly
- Players can buy properties from the bank and from other players
- The property set you own plays a significant role in determining whether you win or lose
- You’re likely to lose if other players own sets of properties and you don’t
- You don’t always get your preferred set of properties, so up your negotiation skills
The Best Properties in Monopoly
Properties in Monopoly have their different advantages and disadvantages. If you want to learn about each property in detail, you might have to read our articles on them individually. Here are some links.
Pink Monopoly Properties- Winning the Cheap Way
Orange Monopoly Properties- The Dream Color Set
Red Monopoly Properties- Here’s What You Should Do
The Yellow Monopoly Properties- Outlining the Proper Strategy
Baltic Avenue – All You Need To Know
What Makes Some Monopoly Properties Better Than Others?
You might reason that the costlier the property, the better. But in Monopoly, that line of thought is often wrong. There are several factors affecting each property and its worth. So, the best move would be to examine these factors. You must consider five factors when trying to figure out which property is best for you. They are:
With the help of my statistics friend, I’ve done the maths to show you the list of best Monopoly properties to worst.
The Most Frequently Landed Monopoly Space
Every Monopoly player knows that other players landing on your properties form the basis for your earnings in Monopoly. Suppose it happens that other players do not land on your properties. In that case, you’ll likely run out of money and eventually go bankrupt.
Suggested read: What Happens When You Run Out of Money in Monopoly
The Monopoly board is not even, which means that some properties are more likely to be landed on than others. So, aiming to build houses on properties like this is a great strategy to win the game.
Also, when players land on Chance or Community Chest spaces, sometimes they are instructed to advance to specific properties. The owners of these specific properties get to collect rent more often as long as other players pick the cards. When you combine this with the fact that when you roll the dice, you’re likely to get certain numbers more often than others, you can determine which properties are most landed on in Monopoly.
Which Monopoly Properties are Mostly Landed On?
When you do the maths, Illinois Avenue, part of the Red Monopoly properties, has a 3.19% chance of being landed on in a turn. There’s a 2.86% chance of landing on all three red spaces.
This probability originates from data from a computer simulation of 32 billion roles.
This simulation takes into consideration all the rules in Monopoly, including the possibility of landing on Chance and Community chest squares, which may send a player to a different space. All possible scenarios, rules, or possibilities have been taken into consideration.
Below, you will find a probability table that shows the possibility of landing on each space per roll.
Note: This table is ordered according to the square arrangements on the US Monopoly board
| Property | Probability | Position |
| Mediterranean Avenue | 2.1314 | 36 |
| Community Chest | 1.8849 | 37 |
| Baltic Avenue | 2.1624 | 35 |
| Income Tax | 2.3285 | 28 |
| Reading Railroad | 2.9631 | 6 |
| Oriental Avenue | 2.2621 | 32 |
| Chance | 0.8650 | 40 |
| Vermont Avenue | 2.3210 | 29 |
| Connecticut Avenue | 2.3003 | 30 |
| Visiting Jail | 2.2695 | 31 |
| St. Charles Place | 2.7017 | 15 |
| Electric Company | 2.6040 | 20 |
| States Avenue | 2.3721 | 26 |
| Virginia Avenue | 2.4649 | 24 |
| Pennsylvania Railroad | 2.9200 | 8 |
| St. James Place | 2.7924 | 12 |
| Community Chest | 2.5945 | 21 |
| Tennessee Avenue | 2.9356 | 7 |
| New York Avenue | 3.0852 | 4 |
| Free Parking | 2.8836 | 9 |
| Kentucky Avenue | 2.8358 | 10 |
| Chance | 1.0480 | 38 |
| Indiana Avenue | 2.7357 | 13 |
| Illinois Avenue | 3.1858 | 2 |
| B & O Railroad | 3.0659 | 5 |
| Atlantic Avenue | 2.7072 | 14 |
| Ventnor Avenue | 2.6789 | 16 |
| Water Works | 2.8074 | 11 |
| Marvin Gardens | 2.5861 | 22 |
| Go To Jail | 0.0000 | 41 |
| Pacific Avenue | 2.6774 | 17 |
| North Carolina Avenue | 2.6252 | 19 |
| Community Chest | 2.3661 | 27 |
| Pennsylvania Avenue | 2.5006 | 23 |
| Short Line | 2.4326 | 25 |
| Chance | 0.8669 | 39 |
| Park Place | 2.1864 | 33 |
| Luxury Tax | 2.1799 | 34 |
| Boardwalk | 2.6260 | 18 |
| In Jail | 3.9499 | 1 |
[Source]
This data is correct, assuming all players decide to leave jail on their immediate next turn. If players were to stay in jail longer, the values would slightly differ. Now that we’ve discussed which property is mostly landed on let’s discuss which color set receives the most visitors.
Which Monopoly Set is Landed on Most Frequently?
As stated earlier, the Orange Monopoly set is mostly landed on. Properties in this set are New York Avenue, Tennessee Avenue, and St. James Place. Without any exceptions, all Orange properties are at the top of the list of most landed-on properties in Monopoly. This excludes spaces like GO, Free Parking, and Railroads frequented by players.
If spaces like Go and Free Parking were included in the list, they would be at the top because every player starts at Go and, most times, eventually lands on Go almost every time they go around the board.
The table below shows the probability of landing on each color set per roll.
Note: This table is arranged in the order they appear on the Monopoly board.
| Color set | Probability |
| Brown | 4.2938 |
| Light Blue | 6.8834 |
| Pink | 7.5387 |
| Orange | 8.8132 |
| Red | 8.7573 |
| Yellow | 7.9722 |
| Green | 7.8032 |
| Dark Blue | 4.8124 |
To get this data, add the probability of landing on each property square in a color set as listed in the first table.
Properties like the Brown and Dark Blue properties have a lower landing chance because they have only two squares on the Monopoly board.
Color Sets That Are Easier to Complete
According to the official Monopoly rules, you can only build houses once you complete a color set. So, when considering properties to acquire while you play, think of color sets that are much easier to complete. The longer it takes to complete your color set, the more you miss out on opportunities to earn higher rent from players landing on your properties.
Which Color Sets Are Easier to Complete in Monopoly?
On the Monopoly board, the easiest color sets to complete are the Brown Properties ( Meditteranean Avenue and Baltic Avenue) and the Dark Blue Properties ( Park Place and Boardwalk). Why? You may ask. The reason is that they are the only color sets in Monopoly with only two properties. Other color sets require that you acquire three properties to complete them.
For color sets with more than two properties, the easiest sets to complete are the Orange, Yellow, and Red Properties. From experience, I’ve also found it really easy to complete the Pink properties. Because they are often neglected, other players quickly want to trade them for little money or properties worth far less.
Cost of houses on the properties
So many players overlook the importance of knowing the cost of houses on the color sets they intend to complete. When I just learned to play Monopoly, I often tried to complete properties where houses cost $200 while not having enough cash. I often ran into debt and eventually had to sell some of the houses back to the bank for half their original prices.
Trust me, you don’t want to have the same experience. It’s painful and infuriating. So, learn to evaluate how much cash you have and which color set you can afford some houses with the cash at hand. Also, never rely on passing Go because, sorry, but shit happens.
You might land on Income Tax, meaning the salary you just collected goes back to the bank. You might go to jail or land on an opponent’s house that takes all your money.
So it’s never a good idea to bank on collecting salaries when considering color sets to complete.
How Much Do Monopoly Houses Cost?
Houses on the Monopoly board cost between $50 and $200, no more, no less. If you struggle with knowing the cost of houses on each side of the board, I have a formula that can help.
Just know that the cost of houses on the Monopoly board starts from $50 and increases progressively around the board. This means that on the first side of the Monopoly board, houses cost $50. On the second side of the board, houses cost $100. Houses on the third side of the board cost $150, and houses on properties on the last side cost $200.
Rent Prices on Properties
The real flex when you own a property is when someone lands on it and has a hard time paying your rent. It can be really disappointing when opposing players can easily afford the rent.
What’s really the point then? I don’t know about you, but I enjoy seeing opposing players struggle to pay rent on my properties. And what’s more? Heavy rent enriches my pocket, enabling me to buy more houses and make deals to get more properties or unmortgage them.
The cheapest rent in Monopoly costs just $2, and the most expensive is Boardwalk, which costs $50.
However, the more houses you build on your properties, the higher your rent. If you build hotels on your properties, you could collect rent that can bankrupt unfortunate players who land on your properties. For each property, you can find the cost per number of houses on the Title Deed card.
Worthwhile Return on Investment (ROI)
Considering return on investments is obviously more important than investing. Having a complete set of properties in Monopoly is excellent. Still, if it doesn’t generate a worthwhile return on investment, then it’s really garbage. Like the cost of properties, some properties have higher ROIs than others.
In order to know the return on investments per color set, we must consider the cost of acquiring the properties and buying houses and hotels. We must also take into consideration the rent generated when an opposing player lands on the property. So, let’s get to solving that mystery.
Which Properties Are Cheap to Buy?
The farther you go on the Monopoly board, the higher the prices. Hence, properties on the first line of the board are the cheapest in Monopoly. They are the Brown Properties and Light Blue Properties.
This same side of the board also has the cheapest houses at just $50 per house. Let’s see which properties have the biggest payouts to put our estimates into perspective.
Which Monopoly Properties Have The Biggest Payouts?
The Dark blue properties (Park Place and Boardwalk) have the highest rent payout in Monopoly. They do not pay this much for no reason. Interestingly, one of them costs about $350, and purchasing houses on them costs about $200 per house. This brings us to the big question: Which Monopoly set has the best return on investment?
Which Monopoly Color Set Has The Best Return on Investment?
Regarding ROIs, it’s best to consider the profits on undeveloped and developed properties. You should also consider how much returns you get per number of houses built on your property. Let’s talk about them respectively.
ROI On Properties Without Houses
When properties are undeveloped, the high-cost properties have the highest return on investments, and the low-cost properties have the lowest. It’s that simple.
Note: The table below shows the return on investment for undeveloped Monopoly properties.
| Color Set | ROI (Undeveloped) |
| Brown Properties | 5.0% |
| Light Blue Properties | 6.3% |
| Pink Properties | 7.3% |
| Orange Properties | 7.9% |
| Red Properties | 8.2% |
| Yellow Properties | 8.5% |
| Green Properties | 8.7% |
| Dark Blue Properties | 11.3% |
Even in the long term, you’re unlikely to make enough money from undeveloped properties. All undeveloped properties have low rent because no houses or hotels exist.
The only property bringing a relatively high ROI while undeveloped is Boardwalk, which has an ROI of 12.5%. Even at that, you would need a strategy to get opposing players to land on your property about 8 times before you return your investment.
The property with the lowest earning is Mediterranean Avenue, which has an ROI of just 3.3%. Even so, you would need a strategy to get opposing players to land on your property 30 times before you make your money back.
ROI on Properties With Three Houses
When a player completes color sets, it’s the most exciting thing ever. And that’s because complete color sets in Monopoly mean you’re guaranteed a decent rent. If you complete the Green or Dark Blue properties, having three houses could earn you a lot more than hotels on some other properties.
The more houses you add, the more expensive your rent becomes. But remember that the cost of building houses on high-cost properties is equally high. So, the math may not actually be mathing at the end of the day.
Below is a table showing the ROI for Monopoly properties with three houses.
| Color Set | Average ROI |
| Brown Properties | 64.3% |
| Light Blue Properties | 109.1% |
| Pink Properties | 104.5% |
| Orange Properties | 116.4% |
| Red Properties | 105.9% |
| Yellow Properties | 114.0% |
| Green Properties | 102.9% |
| Dark Blue Properties | 128.2% |
To clearly understand the calculation, or to do it yourself, follow the equation:
(sum of rent with 3 houses for each property in a color set) / ((Purchase price of color set) + (price of 3 houses))
Looking at the table above, you must have quickly come to the conclusion that the Dark Blue properties have the best return on investments, followed by the orange properties and then the yellow properties.
Looking at the list, I noticed a common pattern. I noticed that all the statistically best color sets are on each edge of the Monopoly board. Insignificant but true.
ROI for Properties With Hotels
This is another important metric you would love to consider. When you upgrade your houses to hotels, it guarantees higher rent, which means more money. So it totally makes sense that you want to know where you’re putting your money into.
You may think that since the Dark Blue properties have the highest payouts or return on investments, you should build your hotels on them. Sadly, that line of thought is totally wrong. Buying hotels on the Dark Blue properties could be a waste of money, but why not if you can afford it?
From experience, building hotels on cheaper properties like Brown Properties is often a great idea. Houses are super cheap to buy, and completing the color set is easy. Because most players view the brown properties as worthless, you could get them at almost no cost or for a few bucks. So utilize this idea and be the first to build a hotel on the board while others struggle to complete their color set.
When you build houses or hotels on brown properties, you can quickly make enough money to buy or develop other properties. It’s just overall a great idea to make money really fast at the start of the game. To help you better understand how to win the game using just the Brown Properties, I have prepared a complete guide for you – Baltic Avenue – All You Need To Know.
The table below shows the ROI of properties with hotels.
| Color Set | Average ROI |
| Brown Properties | 112.9% |
| Light Blue Properties | 158.9% |
| Pink Properties | 123.7% |
| Orange Properties | 140.8% |
| Red Properties | 109.2% |
| Yellow Properties | 114.8% |
| Green Properties | 100.8% |
| Dark Blue Properties | 127.3% |
If you’re interested in doing these calculations yourself, here is the formula for solving them.
(Sum of rent with hotel for each property within the color set) / ((Purchase price of set) + ( price of hotels))
When you buy hotels, the Light Blue properties have the best return on investments, followed by the Orange and Dark Blue properties.
In case you’re wondering, the Green properties become the worst in ROI when hotels are added. So, if you’re thinking long-term, discard your green properties or trade them for better ones before you start buying houses.
Which Monopoly Properties Are The Cheapest?
If you’re interested in buying really cheap properties, then your eyes should be on properties on the first side of the board. Properties on the first side of the Monopoly board cost between $60 to $120. They are the cheapest on the board.
Here’s a list of the cheapest properties in Monopoly:
- Mediterranean Avenue
- Baltic Avenue
- Oriental Avenue
- Vermont Avenue
- Connecticut Avenue
The Best Properties To Own In Monopoly
The truth is that there is a definite answer. To know which Monopoly property is the best to own, you need to consider two of the most important factors.
- Return on investment with three houses
- Probability of opposing players landing on your property
When you multiply these two factors, you will arrive at an average ROI in percent for each property with three houses. Per roll, of course! But don’t worry, I have saved you the stress.
Find below a table that shows the best Monopoly properties to buy, from the worst to the best.
Each property name is color-coded according to their colors on the Monopoly board.
| Property | Average ROI per roll in % |
| Mediterranean Avenue | 0.91% |
| Baltic Avenue | 1.85% |
| States Avenue | 2.43% |
| Oriental Avenue | 2.44% |
| Vermont Avenue | 2.51% |
| Park Place | 2.53% |
| Connecticut Avenue | 2.56% |
| North Carolina Avenue | 2.63% |
| Pacific Avenue | 2.68% |
| Virginia Avenue | 2.68% |
| Pennsylvania Avenue | 2.72% |
| St Charles Place | 2.76% |
| Indiana Avenue | 2.86% |
| Kentucky Avenue | 2.96% |
| Marvin Gardens | 3.01% |
| Ventnor Avenue | 3.02% |
| Atlantic Avenue | 3.05% |
| St James Place | 3.20% |
| Tennessee Avenue | 3.36% |
| Illinois Avenue | 3.46% |
| Boardwalk | 3.68% |
| New York Avenue | 3.70% |
The Best Color Set To Own In Monopoly
Thinking about the best individual properties to buy is less important than considering the best color set to buy. This line of thought is because you must own complete color sets to buy houses in Monopoly. Using the average of the ROI on property sets with three houses, we can rank the best to the worst houses to own in Monopoly.
| Color Set | Average ROI |
| Orange | 3.42% |
| Dark Blue | 3.10% |
| Red | 3.09% |
| Yellow | 3.03% |
| Green | 2.67% |
| Pink | 2.62% |
| Light Blue | 2.50% |
| Brown | 1.38% |
Best Property Trades To Make In Monopoly
The best trades to make in Monopoly greatly depend on several factors. If you have money, you can purchase any property of your choice from another player. Sometimes, you can win auctions and have properties handed to you for far less than their actual price.
If, for example, you own four properties. And among those four are two properties of the same color set. The wise thing to do is to trade the properties you don’t need for the ones you need. If the ones you intend to trade are worth more than the properties you’re getting from an opposing player, you could ask that they give you your choice property plus some money.
Let’s picture an actual scenario. Amani has five property title deeds, indicating he owns five properties. Those cards are Baltic Avenue, Oriental Avenue, Vermont Avenue, New York Avenue, and Indiana Avenue.
The second player, Caleb, owns 3 properties: Tennessee Avenue, St. James Place, and Meditteranean Avenue.
In the scenario above, Amani likely needs Meditteranean Avenue to quickly complete his color set. Caleb needs New York Avenue to complete his Orange color set.
In cases like this, where the players have to trade properties, but one property costs more than the others, money has to be in the deal. Amani could ask Caleb for Meditteranean Avenue plus some extra cash.
That way, the trade balances out. But of course, if Amani doesn’t need the money, he could take the property alone. And if Caleb refuses to offer money along the property, Amani would have to decide if he’s willing to sacrifice completing that color set for a few banknotes or not.
What’s important is making savvy negotiations that would favor your overall strategy. If your decisions don’t align with your strategy, it could negatively impact your gameplay.
What is The Most Profitable Property In Monopoly?
From personal experience, the Orange color set is the most profitable on the Monopoly board. To reach this final conclusion, I had to consider the rate at which opposing players land on the color set and the overall return on investment.
If, unfortunately, you cannot lay your hands on the Orange color set, there’s good news. You can win the game by completing other color sets. Surprisingly, I have won many Monopoly games by completing just the brown properties and building hotels as soon as possible. To see step by step how I was able to do this, read this article – Baltic Avenue – All You Need To Know.
What is The Least Landed Property in Monopoly?
According to probability, the least landed-on property is Mediterranean Avenue. It has only a 2.1314% chance of getting landed on because of its position on the Monopoly board. But sometimes, you could get really lucky and have opposing players land on this square back to back.
How To Acquire The Best Properties In Monopoly
To acquire the best properties in Monopoly, you have to develop specific skills. Some of them are listed below.
- Negotiation skills
- Estimation skills
- Learn to convince people
- Act like you’re trying to help
- Speak less, observe more
- Projection skills
What Are The Most Expensive Properties in Monopoly
Boardwalk is the most expensive property in Monopoly. To buy Boardwalk, you have to pay $400 to the bank. And for each house, you need to pay $200. Once you upgrade your houses to a hotel, you can charge up to $ 2,000 per landing on your property.
Are The Dark Blue Properties Good In Monopoly?
The Dark Blue properties offer the highest rent on the Monopoly board but are not often as good as the Orange color set. While it’s correct that you can charge high rent on the Dark Blue properties, their position on the Monopoly board makes it impossible for opposing players to land on them as often as you may like.
But it’s a good buy if you don’t mind your property being jumped over most of the time or you simply fancy owning the most expensive property on the board.
Conclusion
With the help of our calculations, we’ve established that the Orange color set are the best properties to buy on the Monopoly board. But this doesn’t mean you must go for these properties at all costs. You can aim to get them, but if you don’t, the next smart thing to do would be to seek to acquire the next best color set.
Also, owning this color set does not guarantee winning at every Monopoly game. You just have a slightly better chance. If you make wise trades and have good negotiating skills, you can win the game with any color set you get. Most importantly, hope that the dice are on your side because bad rolls can really mess up your gameplay.
