Best Monopoly Properties (to Acquire in US Version)

Updated On:

by Basana Saha

As an Amazon Affiliate KidsCareIdeas earn from every qualifying purchases linked to Amazon.com and its affiliates.

In the Monopoly US versions, there are several properties that you can acquire throughout the game.

But, to increase your winning chances there is a need to buy them strategically.

In this post, I will discuss the best Monopoly Properties you can buy in the US version with a complete analysis.

Best Monopoly Properties

Let’s get started!

Factors that determine Best Monopoly Properties to Buy

Many Monopoly platters are in an eternal dilemma, not being able to decide which Monopoly property will fetch them more money and benefit in the game.

The choice of property that you buy makes a significant difference in determining how quickly you can win the game of monopoly and whether the win will be worth it or not. Winning any Monopoly game becomes much easier when you know the right tactics to apply.

All the properties may seem equal, but in reality, some monopoly properties will always be more beneficial than others. 

Here are some of the properties in Monopoly, acquiring which will make the game easier: Orange properties, including New York Avenue, St. James Place, and Tennessee. Orange properties have the highest landing probability. 

Here are the factors that determine which property in Monopoly is the best to buy and how you can determine which one will fetch more for you:

Landing Probability On Different Monopoly Spaces

The Monopoly properties with the highest landing probability are the best properties to buy and acquire. Every monopoly board has an uneven layout that gives some properties a greater landing probability than others.

So, if you can identify the places where players mostly land while playing the game, acquiring those properties will be highly beneficial. You can collect more money as rent from these places as more people are likely to visit the place.

When mathematics is applied, and computer software is used for calculating the probability of landing, Illinois Avenue, which is a red property, stands out as the space where maximum players land.

This space has the highest landing probability, almost 3.19 %, whereas the landing probability for other spaces on the board is close to 2.86%. 

Here is a ranking list of the properties reflecting which spaces have the maximum landing probability:

SquareProbability % (Jail Short)RankProbability % (Jail Long)Rank
Go3.096132.91433
Mediterranean Avenue2.1314362.007336
Community Chest1.8849371.775037
Baltic Avenue2.1624352.036935
Income Tax2.3285282.193427
Reading Railroad2.963162.80108
Oriental Avenue2.2621322.131732
Chance0.8650400.815240
Vermont Avenue2.3210292.187428
Connecticut Avenue2.3003302.168030
Visiting Jail2.2695312.139231
St. Charles Place2.7017152.556015
Electric Company2.6040202.614013
States Avenue2.3721262.174129
Virginia Avenue2.4649242.425522
Pennsylvania Railroad2.920082.635411
St. James Place2.7924122.68029
Community Chest2.5945212.295724
Tennessee Avenue2.935672.82106
New York Avenue3.085242.81187
Free Parking2.883692.82535
Kentucky Avenue2.8358102.614312
Chance1.0480381.044838
Indiana Avenue2.7357132.567114
Illinois Avenue3.185822.99292
B & O Railroad3.065952.89304
Atlantic Avenue2.7072142.537016
Ventnor Avenue2.6789162.519118
Water Works2.8074112.650710
Marvin Gardens2.5861222.438121
Go To Jail0.0000410.000041
Pacific Avenue2.6774172.523617
North Carolina Avenue2.6252192.472120
Community Chest2.3661272.227626
Pennsylvania Avenue2.5006232.353123
Short Line2.4326252.290625
Chance0.8669390.815839
Park Place2.1864332.059533
Luxury Tax2.1799342.052134
Boardwalk2.6260182.483219
In Jail3.949919.45691
Source:http://www.tkcs-collins.com/truman/monopoly/monopoly.shtml

Choose Monopoly Properties that can be Accessed in Full-Colour Sets

You cannot acquire property on the Monopoly board unless you have access to the full set. That directly implies the properties which are easier to acquire in full-color sets have an advantage over the others.

Through this strategy, the Dark Blue Set and the Brown sets are easier to get in the full set. Only these two color sets have two components, while all the other color sets have three components. Grabbing two components is easier than grabbing three components, so these color sets become easy to acquire. 

Some Colour Sets are Simply Easier to Grab than Others

The game of Monopoly is not as straight or fair as it may seem. There are several layers to it. Some color sets are easier to grab than others. Here is a list of the color sets which can be more easily accessed than the others. 

Property ColourProperty NameLanding Probability %
Orange PropertiesSt. James Place, 
Tennessee Avenue, 
New York Avenue
8.8132
Red PropertiesKentucky Avenue, 
Indiana Avenue, 
Kentucky Avenue
8.7573
Yellow PropertiesAtlantic Avenue, 
Ventnor Avenue, 
Marvin Gardens
7.9722
Green PropertiesPacific Avenue, 
North Carolina Avenue, 
Pennsylvania Avenue
7.8032
Pink PropertiesSt. Charles Place, 
States Avenue, and 
Virginia Avenue
7.5387
Light Blue PropertiesOriental Avenue, 
Vermont Avenue, and 
Connecticut Avenue
6.8834
Dark Blue PropertiesPark Place
Boardwalk
4.8124
Brown PropertiesMediterranean Avenue and 
Baltic Avenue
4.2938

Return on Investment

ROI is perhaps one of the primary governing factors for deciding which properties will be the best choices for purchase. ROI means the return on investment. In simple words, a property on the Monopoly board will be worth buying only when there are good returns from the investment.

The spaces which are most visited are such properties. When you buy a property in the place with the highest landing probability, that means more people will land on your place, and you will earn a huge amount by collecting rent from them. Also, acquiring hotels in these places is highly conducive.

Since Illinois Avenue (Red property) or the properties in the orange zone are mostly landed on, these spaces have a very high ROI. You get back much more than what you invest.

Learn more about Monopoly Strategies in detail in this post written by me.

Best Monopoly Properties to Buy

Now, let’s look into each of the color groups and know about their details to learn which is the best.

Yellow Set

Properties Included

The yellow set has three properties, namely Marvin Gardens, Atlantic Avenue, and Ventnor Avenue. 

Probability of Landing

The probability of landing on the Yellowproperty set is 2.7 % for Atlantic Avenue, 2.7 % for Ventnor Avenue, and 2.6 5 for Marvin Garden.

ROI for this

When we talk about ROI, the yellow set may not be the best option. The reason is the low landing probability. Even if a player invests a lot on the yellow set for building hotels and other properties, they may not collect as much rent as would make their ROI high. 

Strategy for this Color Set

If a player wins over the yellow set, the best strategy would be to combine it with the acquisition of the green set. The green set has a jail corner. This one still has a higher probability of ranking and is quite strategic for the game. The green set can fetch the players a high return.

So, the players who were upset with the low ROI on the yellow set can rest peacefully.

Overall, the yellow set is good to go and is a safe and secure zone. The best strategy for a high ROI for ambitious players would be coupling the yellow and green set. 

Why is this a good choice?

This one is one of the most decent color choices when buying property on a Monopoly board. The location of the yellow set beside the red zone makes it even better as you know that the red set has the highest landing probability on the Monopoly board.

A place beside that means the player can get better chances to land on the red set. So, the yellow set is a great choice. 

Electric Company

Properties Included

It is a property in itself, and no sub-components are included. It is one of the most undervalued properties on the Monopoly board.

Probability of Landing

The probability of landing on an Electric Company in the Monopoly Board is 2.6%

ROI for this

The return on investment for Electric works is not as high as the other properties. That is the same reason people don’t much appreciate owning this property.

But if you plan on paving ways for steady ways of cash accumulation throughout the game, this one is a good property to start. It is meager in profits but steady. 

Strategy for Electric Company

This is not a very difficult property piece to acquire, especially because most of the time, people aren’t even competing for it. This seems dull and often not as profitable as the railroads.

But they help in building the cash reserve slowly and steadily. So, go for it whenever you get a scope to acquire electric works. It could be a savior at the beginning and later stages of the game. 

Why is this a good choice?

Acquiring the property of the electric work is not quite profitable in the former stage of the game. At the later stage, it proves to be the game changer.

Many players overlook and underappreciate its worth, not realizing that electric work can fetch you a steady income. It is also one of the easiest and fastest ways to make it up to the $100 cash threshold value and keep collecting cash from the game.

Water Works

Properties Included

This one is almost similar to the electric company. It is a property tile in itself, and no sub-components are included. 

Probability of Landing

The probability of landing on Waterworks is 2.8%

ROI for this

When you consider hardcore big profits on the Monopoly board, utility tiles like the waterwork will not come on the list. But one of the many reasons that wise and experienced players want to own this property is because it will give you a steady gain and not lead to any losses. 

Strategy for Waterworks

Often, players don’t lose the game because they cannot make significant gains but because they cannot avoid losses. If a player owns both the utility cards, that is, Electric company and water works, they can win over their opponents easily. With the cash you earn from these utility areas, it becomes easier to afford places on dark blue and green sets that will lead to higher income and profits. 

Why is this a Good Choice?

This is a good but not a great choice for property acquisition on the Monopoly board. You can own it to collect rent and cash to extend your property in some other zones, which may be even more profitable. Waterworks often act as the game changer towards the game’s end. 

Railroads

Properties Included

This is one of the trickiest property pieces because you cannot benefit much from them until you acquire all of them at once.

Acquiring single pieces will not fetch any money for you unless you buy all the railroad stations.

Some railroads prove to be better than others when it comes to acquisition. For example, if you own the Pennysylvania and the B&O railroads, you can earn rent because these have a high landing probability. When woning all of this, you can also ensure a steady cash income of $200 which is not bad. 

Probability of Landing

The probability of landing on the railroads is 10% on any one of the railroads.

ROI for this

ROI for acquiring railroad stations can be calculated in two ways – first is that the player who owns all four railroad stations can travel across the monopoly board without paying rent to others. This saves considerable money. Second, the other players pay them to rent for traveling. Thus, railroads act as a steady income source. 

Strategy for Railroads

There is only one persistent strategy for buying rail rods, and that is acquiring all of them at once. If you can acquire 4 railroads at once, it gets easier to win money, and other players using them will pay you rent. 

Why is this a good choice?

This is a good choice because almost every player needs to use the railroads for commutation. So they will keep on paying you to rent. Also, acquiring all 4 railroads will give you $200, which can make you rich. 

Dark Blue

Properties Included 

Park Place and Board Walk

Probability of Landing

Board Walk – 2.36%

Park Place – 2.18%

 ROI for this

They promise a very high ROI of almost $600. But the investment of time on these projects is quite high, so many people avoid them. 

Strategy for this Color Set

They are one of the most expensive properties to buy in Monopoly. Most people don’t want to invest in this color set because they are quite slow in yielding profits. 

Why is this a good choice?

This is a good choice because players will pay high rent to the owner. The cons of owning this place are that – they are expensive and may be arduous and long projects to complete.

Brown Set

Properties Included

There are two property pieces included – BalticAvenue and Mediterranean avenue

Probability of Landing

The landing probability of Baltic avenue is 2.16%.

In contrast, the for Mediterranean avenue is 2.13 %, respectively. 

ROI for this

Moderate ROI. one of the core reasons why players want this color set is because they are cheaper to buy, and the development of this color set is quite affordable. 

Strategy for this Color Set

Grab them during the early game stages when they remain affordable.

You can use the community chest cards for property renovation in these tiles. Spend the least and develop the best properties to earn high rent at the brown tile spaces on the Monopoly board. 

Why is this a good choice?

This property color set will help you to build assets rather than liabilities. This is crucial for worth building in the Monopoly game and winning the game as soon as possible. It is a good asset color in the long run. Brown color helps a lot in building full property sets. 

Light Blue Set

Properties Included

Connecticut Avenue, Vermont Avenue, and Oriental Avenue 

Probability of Landing

Connecticut Avenue has a probability of landing at almost 2.3%, Vermont Avenue has a landing probability of 2.3%, and Oriental Avenue has a landing probability of 2.3%, respectively. 

ROI for this

Moderate ROI. The most attractive part is that you must invest a very meager amount in acquiring these properties. 

Strategy for this Color Set

If the owner can make proper use of the place, they can build houses of as many as 4 each, which will fetch $200 to the owner, which is a lump. The rent is somewhere between $550 to $600, which is a steady cash flow for the owner.

Why is this a good choice?

This is a great choice because low investment is involved, and you can expect high returns for a long time. If one can build hotels on it, the bonuses and rents will soar substantially, adding to the cash reserves. 

Red Set

Properties Included

The three property pieces included in this set are Kentucky Avenue, Indiana Avenue, and Illinois Avenue.

Probability of Landing

The probability of landing on the property pieces of the red zone are as follows: Illinois Avenue – 3.18%, Kentucky Avenue – 2.84 %, and Indiana Avenue – 2.74 %, respectively. 

ROI for this

Red set in Monopoly features very high returns on investment. They are one of the most landed-on property pieces on Monopoly. Also, these properties are quite affordable to buy. So, the owners can collect very high rent, which will act as a steady income source. 

Strategy for this Color Set

Try to acquire them in the beginning because other players will not lose one chance to get them. In the beginning, players have lesser money. During this time, buying affordable properties like a red set is the best option. Also, the longer you can keep it on hold, the higher the rent you can collect

Why is this a good choice?

Yes. It is a great choice because it offers an incredibly high ROI and is one of the most affordable properties. 

Orange Set

Properties Included

The properties included in the most lucrative color set of the Monopoly board are: St.James Place, New York Avenue, and Tennessee Avenue

Probability of Landing

The property pieces in the orange set have the highest landing probability and the maximum profits. The probability of landing for Tennessee Avenue is 2.94 %, for New York Avenue is 3.08 5 and for St.James Place is 2.8%, respectively.

ROI for this

It has a very high return on investment. You can collect the maximum rent for the orange properties with the minimum investment. Most Monopoly players are after this property because others will inevitably land here and have to pay taxes to the owners. 

Strategy for this Color Set

In the monopoly board, the most landed upon tile is “In Jail”. When a player throws the dice while on this tile, the two most frequent outcomes are either 6 or 8. The orange properties are located at 6 and 8 houses distance from the “In the Jail” tile. That makes it inevitable for players to land here. 

Why is this a good choice?

It is one of the best choices. This is one of the most demanding and appreciated properties on the Monopoly board. It brings security, high returns, and monetary benefits upon acquisition. 

What should be the Best Order to Acquire these Properties? (With Top 4 Choices)

If you truly want to win the Monopoly game and you want property acquisition to be your major strategy, here is the order in which you should proceed: 

  • Orange
  • Red
  • Kight Blue
  • Brown 
  • Dark Blue 

Is orange or green better in Monopoly?

Orange and red properties are the most landed on properties on the Monopoly board. Players should always prioritize buying orange properties whenever given a choice because they help to collect the rent and make winning easier. 

Is orange or yellow better in Monopoly?

Orange is better than yellow in the game of Monopoly. Orange has a higher number of properties with a very high landing probability. So, if you are planning on acquiring property, orange is better than yellow because it will fetch you more money quickly. 

What are some properties to avoid in Monopoly?

Green and Blue properties should always be avoided. These are dead spaces where hardly anyone lands. Neither do you collect much rent by acquiring these, nor are these crucial that you can save on money by buying these, So avoid buying these two colors if other options are available. 

Which properties in Monopoly offer the best ROI?

Orange and Red are the two properties that offer the highest ROI in Monopoly. Yellow and Purple follow these two property types in terms of ROI. These property lead to high profits. 

FAQs on Best Monopoly Properties to Buy

Q. What is the most popular property in Monopoly?

The most popular property in Monopoly is the Orange zone.

Q. What is the cheapest property in Monopoly?

The two cheapest property pieces in Monopoly are: Whitechapel Road and Old Kent Road

Q. Are utilities worth it in Monopoly?

Yes. It is worth buying utilities in Monopoly. This is true because utilities like the electric company fetch steady rent in the game, which has high benefits. 

Q. Should you buy railroads in Monopoly?

Yes. You can try buying them. One thing to be aware of about them is that – Railroads are not of any help until you can acquire all of them. So, try buying all of them. 

Q. Are boardwalk and park places the best properties in monopoly?

No. They are not. They are super expensive and even do not have a high ROI. There are lesser chances of landing on them. So, you should not hype or run behind these properties. 

Q. What should I buy first in Monopoly?

Try to buy the Orange and Red properties first in Monopoly. They have the highest ROI, and if you can target them first, you can expect very high incomes that will help you win the game. 

Was this Post helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!
basana-saha-kidscareideas-editor

Analyzed By Basana Saha

Basana Saha has expertise working for more than 25 years as a beautician. She has expertise in choosing the right accessories and gears for your baby. Being a mom she knows the problems new moms face. She would like to help with Parenting to new moms with her expertise in raising a child. Learn More About Basana Saha.