The results of the latest
Rent vs. Buy Report from
Trulia show that homeownership remains cheaper than renting, with a traditional 30-year fixed rate mortgage, in 98 of the 100 largest metro areas in the United States.
In the six years that
Trulia has conducted this study, this is the first time that it was cheaper to rent than buy in any of the metropolitan areas.
It’s no surprise, however, that those two metros are San Jose and San Francisco, CA, where median home prices have jumped to over $1 million dollars this year. Home values in San Jose have risen 29% in the last year, while rents have remained relatively unchanged.
For the 98 metros where homeownership wins out, 97 of them show a double-digit advantage when buying. The range is an average of 2.0% less expensive in Honolulu (HI), all the way up to 48.9% in Detroit (MI), and 26.3% nationwide!
Below is a map of the 100 metros that were studied. The darker the blue dot on the metro, the cheaper it is to buy there.
In order to calculate the true cost of renting vs. buying,
Trulia includes all assumed renting costs, including one-time costs (like security deposits), and compares them to the monthly costs of owning a home (insurance, mortgage payments, taxes, and maintenance) including one-time costs (down payments, closing costs, sale proceeds). They also assume that households stay in their home for seven years, put down a 20% down payment, and take out a 30-year fixed rate mortgage. The full methodology is included with the study results
here.
Below is a chart created with the data from the last six years of the study, showing the impact of the median home price, rental price, and 30-year fixed rate interest rate used to calculate the ‘cheaper to buy’ metric.
In 2016, when buying was 41.3% less expensive than renting, the average mortgage rate was the driving force behind the difference. Rates this year are the highest they have been in six years which has narrowed the gap, all while home price appreciation has also been driven up by a lack of homes for sale.
Cheryl Young,
Trulia’s Chief Economist, had this to say,
“One point deserves emphasizing: The ultra-costly San Francisco Bay Area is not a harbinger for the nation as a whole. While renting may outweigh buying in San Jose and San Francisco, it is unlikely that renting will tip the scales nationally anytime soon.”
Bottom Line
Homeownership provides many benefits beyond the financial ones. If you are one of the many renters out there who would like to evaluate your ability to buy this year, let’s get together to find your dream home.
You can start your home search today by clicking on the link below!
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The content relating to real estate for sale on this web site comes in part from the IDX program of the RMLSTM of Portland, Oregon. Real estate listings held by brokerage firms other than BST Realty, LLC are marked with the RMLSTM logo, and detailed information about these properties includes the names of the listing brokers. Listing content is copyright © 2026 RMLSTM, Portland, Oregon.
This content last updated on September 11, 2026 7:36 AM UTC at 4 AM. Some properties which appear for sale on this web site may subsequently have sold or may no longer be available.
Based on information from Willamette Valley Multiple Listing Service, which neither guarantees nor is in any way responsible for its accuracy. All data is provided AS IS and with all faults. Data maintained by Willamette Valley Multiple Listing Service may not reflect all real estate activity in the market. Copyright © 2026 WVMLS. All Rights Reserved. Information last updated on September 11, 2026 3:44 PM UTC
All information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. All properties are subject to prior sale, change or withdrawal. Neither listing broker(s) or information provider(s) shall be responsible for any typographical errors, misinformation, misprints and shall be held totally harmless. Listing(s) information is provided for consumer's personal, non-commercial use and may not be used for any purpose other than to identify prospective properties consumers may be interested in purchasing. The data relating
Based on information from Willamette Valley Multiple Listing Service, which neither guarantees nor is in any way responsible for its accuracy. All data is provided AS IS and with all faults. Data maintained by Willamette Valley Multiple Listing Service may not reflect all real estate activity in the market. Copyright © 2026 WVMLS. All Rights Reserved. Information last updated on September 11, 2026 3:42 PM UTC (Demo Feed)
