Should you buy it or rent it?
BuyVsRental runs the full math on big rent-or-buy decisions — every cost, rising prices, what your money could earn instead, and inflation — so you can see what you'd actually have years from now. We're starting with the biggest one: your home.
United States · Housing
Rent vs buy a home calculator →
Local home values, rents and property taxes for 49,682 counties, cities and ZIP codes. Find your break-even year, your total cost of owning versus renting, and your net worth either way.
- U.S. median home
- $332,700
- Median 3-bed rent
- $1,584
- Price-to-rent
- 17.5
The whole picture, not just the payment
Closing and selling costs, maintenance, insurance, taxes, PMI, rent increases and the return on money you don't tie up — all in one comparison.
Real local data
Median home values, rents by bedroom count and property tax rates from the U.S. Census Bureau, plus the latest weekly mortgage rate.
In today's dollars
A million dollars in 20 years isn't a million today. Every result can be shown adjusted for inflation.
More calculators on the way
Next up: lease vs buy a car, then solar panels: lease vs buy. Each will compare the full cost over time, just like the home calculator.