Rent vs Own Calculator
County-level rent vs buy analysis using actual property tax rates (Census ACS 2024) and HUD Fair Market Rents (2026). Covering 3,135 counties.
Assumptions: 20% down payment, 6.5% mortgage rate, 30-year term, 0.35% homeowner's insurance.
Best Counties to Buy
Where owning is cheapest relative to renting
| # | County | Own/mo | Rent/mo | Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | King County 48 | $326 | $1,015 | 0.32x |
| 2 | Oglala Lakota County 46 | $300 | $929 | 0.32x |
| 3 | Stonewall County 48 | $333 | $1,015 | 0.33x |
| 4 | Apache County 04 | $388 | $1,175 | 0.33x |
| 5 | McDowell County 54 | $295 | $869 | 0.34x |
| 6 | Cochran County 48 | $333 | $973 | 0.34x |
| 7 | Eureka County 32 | $484 | $1,393 | 0.35x |
| 8 | Cottle County 48 | $374 | $1,015 | 0.37x |
| 9 | Wibaux County 30 | $577 | $1,548 | 0.37x |
| 10 | St. Helena Parish 22 | $453 | $1,204 | 0.38x |
Best Counties to Rent
Where renting is cheapest relative to owning
| # | County | Own/mo | Rent/mo | Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Teton County 56 | $9,344 | $1,653 | 5.65x |
| 2 | Dukes County 25 | $6,721 | $2,143 | 3.14x |
| 3 | Valley County 16 | $3,677 | $1,190 | 3.09x |
| 4 | Teton County 16 | $3,872 | $1,323 | 2.93x |
| 5 | Pitkin County 08 | $6,432 | $2,214 | 2.90x |
| 6 | Falls Church city 51 | $6,479 | $2,246 | 2.88x |
| 7 | Nantucket County 25 | $8,855 | $3,138 | 2.82x |
| 8 | Summit County 49 | $6,019 | $2,185 | 2.75x |
| 9 | Ouray County 08 | $4,127 | $1,526 | 2.70x |
| 10 | San Juan County 53 | $4,629 | $1,762 | 2.63x |
How This Works
We combine two federal data sources to create a county-level rent vs buy comparison:
- Property taxes & home values from the Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS 2024)
- Fair Market Rents from HUD (2026) — the 40th percentile rent for a given area
Monthly ownership cost is estimated as: mortgage (P&I) + property tax + insurance. We use standard assumptions (20% down, 6.5% rate, 30-year term, 0.35% insurance) and each county's actual median home value and property tax rate.
The own-to-rent ratio divides the monthly ownership cost by the 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent. A ratio below 1.0 means owning is cheaper; above 1.0 means renting is cheaper.
Important: This is a simplified comparison. Actual costs vary based on specific home, credit score, down payment, insurance, HOA fees, maintenance, and tax deductions. Rent figures are HUD Fair Market Rents (40th percentile), not market averages. Use the per-county calculator to adjust assumptions for your situation.
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Data sources: U.S. Census Bureau ACS (property taxes, home values) and HUD Fair Market Rents. This tool provides estimates for comparison purposes only and does not constitute financial advice.