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Bronx County, NY

Rent vs Own in Bronx County, New York

In Bronx County the ownership stack ($3,286/mo) sits only modestly above HUD's $2,910/mo 2-bedroom rent, a thin premium, not a blowout. Small assumption changes in the calculator can flip the verdict. Owner-occupied homes: 107,175.

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Renting is cheaper in Bronx County

HUD's 2-bedroom rent is $2,910/mo - only a thin step below the $3,286/mo ownership stack. That is a $376/mo difference.

Based on 20% down, 6.5% rate, 30-year mortgage. Adjust below.

What This Data Tells Us About Renting vs Owning in Bronx County

Primary driver

Home prices are extreme relative to local incomes

Median household income is $48,676, so the 10.9x home-price-to-income ratio is extreme even among expensive U.S. counties; property tax alone claims 11.2% of that income. Cash buyers, multi-income households, or a move well outside the median price band are the realistic paths, not a slightly larger down payment.

Decision signal 2

HUD moved the rent benchmark up

HUD raised its 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent for Bronx County from $2,780/mo in FY2025 to $2,910/mo in FY2026: it increased by $130/mo (+4.7%). A rising rent benchmark widens the gap in favour of owning over time, because the mortgage share of the ownership cost below is fixed at origination while the rent it is compared against reprices every year.

Decision signal 3

Renting wins, but only by a thin premium

At $529,500 for the median home and $5,447/yr in tax (1.03%), Bronx County's ownership stack (~$3,286/mo) only narrowly exceeds the $2,910/mo HUD 2-bedroom rent - a $376/mo premium. That is the band where a rate drop or a larger down payment most often flips the cash-flow verdict.

Decision signal 4

The county sits near the state middle

Using the assumptions above, Bronx County ranks 38 of 62 New York counties for buy-vs-rent value (rank 1 = the best relative deal for buying). It sits ahead of 24 other New York counties on this measure.

Methodology & disclaimer

This calculator is for informational purposes only and is not tax, legal, or financial advice. Property tax figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates and rent figures come from HUD Fair Market Rents; both describe area medians, not individual transactions. Insurance is estimated at 0.35% of home value annually and closing costs, maintenance, HOA, and PMI are not included. Consult a licensed mortgage, tax, or real-estate professional before making a buy-or-rent decision based on these numbers.

Monthly Cost Breakdown

Estimated Monthly Ownership
$3,286
Mortgage (P&I) $2,677
Property Tax $454
Insurance (est.) $154
Monthly Rent (2-BR FMR)
$2,910
Studio$2,529
1-Bedroom$2,655
2-Bedroom$2,910
3-Bedroom$3,644
4-Bedroom$3,959

Adjust Your Scenario

Affordability Context

Median Household Income
$48,676
$4,056/mo
Home Price / Income
10.9x
Expensive (>5x)
Tax-to-Income Ratio
11.2%
National benchmark: 2-4%

Who actually pays it here

Even with the loan gone, the largest group of Bronx County owners still owes $3,000 or more every year - a recurring holding cost of a few hundred dollars a month, which is why "paid off" understates the real cost of keeping property here.

Bronx County matches the national pattern: six-figure earners between $100,000 and $200,000 account for more of these write-offs than any other local group.

Layered on a thin rent-vs-own premium, that annual bill is often the swing factor: a paid-off owner still faces a real yearly charge even when the mortgage payment itself would have looked competitive.

Bill bands are Census ACS counts of owner-occupied homes without a mortgage. Income brackets are IRS Statistics of Income county data for tax year 2022, counted over FILERS reporting real-estate taxes on Schedule A, which is a smaller group than homeowners: most filers take the standard deduction.

Nearby Counties

Suffolk County
Home: $578,400 Tax: $10,001/yr
Queens County
Home: $723,800 Tax: $6,297/yr
Nassau County
Home: $684,700 Tax: $10,001/yr
Kings County
Home: $905,000 Tax: $6,382/yr
Erie County
Home: $233,800 Tax: $4,622/yr
Westchester County
Home: $663,200 Tax: $10,001/yr

Frequently Asked Questions

How much house can you afford in Bronx County? ▼
On the common 3x-income guideline, a $48,676 household here can afford up to $146,028 -- about $383,472 short of this county's $529,500 median home. That gap is typically closed with a larger down payment, dual incomes, or a longer search outside the median price band.
What is the median home price in Bronx County? ▼
$529,500, per the Census Bureau's ACS 5-Year Estimates. The property tax on that value works out to roughly 1.03% a year, in line with typical rates for the area.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Bronx County, New York? ▼
HUD's 2-bedroom rent is only a thin step cheaper than owning in Bronx County (about $376/mo) on the standard 20%-down / 6.5% assumptions. A larger down payment or a rate drop often closes it; equity is still the ownership-only bonus.
What is the average rent in Bronx County? ▼
HUD prices a 2-bedroom unit at $2,910/mo here. Sizing up matters: going from a studio to a 4-bedroom adds about $1,430/mo, so the per-bedroom jump is worth checking against your actual space needs before assuming the 2-BR figure applies to your situation.
Is rent going up or down in Bronx County? ▼
HUD's 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent figure has risen 4.7% between the FY2025 and FY2026 publications, the two most recent years tracked here.
How does Bronx County compare to other New York counties for renting vs buying? ▼
Out of 62 New York counties ranked here on buy-vs-rent value, Bronx County lands at spot 38, roughly in the middle of the pack statewide. The <a href="/states/new-york">New York state page</a> lists every peer county's tax bill beside this one.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey). See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainPropertyTax

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Government Finances State and local property tax revenue by jurisdiction · 2025

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