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Coconino County, AZ

Rent vs Own in Coconino County, Arizona

HUD prices a 2-bedroom in Coconino County at $1,921/mo while the ownership stack lands near $2,567/mo. That mid-sized gap is large enough that rate or down-payment tweaks usually cannot close it alone. Owner-occupied homes: 32,909.

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Renting is cheaper in Coconino County

A 2-bedroom rental here runs $1,921/mo, meaningfully below the $2,567/mo ownership stack on the default assumptions. That is a $646/mo difference.

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

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

Primary driver

The purchase price is the larger hurdle

Median household income is $72,966, so the 6.1x home-price-to-income ratio is the binding constraint here, even before the 2.8% of income that goes to property tax. Buyers in this band usually need a larger down payment or a longer commute to a cheaper ZIP before the monthly ownership math clears.

Decision signal 2

Renting compares well inside the state

Using the assumptions above, Coconino County ranks 12 of 15 Arizona counties for buy-vs-rent value (rank 1 = the best relative deal for buying). It sits ahead of 3 other Arizona counties on this measure.

Decision signal 3

Renting wins by a mid-sized monthly gap

Coconino County lists a $448,000 median home with $2,051/yr property tax (0.46%). HUD's $1,921/mo 2-bedroom rent undercuts the ~$2,567/mo ownership stack by a mid-range margin of about $646/mo. Closing that gap usually takes more than a cosmetic rate tweak, price, tax load, or both.

Decision signal 4

HUD moved the rent benchmark down

HUD cut its 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent for Coconino County from $1,942/mo in FY2025 to $1,921/mo in FY2026: it decreased by $21/mo (-1.1%). A falling benchmark narrows the case for buying here, and it usually reflects HUD re-estimating the local market rather than existing rents being cut.

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
$2,567
Mortgage (P&I) $2,265
Property Tax $171
Insurance (est.) $131
Monthly Rent (2-BR FMR)
$1,921
Studio$1,597
1-Bedroom$1,727
2-Bedroom$1,921
3-Bedroom$2,343
4-Bedroom$2,568

Adjust Your Scenario

Affordability Context

Median Household Income
$72,966
$6,081/mo
Home Price / Income
6.1x
Expensive (>5x)
Tax-to-Income Ratio
2.8%
National benchmark: 2-4%

Who actually pays it here

A $2,000 to $2,999 yearly bill greets most paid-off owners in Coconino County, above what the majority of American counties charge and heavy enough that a fixed retirement income feels it directly.

Coconino 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.

With ownership already mid-range more expensive than rent month-to-month, that annual bill reinforces why cash-flow renters stay put unless they are deliberately buying for tenure rather than monthly savings.

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

Maricopa County
Home: $452,800 Tax: $1,983/yr
Pima County
Home: $319,700 Tax: $2,272/yr
Pinal County
Home: $349,000 Tax: $1,636/yr
Yavapai County
Home: $425,200 Tax: $1,750/yr
Mohave County
Home: $281,000 Tax: $1,238/yr
Yuma County
Home: $217,800 Tax: $1,333/yr

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Coconino County, Arizona? ▼
Renting the HUD 2-bedroom is the clearer monthly path in Coconino County by roughly $646/mo under default loan assumptions. Closing a gap this size usually needs a meaningfully lower price or rate, not a cosmetic tweak.
How much house can you afford in Coconino County? ▼
On the common 3x-income guideline, a $72,966 household here can afford up to $218,898 -- about $229,102 short of this county's $448,000 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 Coconino County? ▼
$448,000, per the Census Bureau's ACS 5-Year Estimates. The property tax on that value works out to roughly 0.46% a year, in line with typical rates for the area.
What is the average rent in Coconino County? ▼
HUD prices a 2-bedroom unit at $1,921/mo here. Sizing up matters: going from a studio to a 4-bedroom adds about $971/mo, so the per-bedroom jump is worth checking against your actual space needs before assuming the 2-BR figure applies to your situation.
How does Coconino County compare to other Arizona counties for renting vs buying? ▼
Out of 15 Arizona counties ranked here on buy-vs-rent value, Coconino County lands at spot 12, putting it in the more rent-favorable quarter of the state. The <a href="/states/arizona">Arizona state page</a> lists every peer county's tax bill beside this one.
Is rent going up or down in Coconino County? ▼
HUD's 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent figure has fallen 1.1% between the FY2025 and FY2026 publications, the two most recent years tracked here.

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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