Learn
Every metro we cover, side by side: break-even year, price, rent, property tax and insurance in one table — and deep-dives on each of the numbers underneath it. Same voice as the calculator: honest, math-first, no fluff.
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Renting vs buying: the 5 numbers most calculators skip
Most rent-vs-buy calculators tell you what you want to hear. Here are the five inputs that decide the answer, and why leaving one out makes it a lie.
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Closing costs explained: what you pay on day one
You budgeted for the down payment, not the 3% of the price the closing table takes on top. Here is what every fee is, and which ones you can push back on.
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Opportunity cost of a down payment: what you give up
A down payment is not a cost you already paid. It is capital you chose not to invest. Here is how big that choice is, in dollars, over 5 to 30 years.
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Break-even year explained: how long you must stay
The break-even year is how long you must stay before buying beats renting. Here is exactly what it means, in plain English, and what makes it move.
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When is the right time to buy? A framework, not a forecast
Nobody can time the housing market. Here is a five-question framework that gets you to a defensible buy-or-wait answer without forecasting anything.
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PMI explained: what it is, when you pay it, when you don't
Private mortgage insurance protects the lender, not you. Here is what you pay by credit score, when you can shed it, and the lifetime cost at 5% down.
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Property tax, insurance, HOA: your real monthly cost
The monthly payment on your pre-approval leaves out HOA dues, flood cover and year-two escrow drift. Here is the honest full cost of owning, line by line.
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How much house can I actually afford? (Not the 28% rule)
The 28% rule tells you what a lender will approve, not what you can afford. Here is the math that walks from take-home pay to a defensible price ceiling.
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Rent-to-price ratio: what a good number looks like
The rent-to-price ratio is the fastest test of whether a metro is priced for renters or for buyers. Here is the defensible threshold at 3%, 6% and 8%.
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Is it cheaper to rent or buy in 2026? An honest answer
At July 2026 numbers — median US rent, median price, today's mortgage rate — here is the break-even year on the median case, and what moves it.
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Investing your down payment: what return to assume
The return you assume on an invested down payment is the biggest lever in rent vs. buy. Here is the honest historical range for stocks, bonds and T-bills.
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5% down vs 20% down: the math you weren't shown
Put 5% down now, or wait until you have 20% and skip PMI? Here is the honest math at a 4-year and a 15-year stay, with every cost stacked side by side.
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Closing costs by state: a real 2026 range
Closing costs run 1% to 5% of the purchase price depending on your state. Here is the full 50-state and DC table at 2026 numbers, in percent and dollars.
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Should I buy or rent in 2026? A decision framework
You do not need a house-price forecast to answer this. Here is the minimum length of stay that justifies buying, under three 2026 rate-and-price scenarios.
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The maintenance number: is 1% of home value per year real?
The 1% maintenance rule undersells older houses and overshoots new construction. Here is the real decade-by-decade cost curve for three build eras.
By metro
The same model, run against real local prices, rents, property-tax rates and insurance costs. Each page shows its sources and links straight into a pre-filled calculator.
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Austin
Renting wins for 30 years
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Seattle
Renting wins for 30 years
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Houston
Buying breaks even in year 5
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Miami
Renting wins for 30 years
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Denver
Buying breaks even in year 13
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Pittsburgh
Buying breaks even in year 3
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Los Angeles
Renting wins for 30 years
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Chicago
Buying breaks even in year 6
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Phoenix
Buying breaks even in year 9
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Atlanta
Buying breaks even in year 9
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Washington DC
Buying breaks even in year 8
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Philadelphia
Buying breaks even in year 7
Every metro, side by side
The same model against each metro's own price, rent, effective property-tax rate on a buyer's basis, and written insurance premium. Everything else — a 6.5% mortgage, 3.5% appreciation, a 7% return on the renter's invested capital — is the site-wide default, identical on every row. The last column is the same question asked at a more cautious 5% return, which is the assumption that moves these answers most.
| Metro | Typical home | Rent / mo | Price-to-rent | Property tax | Insurance / yr | Break-even | At 5% return |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pittsburgh, PA | $230,203 | $1,707 | 11.2 | 1.03% | $1,530 | Year 3 | Year 3 |
| Houston, TX | $311,367 | $2,251 | 11.5 | 1.33% | $4,136 | Year 5 | Year 4 |
| Chicago, IL | $380,123 | $2,576 | 12.3 | 1.90% | $1,705 | Year 6 | Year 5 |
| Philadelphia, PA | $402,162 | $2,361 | 14.2 | 1.05% | $1,795 | Year 7 | Year 5 |
| Washington DC, DC | $625,503 | $3,358 | 15.5 | 0.73% | $1,545 | Year 8 | Year 5 |
| Atlanta, GA | $388,811 | $2,311 | 14.0 | 1.33% | $1,936 | Year 9 | Year 6 |
| Phoenix, AZ | $456,272 | $2,311 | 16.5 | 0.49% | $1,333 | Year 9 | Year 6 |
| Denver, CO | $592,483 | $2,993 | 16.5 | 0.54% | $3,040 | Year 13 | Year 7 |
| Austin, TX | $431,166 | $2,321 | 15.5 | 1.54% | $3,019 | Never | Year 13 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $1,026,764 | $4,483 | 19.1 | 1.18% | $1,553 | Never | Year 22 |
| Miami, FL | $570,162 | $3,441 | 13.8 | 1.57% | $6,145 | Never | Year 9 |
| Seattle, WA | $774,216 | $3,541 | 18.2 | 0.99% | $1,058 | Never | Year 12 |