RentOrOwn — Rent vs Buy Calculator
Your Personalized Rent vs Buy Analysis
Here are your complete results based on the inputs you provided. The analysis below compares your total net worth over time — including home equity, investment growth, tax savings, and all sunk costs — for both the buying and renting paths. Adjust any input on the left to instantly see how it affects your outcome.
HOA covers exterior/shared areas · Lower maintenance · Slower appreciation on average
$90,000 (20.0%)
National Average: 3.9%/yr (FHFA HPI ~10-20 yr avg)· -0.5% condo / co-op adj.
How it works: Homeowners can deduct mortgage interest on loans up to $750K ($375K if married filing separately) and up to $10K in state/local taxes (SALT cap). You only benefit if your total itemized deductions exceed the standard deduction ($$14,600 single).
Capital gains exemption: When selling your primary residence (lived in 2 of last 5 years), you can exclude up to $250K in profit ($500K married) from capital gains tax.
Why refinance? Mortgage rates fluctuate over time. If rates drop below your current rate, refinancing replaces your loan with a new one at a lower rate — reducing your monthly payment and total interest paid. Most homeowners refinance at least once during their mortgage.
Tip: Add a refinance event below to model how a future rate drop would affect your buying scenario. For example, if you lock in at 6.5% today but expect rates to fall to 5.5% in a few years, add a refinance in year 3–5 to see the impact.
🏢 Renting wins by $8,118
Buying never breaks even · 10yr horizon
$386,064
$394,181
You'd be $8,118 wealthier renting and investing over 10 years. Buying never breaks even in this period.
Buying: $386,064 (sale proceeds + tax savings) vs Renting: $394,181 (investment portfolio)
The renter invests the down payment and closing costs in the market, plus saves the monthly cost difference — this compounds over 10 years.
$386,064
$394,181
Down payment + closing costs invested in the market and compounded over 10 years
-$8,118
Renting wins by $8,118
$329,374
Money spent that doesn't build equity — interest, taxes, insurance, maintenance, and fees
$312,709
Net Worth Over Time
Total wealth if you buy vs rent — where the lines cross is when buying starts to win
Detailed Charts
Cost Breakdown
Monthly Cost: Buying vs Renting
What you pay each month as a buyer vs a renter — includes all housing costs
Monthly Payment Breakdown
See exactly how each dollar of your monthly housing payment is spent
Sunk Cost Comparison
Cumulative money lost to costs that don't build equity or grow investments
Ownership Sunk Cost Breakdown
Interest, taxes, insurance, maintenance, and other costs that don't grow your wealth
Wealth Building
Tax Savings & Future Projections
Tax Deduction Savings
Tax deduction savings reinvested in an index fund and compounding over time
Key Takeaways
Key Takeaways
Personalized insights based on your rent vs buy inputs
Renting remains better than buying for the entire 10-year period.
Renting and investing builds $8,118 more wealth over 10 years. The renter invests the down payment ($90,000) and closing costs ($13,500) in the market, plus the monthly savings when ownership costs exceed rent — all compounding over time.
Buying generates $327,394 equity, with $217,674 from appreciation.
Market investments grow by $275,875 in the renting scenario.
Home equity after 10 years: $327,394. This is the current home value minus remaining mortgage — no selling costs deducted since no exit plan is selected.
Tax deductions save $35,563 over 10 years by itemizing mortgage interest and property taxes (24% marginal rate, single).
Owning costs $16,665 more in sunk costs than renting.
Regional Comparison
Regional Comparison
Top metros where buying or renting wins — using your inputs with local appreciation, property tax & rent growth rates
Compared across 39 metros · Your inputs stay fixed · Only local rates change
Detailed Data
Year-by-Year Projections
Home value, equity, mortgage balance, and net worth for each year
Swipe to see all columns
| Year | Home Value | Mortgage Bal. | Equity | Ownership Cost | Tax Savings | Net Worth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $465,300 | $355,579 | $109,721 | $35,461 | $4,039 | $78,862 |
| 2 | $481,120 | $350,886 | $130,235 | $35,870 | $3,946 | $102,547 |
| 3 | $497,478 | $345,903 | $151,576 | $36,291 | $3,848 | $127,366 |
| 4 | $514,393 | $340,612 | $173,780 | $36,725 | $3,745 | $153,383 |
| 5 | $531,882 | $334,996 | $196,886 | $37,172 | $3,636 | $180,668 |
| 6 | $549,966 | $329,033 | $220,933 | $37,634 | $3,522 | $209,296 |
| 7 | $568,665 | $322,702 | $245,963 | $38,110 | $3,403 | $239,346 |
| 8 | $587,999 | $315,980 | $272,019 | $38,602 | $3,276 | $270,903 |
| 9 | $607,991 | $308,845 | $299,147 | $39,109 | $3,144 | $304,060 |
| 10 | $628,663 | $301,269 | $327,394 | $39,632 | $3,004 | $338,914 |