Cities Where Renting Is Actually the Smartest Financial Move

Zillow’s analysis finds that renting is not universally financially worse than buying, with the national breakeven point at roughly six years for owning versus renting under a 30-year fixed mortgage at about 6.2%. Using April 2026 data for a typical single-family home valued at $368,720 and monthly rent around $1,951, the study estimates how long buyers must hold to recoup costs. Among the 50 largest markets, Columbus, Ohio offers the fastest payoff at about 4.1 years, while several metro areas show breakeven extending beyond five years. Down payments and other costs complicate the math, and some markets show no breakeven within 30 years.