Rent vs buy in Abilene, TX
In Abilene, Texas, typical rent is $1,988 /mo and the typical home is $223,853.
Buying comes out ahead by $61k over 7 years
The calculation includes Abilene's typical rent and home value, today's mortgage rate and 20% down. Break-even arrives in year 3.
This is an opinion, clearly labeled, with the calculations shown. The figures are estimates rather than quotes. If you change a number, the stamp changes.
- Owning is ahead by
- $61k after 7 years
- Break-even point
- year 3 when owning catches up
- Full cost of owning
- $2,140 /mo year 1, against $1,988 rent
Change my numbers
The stamp relies on Abilene's typical rent and home value. Using your own rent, price and years can reverse the result.
Do your numbers differ from the city's?
Enter your rent, price and down payment. The stamp updates with your entries.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Abilene?
Over 7 years, buying costs $60,655 less, including the money you get back when you sell. In year 3, owning's net cost falls below renting's and remains lower.
Renting. Owning. Net cost by year so far.
Abilene: average rent vs mortgage payment
Rent and the mortgage don't tell the whole story. Here are all monthly costs for year 1 at Abilene's typical price.
| Each month, year 1 | Amount | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Rent | $1,988 | All of it, every month |
| Mortgage payment | $1,220 | $1,076 of it is interest in year 1 |
| Property tax | $274 | 1.47% of the value a year |
| Insurance | $146 | Census median for the city |
| Upkeep | $187 | 1% of the value a year |
| Owning, cash out | $1,827 | $145 of it builds equity |
| Lost return on the down payment | $364 | Annual earnings on the cash at 8.3% |
| Buying costs, spread out | $93 | 3.5% of the price over 7 years |
| True cost of owning | $2,140 | Cash out, minus the equity portion, plus the two amounts above |
The figures behind Abilene's verdict
- Typical home value: Zillow ZHVI, September 2026
- $223,853
- Typical rent: Zillow ZORI, September 2026
- $1,988 /mo
- With a 20% down payment, you avoid private mortgage insurance, but the engine does not model it.
- 20%
- Mortgage rate source: Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey (FRED MORTGAGE30US)
- 7.24%
- Growth in home pricesFHFA house price index, Texas, 1995 to 2025
- Each year, 4.7%
- Rent growth: CPI yearly growth in rent of primary residence, 2006 to 2026
- Each year, 3.5%
- Savings return: 1928 to 2025, rebalanced yearly: 60% S&P 500 with dividends, 40% 10-year Treasuries
- Each year: 8.3%
- Property tax: Census, ACS 2020-2024, Abilene
- 1.47% of the value
- Home insurance: Census, ACS 2020-2024, Abilene
- Each month: $146
- Maintenance: Fannie Mae, at the low end of 1% to 4%
- Each year: 1% of the value
- Buying costs: Freddie Mac, midpoint from 2% to 5%
- 3.5% applied to the price
- Selling costs: Agent commission plus closing costs
- 6% of the price
What would flip the Abilene result?
The 7-year verdict for Abilene changes at the point shown on each line, and everything else stays as it is.
When renting comes out ahead
- Home prices grow by less than 0.9% a year (our 4.7% figure is Texas's long-term rate).
- The rate for the mortgage stays above 11.99%.
- For a home like this, rent costs less than $1,340 each month (typical here: $1,988).
- Before year 3, you move.
When buying comes out ahead
- Home prices rise by more than 0.9% each year.
- A mortgage rate below 11.99% is what you lock in (today's is 7.24%).
- The same home would cost more than $1,340 monthly to rent.
- You remain for at least 3 years.
Abilene compared with the other 812 cities
| Measure | Abilene | Median city |
|---|---|---|
| Typical home value | $223,853 | $422,451 |
| Typical rent | $1,988 /mo | $1,837 /mo |
| Price-to-rent ratio | 9.4 (#797 of 813) | 18.5 |
| Home prices, last 10 years | 5.6% a year | 6.2% a year |
| Rents, last 5 years | 12% a year | 4% a year |
| Property tax | 1.47% | 0.87% |
| Households that rent | 44% | 42% |
Sources: Zillow data for ZHVI and ZORI, Census ACS 2020-2024.
Other Texas cities
- Too close to call. Houston, TX. Renters are ahead by $2k.
- Rent. San Antonio, TX. Renters save $10k.
- Rent. Dallas, TX. Renters save $20k.
- Rent. Fort Worth, TX. Renters save $17k.
- Rent. Austin, TX. Renters save $111k.
- Too close to call. El Paso, TX. Buyers are ahead by $2k.
- Rent. Arlington, TX. Renters save $34k.
- Buy. Corpus Christi, TX. Buyers save $4k.
- Rent. Plano, TX. Renters save $105k.
- Toss-up. Lubbock, TX. Buying leads by $2k.
- Rent. Laredo, TX. Renting is ahead by $20k.
- Rent. Irving, TX. Renting is ahead by $36k.