Rent vs buy in Alpharetta, GA
In Alpharetta, Georgia, the typical rent is $2,083 /mo and the typical home value is $711,257.
Over 7 years, renting comes out ahead by $154k.
These figures use Alpharetta's typical rent and home value, plus 20% down and today's mortgage rate. There is no break-even within 30 years.
This is a clearly labelled opinion with the math shown. These figures are estimates, not quotes. The stamp changes when you change a number.
- Amount renting leads by
- $154k after 7 years
- Break-even point
- 30+ years owning never catches up sooner
- Actual cost of owning
- $6,073 /mo year 1, against $2,083 rent
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The stamp uses the typical rent and home value for Alpharetta's market. The result can flip with your rent, price and years.
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In Alpharetta, is renting or buying cheaper?
Including the money returned when you sell, renting costs $153,837 less over 7 years. In each year shown, renting has a lower net cost than owning. Buying doesn't catch up within 30 years.
Rent. Ownership. Running net cost by year.
Alpharetta: average rent compared with mortgage payment
Rent and the mortgage don't tell the whole story. Here are all the monthly costs in year 1 for Alpharetta's typical price.
| Each month, year 1 | Amount | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Rent | $2,083 | All of it, every month |
| Mortgage payment | $3,878 | $3,418 of it is interest in year 1 |
| Property tax | $468 | 0.79% of the value a year |
| Insurance | $142 | Census median for the city |
| Upkeep | $593 | 1% of the value a year |
| Owning, cash out | $5,081 | $460 of it builds equity |
| Lost return on the down payment | $1,156 | What the cash would earn each year at 8.3% |
| Buying costs, spread out | $296 | 3.5% of the price over 7 years |
| True cost of owning | $6,073 | Cash out minus the equity portion, plus the two items above |
The numbers behind the Alpharetta result
- Typical home value, from Zillow ZHVI, September 2026
- $711,257
- Typical rent, from Zillow ZORI, September 2026
- $2,083 /mo
- A 20% down payment avoids private mortgage insurance. The engine doesn't include this insurance.
- 20%
- Mortgage rate: Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey (FRED MORTGAGE30US)
- 7.24%
- How home prices grewFHFA house price index for Georgia, 1995 through 2025
- 4.4% each year
- Rent growth: CPI rent of primary residence, yearly growth 2006 through 2026
- 3.5% each year
- Savings return: From 1928 to 2025, a yearly rebalanced mix of 40% 10-year Treasuries and 60% S&P 500 with dividends
- 8.3% each year
- Property tax data:Census ACS 2020-2024, Alpharetta
- 0.79% of the value
- Home insurance from Census ACS 2020-2024, Alpharetta
- $142 /mo
- Maintenance: Fannie Mae, at the low end of 1% to 4%
- Each year, 1% of value
- Buying costs from Freddie Mac, middle of 2% to 5%
- 3.5% applies to the price
- Selling costs include Agent commission plus closing costs
- 6% applies to the price
What could reverse the Alpharetta result?
With everything else held as it is, each line marks where Alpharetta's 7-year verdict changes.
Renting costs less when
- Home prices rise at under 6.9% a year; the figure we use is 4.4%, which is Georgia's rate over the long run.
- The mortgage rate remains above 3.34%.
- Rent for a home like this comes in under $3,730 a month, against a typical $2,083 here.
- If you move at any point during the next 30 years, owning still doesn't catch up at these numbers.
Buying comes out ahead when
- Home prices rise by more than 6.9% a year.
- You secure a mortgage rate under 3.34%, compared with today's rate of 7.24%.
- Monthly rent for the same home would exceed $3,730.
How Alpharetta compares with the other 812 cities
| Measure | Alpharetta | Median city |
|---|---|---|
| Typical home value | $711,257 | $422,451 |
| Typical rent | $2,083 /mo | $1,837 /mo |
| Price-to-rent ratio | 28.5 (#86 of 813) | 18.5 |
| Home prices, last 10 years | 6.6% a year | 6.2% a year |
| Rents, last 5 years | 1.4% a year | 4% a year |
| Property tax | 0.79% | 0.87% |
| Households that rent | 35% | 42% |
Data from Zillow ZHVI and ZORI, Census ACS 2020-2024.
A look at other Georgia cities
- Rent. Atlanta, GA. Renting wins by $13k over buying.
- Buy. Columbus, GA. Buying wins by $31k over renting.
- Buy. Augusta, GA. Buying wins by $27k over renting.
- Buy. Macon, GA. Buying wins by $19k over renting.
- Toss-up. In Savannah, GA, renting is ahead by $1k.
- Rent. Athens, GA. Renting comes out $5k ahead.
- Rent. Sandy Springs, GA. Renting comes out $184k ahead.
- Rent. Roswell, GA. Renting comes out $159k ahead.
- Warner Robins, GA: buy. Buying beats renting by $21k.
- Johns Creek, GA: rent. Renting beats buying by $107k.
- In Mableton, GA, buying has a $7k advantage.
- In Albany, GA, buying has a $15k advantage.