Rent vs buy in Apple Valley, CA
Apple Valley, California shows a typical home at $431,962 and typical rent of $1,899 /mo.
It's a toss-up: the two options are $440 apart over 7 years
Using today's mortgage rate and a 20% down payment, at Apple Valley's typical home value and rent. The break-even point arrives in year 7.
An opinion, clearly labelled. The math is shown. These figures are estimates, not quotes. Adjust any number and the stamp updates.
- Gap
- $440 after 7 years
- Break-even point
- Year 7 when owning catches up
- Actual cost of owning
- $3,667 per month year 1, against $1,899 rent
Change my numbers
The stamp draws on typical rent and home value in Apple Valley's market. Your rent, price and years can reverse the outcome.
Do your numbers differ from the city's?
Enter the rent, price and down payment you want. It updates along with those figures.
In Apple Valley, is renting or buying cheaper?
Small changes decide the outcome because over 7 years the two options come within $440. In year 7, owning's net cost falls below renting's and stays lower.
Rent. Homeownership. Net cost so far, year by year.
Average rent compared with mortgage payment in Apple Valley
Rent and mortgage payments don't tell you everything. Here are all monthly costs for year 1, based on Apple Valley's typical price.
| Each month, year 1 | Amount | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Rent | $1,899 | All of it, every month |
| Mortgage payment | $2,355 | $2,076 of it is interest in year 1 |
| Property tax | $245 | 0.68% of the value a year |
| Insurance | $104 | Census median for the city |
| Upkeep | $360 | 1% of the value a year |
| Owning, cash out | $3,064 | $279 of it builds equity |
| Lost return on the down payment | $702 | What the cash would earn each year at 8.3% |
| Buying costs, spread out | $180 | 3.5% of the price over 7 years |
| True cost of owning | $3,667 | Cash out minus the equity portion, then add the two lines above |
Apple Valley verdict: the numbers behind it
- Typical home value Zillow ZHVI, September 2026
- $431,962
- Typical rent Zillow ZORI, September 2026
- $1,899 per month
- With a 20% down payment, you avoid private mortgage insurance. The engine does not model that insurance.
- 20%
- Mortgage rate Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey (FRED MORTGAGE30US)
- 7.24%
- Growth in home pricesFHFA house price index for California, 1995 to 2025
- 5.3% each year
- Rent growthCPI rent of primary residence, 2006 to 2026 yearly growth
- 3.5% yearly
- Return on savingsFrom 1928 to 2025, this mix is rebalanced yearly: 60% S&P 500 with dividends plus 40% 10-year Treasuries
- Each year: 8.3%
- The property tax comes from Census ACS 2020-2024, Apple Valley
- 0.68% of the value
- Home insurance comes from Census ACS 2020-2024, Apple Valley
- Monthly cost: $104
- Maintenance Fannie Mae, low end of 1% to 4%
- Each year, 1% of value
- Buying costs Freddie Mac, 2% to 5% midpoint
- Of the price, 3.5%
- Selling costs Agent commission and closing costs
- Of the price, 6%
What would reverse the result in Apple Valley?
Each line marks a point where the 7-year verdict for Apple Valley changes. Everything else stays as it is.
Renting comes out ahead when
- Home prices grow at less than 5.3% a year, and 5.3% is California's long-run rate used here.
- For mortgages, the rate stays above 7.26%.
- Monthly rent for a home like this falls under $1,890 (typical here: $1,899).
- Moving before year 7.
Buying comes out ahead when
- Home prices grow at more than 5.3% a year.
- You lock in a rate under 7.26% for your mortgage (today's is 7.24%).
- The same home would cost more than $1,890 a month to rent.
- You remain for 7 years or longer.
Apple Valley compared with the other 812 cities
| Measure | Apple Valley | Median city |
|---|---|---|
| Typical home value | $431,962 | $422,451 |
| Typical rent | $1,899 /mo | $1,837 /mo |
| Price-to-rent ratio | 19.0 (#390 of 813) | 18.5 |
| Home prices, last 10 years | 6.9% a year | 6.2% a year |
| Rents, last 5 years | 4.9% a year | 4% a year |
| Property tax | 0.68% | 0.87% |
| Households that rent | 30% | 42% |
Sources: Zillow ZHVI plus ZORI, Census ACS 2020-2024.
Other California cities
- Los Angeles, CA. Rent. Renting is ahead by $111k.
- San Diego, CA. Rent. Renting is ahead by $108k.
- San Jose, CA. Rent. Renting is ahead by $210k.
- San Francisco, CA. Rent. Renting is ahead by $128k.
- Fresno, CA. Buy. Buying is ahead by $22k.
- Sacramento, CA. Toss-up. Renting is ahead by $3k.
- Long Beach, CA. Rent. Renting is ahead by $111k.
- Oakland, CA. Rent. Renting is ahead by $44k.
- Bakersfield, CA. Buy. Buying is ahead by $11k.
- Rent. Anaheim, CA. Renting is ahead by $115k.
- Buy. Stockton, CA. The result: buying wins by $16k.
- Renting wins in Riverside, CA by $27k.