Rent vs buy in Avondale, AZ
In Avondale, Arizona, the typical rent is $1,658 /mo and the typical home value is $392,912.
A toss-up: over 7 years, the gap is $1,282
Today's mortgage rate applies, with 20% down, alongside Avondale's typical rent and home value. The break-even point is year 8.
Clearly labelled opinion, with the calculations included. Treat these as estimates rather than quotes. The stamp changes when you change a number.
- Gap
- $1k after 7 years
- When costs match
- Year 8 when owning catches up
- What owning really costs
- $3,251 each month year 1, against $1,658 rent
Change my numbers
Avondale's typical rent and home value drive the stamp. Your rent, price and years can flip the result.
Do your numbers differ from the city's?
Enter your rent, price and down payment. The stamp updates with those figures.
In Avondale, is it cheaper to rent or buy?
Over 7 years, both options land within $1,282 of one another, and small changes decide which one wins. For the first 7 years, renting costs less. In year 8, owning catches up.
Renting option. The owning path. Net cost to date, by year.
Average rent compared with the mortgage payment in Avondale
Rent and the mortgage don't tell the whole story. Here are all the monthly costs in year 1, based on Avondale's typical price.
| Each month, year 1 | Amount | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Rent | $1,658 | All of it, every month |
| Mortgage payment | $2,142 | $1,888 of it is interest in year 1 |
| Property tax | $151 | 0.46% of the value a year |
| Insurance | $82 | Census median for the city |
| Upkeep | $327 | 1% of the value a year |
| Owning, cash out | $2,702 | $254 of it builds equity |
| Lost return on the down payment | $639 | What the cash would earn yearly at 8.3% |
| Buying costs, spread out | $164 | 3.5% of the price over 7 years |
| True cost of owning | $3,251 | Cash out, take out the equity part, and add both lines listed above |
The data behind Avondale's verdict
- Typical home value, Zillow ZHVI, September 2026
- $392,912
- Typical rent, Zillow ZORI, September 2026
- $1,658 each month
- Down payment: 20% avoids private mortgage insurance, which the engine doesn't model
- 20%
- Mortgage rate, Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey (FRED MORTGAGE30US)
- 7.24%
- Growth in home prices: FHFA house price index for Arizona, 1995 through 2025
- 5.2% each year
- Rent growth: CPI for primary residence rent, yearly growth, 2006 to 2026
- 3.5% each year
- Savings return: 40% 10-year Treasuries and 60% S&P 500 with dividends, rebalanced yearly, 1928 to 2025
- 8.3% each year
- Property tax: Census ACS 2020-2024, Avondale
- 0.46% of the value
- Home insurance: Census ACS 2020-2024, Avondale
- $82 per month
- UpkeepFannie Mae, low end, 1% to 4%
- Each year, 1% of the value
- Purchase costs Freddie Mac, midpoint of 2% to 5%
- That's 3.5% of the price
- Costs of sellingAgent commission and closing costs
- 6% of the price
What would flip the Avondale result?
The 7-year verdict in Avondale flips at each of these points, with all other factors held constant.
When renting wins
- Home prices grow at under 5.2% each year (our 5.2% figure is Arizona's long-run rate).
- The rate on a mortgage remains above 7.18%.
- For a home like this, monthly rent is under $1,670; the local typical figure is $1,658.
- Your move happens before year 8.
When buying wins
- Home prices grow by more than 5.2% each year.
- You lock in a mortgage rate under 7.18% (today's mortgage rate is 7.24%).
- For that same home, monthly rent would exceed $1,670.
- You remain 8 years or longer.
Avondale compared with the other 812 cities
| Measure | Avondale | Median city |
|---|---|---|
| Typical home value | $392,912 | $422,451 |
| Typical rent | $1,658 /mo | $1,837 /mo |
| Price-to-rent ratio | 19.7 (#343 of 813) | 18.5 |
| Home prices, last 10 years | 6.8% a year | 6.2% a year |
| Rents, last 5 years | 0.1% a year | 4% a year |
| Property tax | 0.46% | 0.87% |
| Households that rent | 38% | 42% |
Data from Zillow ZHVI and ZORI, Census ACS 2020-2024.
More cities in Arizona
- Rent wins: Phoenix, AZ. Renting leads by $14k.
- Toss-up: Tucson, AZ. Buying leads by $672.
- Rent wins: Mesa, AZ. Renting leads by $24k.
- Rent wins: Gilbert, AZ. Renting leads by $26k.
- Rent wins: Chandler, AZ. Renting leads by $25k.
- Rent wins: Glendale, AZ. Renting leads by $17k.
- Rent wins: Scottsdale, AZ. Renting leads by $129k.
- Rent wins: Peoria, AZ. Renting leads by $17k.
- Rent. Tempe, AZ. Renting is ahead by $31k.
- Buy. Surprise, AZ. Buying is ahead by $18k.
- Rent. Goodyear, AZ. Renting is ahead by $28k.
- Buy. Buckeye, AZ. Buying is ahead by $29k.