Rent vs buy in Baytown, TX
For Baytown, Texas, the typical rent is $1,491 /mo and the typical home price is $243,842.
Over 7 years, the difference is $152, so it's a toss-up.
The figures use rent and home value typical for Baytown's market, plus 20% down and today's mortgage rate. The break-even point falls in year 8.
A clearly labelled opinion, with the math shown. These are estimates, not quotes. Adjust any number and the stamp updates.
- Gap
- $152 after 7 years
- Break-even point
- Year 8 when owning catches up
- What owning really costs
- $2,365 per month year 1, against $1,491 rent
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The stamp takes its figures from Baytown's typical rent and home value. You can flip it with your rent, price and years.
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Is renting or buying cheaper in Baytown?
Over 7 years, renting and buying differ by no more than $152, so small changes determine which costs less. For the first 7 years, renting costs less. By year 8, owning has caught up.
Rent. Buy. Net cost to date, by year.
Baytown: average rent vs mortgage payment
Rent and mortgage payments alone don't tell you everything. Every monthly cost for year 1 appears here, at Baytown's typical price.
| Each month, year 1 | Amount | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Rent | $1,491 | All of it, every month |
| Mortgage payment | $1,329 | $1,172 of it is interest in year 1 |
| Property tax | $327 | 1.61% of the value a year |
| Insurance | $165 | Census median for the city |
| Upkeep | $203 | 1% of the value a year |
| Owning, cash out | $2,025 | $158 of it builds equity |
| Lost return on the down payment | $396 | The yearly return on cash at 8.3% |
| Buying costs, spread out | $102 | 3.5% of the price over 7 years |
| True cost of owning | $2,365 | Cash out minus the equity part, then add the two lines above. |
The Baytown verdict, in numbers
- Typical home valueZillow home values, ZHVI, September 2026
- $243,842
- Typical rentZillow rents, ZORI, September 2026
- $1,491 per month
- Down payment: 20% means private mortgage insurance isn't needed, and the engine doesn't model it.
- 20%
- Price growth: FHFA house price index for Texas, 1995 to 2025
- 4.7% each year
- Rent growthCPI primary residence rent, yearly growth 2006 to 2026
- 3.5% each year
- What savings earn: 60% S&P 500 with dividends plus 40% 10-year Treasuries, rebalanced each year, 1928 to 2025
- 8.3% per year
- Property taxes: Census ACS 2020-2024, Baytown
- 1.61% of the value
- Home insurance cost: Census ACS 2020-2024, Baytown
- $165 each month
- MaintenanceFannie Mae, 1% to 4% at the low end
- Each year, 1% of value applies.
- Buying costsFreddie Mac, 2% to 5% at the midpoint
- The price times 3.5% applies.
- Selling costs: Agent commission and closing costs
- 6% of the price
What would switch the Baytown verdict?
Each line shows where the 7-year Baytown verdict flips. Everything else stays as it is.
Renting comes out ahead when
- Home values increase by less than 4.7% each year (we use 4.7%, drawn from Texas's long-run average).
- The mortgage rate remains above 7.23%.
- A similar home rents for less than $1,490 monthly, while the local typical figure is $1,491.
- Your move happens before year 8.
Owning is the better choice when
- Home prices rise by more than 4.7% a year.
- You lock in a mortgage rate under 7.23% (today's rate is 7.24%).
- You'd pay over $1,490 a month to rent the same home.
- You stay for 8 years or more.
Baytown compared with the other 812 cities
| Measure | Baytown | Median city |
|---|---|---|
| Typical home value | $243,842 | $422,451 |
| Typical rent | $1,491 /mo | $1,837 /mo |
| Price-to-rent ratio | 13.6 (#695 of 813) | 18.5 |
| Home prices, last 10 years | 5.4% a year | 6.2% a year |
| Rents, last 5 years | 3.3% a year | 4% a year |
| Property tax | 1.61% | 0.87% |
| Households that rent | 48% | 42% |
Sources: Zillow ZHVI, plus ZORI, Census ACS 2020-2024.
More cities in Texas
- Toss-up. Houston, TX. It's close, and renting leads by $2k.
- Rent. San Antonio, TX. Renting comes out ahead by $10k.
- Rent. Dallas, TX. Renting comes out ahead by $20k.
- Rent. Fort Worth, TX. Renting comes out ahead by $17k.
- Rent. Austin, TX. Renting comes out ahead by $111k.
- Toss-up. El Paso, TX. Buying comes out ahead by $2k.
- Rent. Arlington, TX. Renting comes out ahead by $34k.
- Buy. Corpus Christi, TX. Buying comes out ahead by $4k.
- Rent. Plano, TX. Renting comes out ahead by $105k.
- Toss-up. Lubbock, TX. Buying comes out ahead by $2k.
- Rent. Laredo, TX. Renting comes out ahead by $20k.
- Rent. Irving, TX. Renting comes out ahead by $36k.