Rent vs buy in Bothell, WA
In Bothell, Washington, the typical rent is $2,523 /mo and the typical home is $979,439.
Renting comes out ahead by $163k over 7 years
Today's mortgage rate and a 20% down payment apply, along with Bothell's usual rent and home value. Year 23 is the break-even point.
A clearly labeled opinion, with the math shown. These are estimates, not quotes. Adjust any figure and the stamp will shift.
- Renting has the lead
- $163k after 7 years
- Break-even point
- Year 23 when owning catches up
- Real cost of owning
- Per month: $8,265 year 1, against $2,523 rent
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Bothell's typical rent and home value drive the stamp. Your rent, price and years can flip the result.
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Which costs less in Bothell, renting or buying?
Over 7 years, renting costs $162,627 less once you count the money you get back when you sell. For the first 22 years, renting costs less. In year 23, owning catches up.
Rent. Own. Net cost to date, for each year.
How average rent compares with mortgage payments in Bothell
Rent and the mortgage don't tell the whole story. Here's every monthly cost for year 1 at Bothell's typical price.
| Each month, year 1 | Amount | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Rent | $2,523 | All of it, every month |
| Mortgage payment | $5,340 | $4,707 of it is interest in year 1 |
| Property tax | $645 | 0.79% of the value a year |
| Insurance | $97 | Census median for the city |
| Upkeep | $816 | 1% of the value a year |
| Owning, cash out | $6,898 | $633 of it builds equity |
| Lost return on the down payment | $1,592 | The amount the cash would earn yearly at 8.3% |
| Buying costs, spread out | $408 | 3.5% of the price over 7 years |
| True cost of owning | $8,265 | Cash out, less the equity part, plus both items above. |
How the Bothell verdict adds up
- Typical home valueZillow ZHVI, September 2026
- $979,439
- Typical rentZillow ZORI, September 2026
- $2,523 /mo
- Down payment20% avoids private mortgage insurance, which the engine does not model
- 20%
- Mortgage rateFreddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey (FRED MORTGAGE30US)
- 7.24%
- Home price growthFHFA house price index, Washington, 1995 to 2025
- 5.3% a year
- Rent growthCPI rent of primary residence, yearly growth 2006 to 2026
- 3.5% a year
- Return on savings60% S&P 500 with dividends and 40% 10-year Treasuries, rebalanced yearly, 1928 to 2025
- 8.3% a year
- Property taxCensus ACS 2020-2024, Bothell
- 0.79% of value
- Home insuranceCensus ACS 2020-2024, Bothell
- $97 /mo
- MaintenanceFannie Mae, low end of 1% to 4%
- 1% of value a year
- Buying costsFreddie Mac, middle of 2% to 5%
- 3.5% of price
- Selling costsAgent commission plus closing costs
- 6% of price
In Bothell, what would make the result flip?
Each line shows the point where the 7-year verdict for Bothell changes. Everything else stays the same.
When renting wins
- Home prices rise by less than 7.1% a year. We apply Washington's long-run rate of 5.3% a year.
- For a mortgage, the rate remains above 4.26%.
- For a home like this, monthly rent is less than $4,270 (typical here: $2,523).
- Your move comes before year 23.
When buying wins
- Home prices rise at more than 7.1% a year.
- Your locked mortgage rate is below 4.26% (today's rate is 7.24%).
- You'd pay more than $4,270 a month to rent the same home.
- You remain there for 23 years or more.
How Bothell compares with the other 812 cities
| Measure | Bothell | Median city |
|---|---|---|
| Typical home value | $979,439 | $422,451 |
| Typical rent | $2,523 /mo | $1,837 /mo |
| Price-to-rent ratio | 32.4 (#47 of 813) | 18.5 |
| Home prices, last 10 years | 7.6% a year | 6.2% a year |
| Rents, last 5 years | 3.2% a year | 4% a year |
| Property tax | 0.79% | 0.87% |
| Households that rent | 35% | 42% |
Sources: Zillow ZHVI and ZORI, Census ACS 2020-2024.
Other cities across Washington
- Rent. Seattle, WA. By $128k, renting comes out ahead.
- Rent. Spokane, WA. Renting wins there by $26k overall.
- Rent. Tacoma, WA. Renting wins there by $41k overall.
- Rent. Vancouver, WA. Renting wins there by $39k overall.
- Rent. Bellevue, WA. Renting wins there by $294k overall.
- Rent. Kent, WA. Renting wins there by $83k overall.
- Rent. Everett, WA. Renting wins there by $77k overall.
- Rent. Spokane Valley, WA. Renting wins there by $30k overall.
- Rent. Renton, WA. Renting wins there by $92k overall.
- Rent. Federal Way, WA. Renting wins there by $61k overall.
- Rent. Yakima, WA. Renting wins there by $27k overall.
- Rent. Bellingham, WA. Renting wins there by $85k overall.