Rent vs buy in Bristol, CT
In Bristol, Connecticut, a typical home costs $346,945 and typical rent is $1,650 /mo.
Renting comes out ahead by $64k across 7 years
Today's mortgage rate and 20% down are used with Bristol's typical rent and home value. Break-even: not within 30 years.
Clearly labeled opinion, with the math shown. These figures are estimates, not quotes. If you change a number, the stamp changes with it.
- Ahead by renting
- $64k after 7 years
- Break-even point
- 30+ years owning never catches up sooner
- Full cost of ownership
- $3,330 /mo year 1, against $1,650 rent
Change my numbers
Bristol's typical rent and home value are the stamp's inputs. Your choices for rent, price and years can change the result.
Are your numbers different from the city's?
Enter a rent, price and down payment of your own. Those figures change the stamp.
Would renting or buying cost less in Bristol?
Across 7 years, renting saves $64,059 after counting the money you get back from the sale. Owning never catches up within 30 years: renting's net cost stays lower in every year shown.
The option is renting. Ownership. Net cost up to now, for each year.
Average rent compared with mortgage payment in Bristol
In year 1, all monthly costs are shown at Bristol's typical price. The rent and mortgage aren't the whole story.
| Each month, year 1 | Amount | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Rent | $1,650 | All of it, every month |
| Mortgage payment | $1,892 | $1,667 of it is interest in year 1 |
| Property tax | $567 | 1.96% of the value a year |
| Insurance | $98 | Census median for the city |
| Upkeep | $289 | 1% of the value a year |
| Owning, cash out | $2,845 | $224 of it builds equity |
| Lost return on the down payment | $564 | The annual return on the cash at 8.3% |
| Buying costs, spread out | $145 | 3.5% of the price over 7 years |
| True cost of owning | $3,330 | Cash paid, minus the equity portion, plus the two costs listed above |
The figures behind Bristol's result
- Typical home value Zillow ZHVI, September 2026
- $346,945
- Typical rent Zillow ZORI, September 2026
- $1,650 /mo
- Down payment 20% avoids private mortgage insurance, which isn't included in the engine's model.
- 20%
- Mortgage rate source: Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey (FRED MORTGAGE30US)
- 7.24%
- Source for home price growth: FHFA index of home prices, Connecticut, 1995 to 2025
- Each year: 3.9%.
- Rent growth source: CPI for rent of primary residence, yearly growth from 2006 to 2026
- Each year: 3.5%.
- Return on savingsSplit 60% to the S&P 500 with dividends and 40% to 10-year Treasuries, rebalanced each year, 1928 to 2025
- Each year: 8.3%.
- Property tax source: Census ACS 2020-2024, Bristol
- 1.96% of the value
- Home insurance source: Census ACS 2020-2024, Bristol
- Monthly cost: $98.
- Maintenance source: Fannie Mae, low end of 1% to 4%
- Each year: 1% of value.
- Buying costsFreddie Mac, midpoint of 2% to 5%
- 3.5% applies to the price
- Sale costs Agent commission and closing costs
- A rate of 6% applies to the price.
What would reverse the result in Bristol?
Each line shows where Bristol's 7-year verdict changes while everything else stays as it is.
Renting comes out ahead when
- Home prices have an annual growth rate below 6.2%. Our calculation applies 3.9%, Connecticut's long-run rate.
- For this outcome, the mortgage rate remains above 3.92%.
- A comparable home rents for under $2,340 a month. The typical rent here is $1,650.
- You move at any time during the next 30 years. With these figures, owning never catches up.
Buying comes out ahead when
- Home prices increase by more than 6.2% a year.
- You lock in a rate below 3.92%; today's rate is 7.24%.
- The monthly rent for that same home would exceed $2,340.
How Bristol compares with the other 812 cities
| Measure | Bristol | Median city |
|---|---|---|
| Typical home value | $346,945 | $422,451 |
| Typical rent | $1,650 /mo | $1,837 /mo |
| Price-to-rent ratio | 17.5 (#464 of 813) | 18.5 |
| Home prices, last 10 years | 7.1% a year | 6.2% a year |
| Property tax | 1.96% | 0.87% |
| Households that rent | 35% | 42% |
Data sources: Zillow ZHVI plus ZORI, Census ACS 2020-2024.
More cities in Connecticut
- Rent wins by $51k in Bridgeport, CT.
- Rent wins by $142k in Stamford, CT.
- Rent wins by $39k in New Haven, CT.
- Buying wins by $12k in Hartford, CT.
- Rent wins by $51k in Waterbury, CT.
- Rent wins by $130k in Norwalk, CT.
- Rent wins by $44k in Danbury, CT.
- Rent wins by $56k in New Britain, CT.
- Rent wins by $35k in Meriden, CT.
- Rent wins by $63k in West Haven, CT.
- Rent. In Milford, CT, renting is ahead by $70k.