Rent vs buy in Casa Grande, AZ
In Casa Grande, Arizona, the typical rent is $1,673 /mo and the typical home is $315,764.
Over 7 years, buying comes out ahead by $29k
The calculation uses 20% down and today's mortgage rate, with typical rent and home value for Casa Grande's market. You reach break-even in year 5.
An opinion, clearly marked, with the math. The figures are estimates, not quotes. The stamp changes when you change a number.
- Owning leads by
- $29k after 7 years
- Break-even point
- in year 5 when owning catches up
- Actual cost of owning
- $2,637 a month year 1, against $1,673 rent
Change my numbers
The stamp draws on Casa Grande's typical rent, along with the typical home value. You can flip the result with your rent, price and years.
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In Casa Grande, is renting or buying cheaper?
Over 7 years, buying costs $28,639 less, counting the money you get back when you sell. In year 5, owning's net cost falls below renting's and remains lower.
Rent. Ownership. Net cost to date, by year.
Average rent compared with mortgage payment in Casa Grande
At Casa Grande's typical price, year 1 involves more than rent and a mortgage payment. Here are all the monthly costs.
| Each month, year 1 | Amount | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Rent | $1,673 | All of it, every month |
| Mortgage payment | $1,722 | $1,517 of it is interest in year 1 |
| Property tax | $126 | 0.48% of the value a year |
| Insurance | $85 | Census median for the city |
| Upkeep | $263 | 1% of the value a year |
| Owning, cash out | $2,196 | $204 of it builds equity |
| Lost return on the down payment | $513 | The yearly return on that cash at 8.3% |
| Buying costs, spread out | $132 | 3.5% of the price over 7 years |
| True cost of owning | $2,637 | Cash out minus the equity part, plus both items listed earlier |
The Casa Grande verdict explained with numbers
- Typical home value: Zillow ZHVI, September 2026
- $315,764
- Typical rent: Zillow ZORI, September 2026
- $1,673 a month
- With a 20% down payment, private mortgage insurance is avoided; the engine does not model it.
- 20%
- Rate used: Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey (FRED MORTGAGE30US)
- 7.24%
- Growth in home prices: FHFA house price index series, Arizona, 1995 to 2025
- 5.2% each year
- Rental growth: CPI primary residence rent, yearly growth 2006 to 2026
- Each year: 3.5%
- Savings return: 60% S&P 500 including dividends and 40% 10-year Treasuries, rebalanced each year, 1928 to 2025
- Each year: 8.3%
- Tax on the property: Census ACS 2020-2024, Casa Grande
- 0.48% of the home's value
- Home insurance cost: Census ACS 2020-2024, Casa Grande
- Monthly: $85
- Maintenance spending: Fannie Mae, low end of the 1% to 4% range
- Each year, 1% of value
- Costs to buy: Freddie Mac, middle of the 2% to 5% range
- 3.5% of the price
- Costs when selling: Agent commission and closing costs
- 6% applied to the price
Which changes would flip the Casa Grande result?
Every line shows where the 7-year verdict for Casa Grande switches, while all other inputs stay the same.
Renting comes out ahead when
- Home prices grow by under 4.1% yearly (our rate is 5.2%, Arizona's long-run rate).
- For mortgages, the rate stays above 8.84%.
- A similar home rents for under $1,370 monthly (typical here: $1,673).
- Before year 5, you move.
When buying comes out ahead
- Home prices grow by more than 4.1% a year.
- Your mortgage rate is locked below 8.84% (today's rate is 7.24%).
- For the same home, monthly rent would cost you over $1,370.
- You stay for 5 years or more.
Casa Grande compared with the other 812 cities
| Measure | Casa Grande | Median city |
|---|---|---|
| Typical home value | $315,764 | $422,451 |
| Typical rent | $1,673 /mo | $1,837 /mo |
| Price-to-rent ratio | 15.7 (#581 of 813) | 18.5 |
| Home prices, last 10 years | 7% a year | 6.2% a year |
| Rents, last 5 years | 0.7% a year | 4% a year |
| Property tax | 0.48% | 0.87% |
| Households that rent | 27% | 42% |
Data come from: Zillow ZHVI plus ZORI, Census ACS 2020-2024.
More cities in Arizona
- Rent. Phoenix, AZ. For renting, you come out $14k ahead.
- It's a toss-up. Tucson, AZ. Buying comes out $672 ahead.
- Rent wins by $24k in Mesa, AZ.
- In Gilbert, AZ, renting comes out ahead by $26k.
- Rent. Chandler, AZ. renting is ahead by $25k.
- Rent. Glendale, AZ. renting is ahead by $17k.
- Rent. Scottsdale, AZ. renting is ahead by $129k.
- Rent. Peoria, AZ. renting is ahead by $17k.
- Rent. Tempe, AZ. renting is ahead by $31k.
- In Surprise, AZ, buying wins by $18k overall.
- In Goodyear, AZ, renting wins by $28k overall.
- In Buckeye, AZ, buying wins by $29k overall.