Rent vs buy in College Station, TX
In College Station, Texas, typical rent is $1,655 /mo and typical home value is $344,129.
Over 7 years, renting comes out $35k ahead.
With today's mortgage rate, 20% down, and College Station's typical home value and rent. The break-even point is year 16.
Clearly labeled opinion, with the math shown. Estimates, not quotes. Adjust any number and the stamp updates.
- Amount renting leads by
- $35k after 7 years
- The break-even point
- year 16 when owning catches up
- What owning really costs
- Each month: $3,254 year 1, against $1,655 rent
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The stamp reflects College Station's typical home value and rent. Your rent, purchase price and time period can change the result.
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Is it cheaper to rent or buy in College Station?
After counting the money returned when you sell, renting costs $35,293 less over 7 years. For the first 15 years, renting remains cheaper. In year 16, owning catches up.
Rent. Ownership. Net cost by year so far
Average rent compared with mortgage payment in College Station
Rent and the mortgage don't tell the whole story. For year 1, here are all monthly costs at College Station's typical price.
| Each month, year 1 | Amount | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Rent | $1,655 | All of it, every month |
| Mortgage payment | $1,876 | $1,654 of it is interest in year 1 |
| Property tax | $473 | 1.65% of the value a year |
| Insurance | $138 | Census median for the city |
| Upkeep | $287 | 1% of the value a year |
| Owning, cash out | $2,774 | $222 of it builds equity |
| Lost return on the down payment | $559 | What the cash would bring in at 8.3% a year |
| Buying costs, spread out | $143 | 3.5% of the price over 7 years |
| True cost of owning | $3,254 | Cash paid out, minus the equity portion, plus the two lines above |
The figures behind the College Station result
- Zillow ZHVI, September 2026 for typical home value
- $344,129
- Zillow ZORI, September 2026 for typical rent
- Per month: $1,655
- A 20% down payment avoids private mortgage insurance; the engine doesn't include it in its calculations.
- 20%
- Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey (FRED MORTGAGE30US) gives the mortgage rate
- 7.24%
- FHFA house price index, Texas, 1995 to 2025 for home price growth
- Annual growth: 4.7%
- CPI rent of primary residence provides this rent growth measure: yearly growth 2006 to 2026
- Annual growth: 3.5%
- Savings return40% 10-year Treasuries, rebalanced yearly with 60% S&P 500 with dividends, 1928 to 2025
- 8.3% each year
- Property tax: Census ACS 2020-2024, College Station
- 1.65% of the value
- Home insurance: Census figures, ACS 2020-2024, College Station
- $138 /mo
- Maintenance Fannie Mae, lower end of 1% to 4%
- 1% of the value each year
- Purchase costs: Freddie Mac, midpoint of 2% to 5%
- 3.5% of the price
- Selling costs: Agent commission plus closing costs
- 6% of the price
What could change the College Station result?
Every item below shows when the 7-year College Station result changes, with all other figures held steady.
When renting comes out ahead
- With home price growth below 5.9% annually, we apply 4.7%, which is Texas's long-run rate.
- Above 5.41% is where the mortgage rate stays.
- For a home like this, rent falls below $2,030 each month, while the local typical figure is $1,655.
- Before year 16, you move.
When buying comes out ahead
- Home prices rise faster than 5.9% a year.
- You secure a mortgage rate under 5.41% (today's is 7.24%).
- You'd pay over $2,030 each month to rent that same home.
- You remain for 16 years or more.
How College Station compares with the other 812 cities
| Measure | College Station | Median city |
|---|---|---|
| Typical home value | $344,129 | $422,451 |
| Typical rent | $1,655 /mo | $1,837 /mo |
| Price-to-rent ratio | 17.3 (#474 of 813) | 18.5 |
| Home prices, last 10 years | 3.4% a year | 6.2% a year |
| Rents, last 5 years | 4.7% a year | 4% a year |
| Property tax | 1.65% | 0.87% |
| Households that rent | 65% | 42% |
Sources come from Zillow ZHVI and ZORI, Census ACS 2020-2024.
More cities in Texas
- Toss-up: Houston in Texas, where renting is ahead by $2k.
- In San Antonio, TX, renting leads by $10k.
- Rent: Dallas in Texas, where renting wins by $20k.
- In Fort Worth, TX, renting leads by $17k.
- In Austin, TX, renting leads by $111k.
- Toss-up. El Paso, TX is a toss-up, with buying ahead by $2k.
- Rent: Arlington in Texas, where renting wins by $34k.
- In Corpus Christi, TX, buying leads by $4k.
- Rent: Plano in Texas, where renting wins by $105k.
- Toss-up. Buying leads by $2k in Lubbock, TX, so it's close.
- Rent. Renting wins by $20k in Laredo, TX.
- In Irving, TX, renting leads by $36k.