Rent vs buy in Colton, CA
In Colton, California, the typical rent is $1,929 /mo and the typical home is $496,874.
Over 7 years, renting comes out ahead by $19k.
The calculation uses a 20% down payment, today's mortgage rate and Colton's typical rent plus home value. The break-even year is 9.
An opinion, clearly labeled, with the math shown. These are estimates, not quotes. If you change a number, the stamp will change.
- Renting leads by
- $19k after 7 years
- Break-even point
- year 9 when owning catches up
- Actual cost of owning
- $4,175 /mo year 1, against $1,929 rent
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Is renting or buying cheaper in Colton?
Over 7 years, renting costs $19,475 less, including the money you get back when you sell. For the first 8 years, renting costs less. Owning doesn't catch up until year 9.
Renting. Owning. Net cost to date, by year.
Average rent compared with mortgage payments in Colton
Rent and the mortgage don't tell the whole story, so here are all monthly costs for year 1 at Colton's typical price.
| Each month, year 1 | Amount | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Rent | $1,929 | All of it, every month |
| Mortgage payment | $2,709 | $2,388 of it is interest in year 1 |
| Property tax | $261 | 0.63% of the value a year |
| Insurance | $98 | Census median for the city |
| Upkeep | $414 | 1% of the value a year |
| Owning, cash out | $3,482 | $321 of it builds equity |
| Lost return on the down payment | $808 | What the cash would earn each year at 8.3% |
| Buying costs, spread out | $207 | 3.5% of the price over 7 years |
| True cost of owning | $4,175 | Cash out, minus the equity portion, plus the two amounts above |
The figures behind Colton's verdict
- Typical home valueZillow ZHVI, September 2026
- $496,874
- Typical rentZillow ZORI, September 2026
- $1,929 /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, California, 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, Colton
- 0.63% of value
- Home insuranceCensus ACS 2020-2024, Colton
- $98 /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
What would flip the result in Colton?
Each line shows when the 7-year result in Colton would change, with all other factors staying the same.
Renting is cheaper when
- Our calculation uses 5.3%, California's long-run rate, for home prices growing slower than 5.8% a year.
- The mortgage rate remains above 6.55%.
- Monthly rent for a home like this is under $2,140 (the typical local figure is $1,929).
- Your move comes before year 9.
Buying comes out ahead when
- Each year, home prices rise at more than 5.8%.
- You lock a mortgage rate under 6.55%; right now it stands at 7.24%.
- You'd pay over $2,140 a month to rent that same home.
- You stay in the home for 9 years or more.
How Colton compares with the other 812 cities
| Measure | Colton | Median city |
|---|---|---|
| Typical home value | $496,874 | $422,451 |
| Typical rent | $1,929 /mo | $1,837 /mo |
| Price-to-rent ratio | 21.5 (#267 of 813) | 18.5 |
| Home prices, last 10 years | 7.5% a year | 6.2% a year |
| Property tax | 0.63% | 0.87% |
| Households that rent | 47% | 42% |
Sources: Zillow ZHVI and ZORI, Census ACS 2020-2024.
A look at other California cities
- Rent. Los Angeles, CA. You save $111k.
- Rent. San Diego, CA. Renting comes out ahead by $108k.
- Rent. San Jose, CA. Renting is ahead by $210k.
- Rent. San Francisco, CA. Renting is ahead by $128k.
- Buy. Fresno, CA. Buying is ahead by $22k.
- Toss-up. Sacramento, CA. Renting leads by $3k, making it a toss-up.
- Rent. Long Beach, CA. Renting is ahead by $111k.
- Rent. Oakland, CA. Renting is ahead by $44k.
- Buy. Bakersfield, CA. Buying is ahead by $11k.
- Rent. Anaheim, CA. Renting is ahead by $115k.
- Buy. Stockton, CA. Buying is ahead by $16k.
- Rent. Riverside, CA. Renting is ahead by $27k.