Rent vs buy in Columbus, GA
In Columbus, Georgia, the typical rent is $1,331 /mo and the typical home is $175,906.
Over 7 years, buying wins by $31k
Columbus's typical home value and rent, 20% down, at today's mortgage rate. Break-even hits in year 3.
Clearly labelled opinion, math included. These are estimates, not quotes. The stamp changes when you change a number.
- Owning leads by
- $31k after 7 years
- Break-even point
- in year 3 when owning catches up
- Real cost of owning
- $1,587 a month year 1, against $1,331 rent
Change my numbers
The stamp draws on Columbus's typical home value and rent. Your own rent, price and years can flip the result.
Are your numbers different from the city's?
Type in the rent, price and down payment you want. The stamp updates to match.
In Columbus, is renting or buying cheaper?
Counting what you get back from selling, buying costs $30,840 less over 7 years. In year 3, owning's net cost falls below renting's and stays lower.
Rent. Own. The net cost accumulated so far, year by year.
Columbus: average rent compared with the mortgage payment
Rent and the mortgage don't tell the whole story, so here are all the monthly costs at Columbus's typical price in year 1.
| Each month, year 1 | Amount | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Rent | $1,331 | All of it, every month |
| Mortgage payment | $959 | $845 of it is interest in year 1 |
| Property tax | $126 | 0.86% of the value a year |
| Insurance | $110 | Census median for the city |
| Upkeep | $147 | 1% of the value a year |
| Owning, cash out | $1,342 | $114 of it builds equity |
| Lost return on the down payment | $286 | The return on that cash at 8.3% a year |
| Buying costs, spread out | $73 | 3.5% of the price over 7 years |
| True cost of owning | $1,587 | Cash out, minus the equity part, plus those two lines listed above |
The figures behind the Columbus verdict
- Typical home valueZillow ZHVI, September 2026
- $175,906
- Typical rentZillow ZORI, September 2026
- $1,331 /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, Georgia, 1995 to 2025
- 4.4% 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, Columbus
- 0.86% of value
- Home insuranceCensus ACS 2020-2024, Columbus
- $110 /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 change the answer in Columbus?
Every line shows the point where the 7-year Columbus verdict flips, everything else left as is.
Renting comes out ahead when
- Home prices grow less than 2.1% a year (our figure is 4.4%, from Georgia's long-run growth).
- The mortgage rate remains above 10.32%.
- Homes like this one rent for under $1,000 a month ($1,331 is typical here).
- Your move happens before year 3.
Buying comes out ahead when
- Home prices rise faster than 2.1% a year.
- The mortgage rate you lock in sits below 10.32%, and today's rate is 7.24%.
- Your monthly cost for renting the same home would be more than $1,000.
- Your stay lasts 3 years or longer.
The other 812 cities compared with Columbus
| Measure | Columbus | Median city |
|---|---|---|
| Typical home value | $175,906 | $422,451 |
| Typical rent | $1,331 /mo | $1,837 /mo |
| Price-to-rent ratio | 11.0 (#780 of 813) | 18.5 |
| Home prices, last 10 years | 6.2% a year | 6.2% a year |
| Rents, last 5 years | 4.5% a year | 4% a year |
| Property tax | 0.86% | 0.87% |
| Households that rent | 49% | 42% |
Sources: Zillow ZHVI and ZORI, Census ACS 2020-2024.
Georgia's other cities
- Rent. Atlanta, GA. Renting comes out ahead by $13k.
- Buy. Augusta, GA. Buying comes out ahead by $27k.
- Buy. Macon, GA. Buying comes out ahead by $19k.
- Toss-up. Savannah, GA. Too close to call, with the edge going to renting by $1k.
- Rent. Athens, GA. Renting comes out ahead by $5k.
- Rent. Sandy Springs, GA. Renting comes out ahead by $184k.
- Rent. Roswell, GA. Renting comes out ahead by $159k.
- Buy. Warner Robins, GA. Buying comes out ahead by $21k.
- Rent. Johns Creek, GA. Renting comes out ahead by $107k.
- Buy. Mableton, GA. Buying comes out ahead by $7k.
- Rent. Alpharetta, GA. Renting comes out ahead by $154k.
- Buy. Albany, GA. Buying comes out ahead by $15k.