Rent vs buy in Commerce City, CO
In Commerce City, Colorado, the typical rent is $2,489 /mo and a typical home costs $477,302.
Buying comes out ahead by $21k over 7 years
The calculation starts with typical rent and home value for Commerce City's market, then applies 20% down and today's mortgage rate. The break-even point arrives in year 6.
Clearly labeled opinion with the math shown. These figures are estimates, not quotes. The stamp changes when you change a number.
- Owning is ahead by
- $21k after 7 years
- Break-even point
- year 6 when owning catches up
- Actual cost of owning
- $4,180 /mo year 1, against $2,489 rent
Change my numbers
Commerce City's market provides the typical rent and home value that the stamp uses. Your rent, price and time period can change the result.
Do your numbers differ from the city's?
Enter your rent, price and down payment. Your entries change the stamp.
Is buying or renting cheaper in Commerce City?
Over 7 years, buying costs $20,945 less after including the money you receive when you sell. In year 6, owning's net cost falls below renting's and remains lower.
The renting option. The owning option. Net cost by year so far.
In Commerce City, average rent vs mortgage payment
At Commerce City's typical price, here's a full monthly breakdown for year 1, including rent and the mortgage.
| Each month, year 1 | Amount | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Rent | $2,489 | All of it, every month |
| Mortgage payment | $2,602 | $2,294 of it is interest in year 1 |
| Property tax | $350 | 0.88% of the value a year |
| Insurance | $164 | Census median for the city |
| Upkeep | $398 | 1% of the value a year |
| Owning, cash out | $3,514 | $309 of it builds equity |
| Lost return on the down payment | $776 | At 8.3% a year, how much the cash would earn |
| Buying costs, spread out | $199 | 3.5% of the price over 7 years |
| True cost of owning | $4,180 | Cash out, minus the equity portion, plus the two amounts listed above |
The math behind the Commerce City result
- Typical home valueZillow ZHVI, September 2026
- $477,302
- Typical rentZillow ZORI, September 2026
- $2,489 /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, Colorado, 1995 to 2025
- 5.2% 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, Commerce City
- 0.88% of value
- Home insuranceCensus ACS 2020-2024, Commerce City
- $164 /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 changes would flip the Commerce City result?
Each line marks the point where Commerce City's 7-year verdict changes, while everything else stays as it is.
Renting costs less when
- Colorado's long-run rate is 5.2% in our figures. The home price growth rate must be less than 4.7% a year.
- The mortgage rate remains above 8.01%.
- A home like this has monthly rent below $2,260 (the typical rate here is $2,489).
- Your move occurs before year 6.
Buying is the better choice when
- Home prices rise by more than 4.7% a year.
- A mortgage rate under 8.01% gets locked in; today's rate is 7.24%.
- You would pay more than $2,260 a month to rent that same home.
- You remain in the home for 6 years or longer.
How Commerce City compares with the other 812 cities
| Measure | Commerce City | Median city |
|---|---|---|
| Typical home value | $477,302 | $422,451 |
| Typical rent | $2,489 /mo | $1,837 /mo |
| Price-to-rent ratio | 16.0 (#559 of 813) | 18.5 |
| Home prices, last 10 years | 4.6% a year | 6.2% a year |
| Rents, last 5 years | 3.7% a year | 4% a year |
| Property tax | 0.88% | 0.87% |
| Households that rent | 23% | 42% |
Sources: Zillow ZHVI and ZORI, Census ACS 2020-2024.
More cities in Colorado
- Denver, CO: rent, and renting wins by $37k.
- Colorado Springs, CO: rent, and renting wins by $17k.
- Aurora, CO: rent, and renting wins by $22k.
- Fort Collins, CO: rent, and renting wins by $41k.
- Lakewood, CO: rent, and renting wins by $54k.
- Thornton, CO: rent, and renting wins by $26k.
- Arvada, CO: rent, and renting wins by $47k.
- Westminster, CO: rent, and renting wins by $34k.
- Greeley, CO: rent, and renting wins by $33k.
- Pueblo, CO: buy, and buying wins by $5k.
- Centennial, CO: rent, and renting wins by $53k.
- Boulder, CO: rent, and renting wins by $147k.