Rent vs buy in Compton, CA
A typical home in Compton, California, costs $638,224, and the typical rent is $2,314 /mo.
Across 7 years, renting comes out $43k ahead
Using Compton's typical rent and home value, plus 20% down and today's mortgage rate. The break-even point arrives in year 11.
An opinion, clearly labeled, with the math shown. These are estimates rather than quoted prices. If you change a number, the stamp changes.
- Renting leads by
- $43k after 7 years
- Break-even point
- year 11 when owning catches up
- Actual cost of ownership
- $5,384 each month year 1, against $2,314 rent
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For the stamp, we use Compton's typical rent and typical home value. Changing your rent, price or years can reverse the result.
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Enter your own rent, price and down payment amounts. Those figures change the stamp.
In Compton, is renting or buying the cheaper choice?
When you count the money returned when you sell, renting costs $42,993 less over 7 years. For the first 10 years, renting costs less. By year 11, owning catches up.
Rent. Buy. Net cost by year so far.
Average rent versus mortgage payment for Compton
Rent and mortgage payments don't cover everything. Here are all monthly costs for year 1 at Compton's typical price.
| Each month, year 1 | Amount | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Rent | $2,314 | All of it, every month |
| Mortgage payment | $3,480 | $3,067 of it is interest in year 1 |
| Property tax | $399 | 0.75% of the value a year |
| Insurance | $83 | Census median for the city |
| Upkeep | $532 | 1% of the value a year |
| Owning, cash out | $4,493 | $413 of it builds equity |
| Lost return on the down payment | $1,037 | What the cash would earn yearly at 8.3% |
| Buying costs, spread out | $266 | 3.5% of the price over 7 years |
| True cost of owning | $5,384 | Add the two entries above to cash paid out, minus the equity portion. |
The figures behind the Compton verdict
- Typical home valueZillow ZHVI, September 2026
- $638,224
- Typical rentZillow ZORI, September 2026
- $2,314 /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, Compton
- 0.75% of value
- Home insuranceCensus ACS 2020-2024, Compton
- $83 /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 Compton?
For each line, Compton's 7-year verdict changes at that point. Everything else stays the same.
Renting comes out ahead when
- Home prices grow at less than 6.1% a year (we apply California's long-run rate of 5.3%).
- For this outcome, the mortgage rate remains above 6.04%.
- For a home like this, monthly rent is below $2,770, and the local typical figure is $2,314.
- Your move happens before year 11.
Buying comes out ahead when
- Home prices rise at more than 6.1% a year.
- You secure a mortgage rate under 6.04%; today, it is 7.24%.
- The same home would cost more than $2,770 monthly to rent.
- You remain there for 11 years or longer.
How Compton compares with the other 812 cities
| Measure | Compton | Median city |
|---|---|---|
| Typical home value | $638,224 | $422,451 |
| Typical rent | $2,314 /mo | $1,837 /mo |
| Price-to-rent ratio | 23.0 (#208 of 813) | 18.5 |
| Home prices, last 10 years | 7.6% a year | 6.2% a year |
| Property tax | 0.75% | 0.87% |
| Households that rent | 44% | 42% |
Sources: Zillow ZHVI and ZORI, Census ACS 2020-2024.
More cities across California
- Rent. Los Angeles, CA. Renting is ahead by $111k.
- Rent. San Diego, CA. Renting is ahead by $108k.
- Rent. San Jose, CA. Renting comes out ahead by $210k.
- Rent. San Francisco, CA. Renting comes out ahead by $128k.
- Buy. Fresno, CA. Buying comes out ahead by $22k.
- Toss-up. Sacramento, CA. A toss-up, with a $3k lead for renting.
- Rent. Long Beach, CA. Renting comes out ahead by $111k.
- Rent. Oakland, CA. Renting comes out ahead by $44k.
- Buy. Bakersfield, CA. The cost of buying is lower by $11k.
- Rent. Anaheim, CA. Renting comes out ahead by $115k.
- Buy. Stockton, CA. The cost of buying is lower by $16k.
- Rent. Riverside, CA. Renting comes out ahead by $27k.