Rent vs buy in Eau Claire, WI
In Eau Claire, Wisconsin, typical rent is $1,119 /mo and a typical home is $317,833.
Renting comes out ahead by $76k over 7 years
The calculation takes Eau Claire's typical rent, its typical home value, a 20% down payment, plus today's mortgage rate. No break-even point appears within 30 years.
Opinion, clearly labelled, with math shown. These are estimates, not quotes. Adjust any number and the stamp updates.
- Rent leads by
- $76k after 7 years
- Break-even point
- 30 years or more owning never catches up sooner
- Owning's true cost
- Per month: $2,899 year 1, against $1,119 rent
Change my numbers
The stamp relies on Eau Claire's typical rent plus a home value that's typical there. Your own rent, price and years can change the result.
Do your numbers differ from the city's?
Enter a rent, price and down payment of your own. The stamp then updates to match.
In Eau Claire, is renting or buying cheaper?
Over 7 years, renting costs $76,238 less, counting what you get back from selling. In each year shown, renting's net cost is lower than owning's, and owning never catches up within 30 years.
Rent The owning side Year-by-year net cost so far
In Eau Claire, average rent compared with mortgage payments
Rent and the mortgage don't cover everything. Here are all the monthly costs in year 1, based on Eau Claire's typical price.
| Each month, year 1 | Amount | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Rent | $1,119 | All of it, every month |
| Mortgage payment | $1,733 | $1,527 of it is interest in year 1 |
| Property tax | $381 | 1.44% of the value a year |
| Insurance | $76 | Census median for the city |
| Upkeep | $265 | 1% of the value a year |
| Owning, cash out | $2,455 | $205 of it builds equity |
| Lost return on the down payment | $517 | The return on cash at 8.3% a year |
| Buying costs, spread out | $132 | 3.5% of the price over 7 years |
| True cost of owning | $2,899 | Cash paid, minus equity, plus both lines listed above |
The figures behind Eau Claire's result
- Typical home valueZillow ZHVI, September 2026
- $317,833
- Typical rentZillow ZORI, September 2026
- $1,119 /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, Wisconsin, 1995 to 2025
- 4.1% 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, Eau Claire
- 1.44% of value
- Home insuranceCensus ACS 2020-2024, Eau Claire
- $76 /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 result in Eau Claire?
Hold everything else constant, and each line shows where the 7-year verdict for Eau Claire changes.
Renting comes out ahead when
- Home prices grow at less than 6.9% a year (we apply 4.1%, Wisconsin's long-run rate).
- Here, the mortgage rate remains above 2.90%.
- A comparable home rents for under $1,940 each month (the typical figure here is $1,119).
- If you move during the next 30 years, owning still never catches up at these numbers.
Buying comes out ahead when
- Each year, home prices grow faster than 6.9%.
- You lock a mortgage rate under 2.90% (today's is 7.24%).
- The rent for that same home would cost you over $1,940 each month.
Eau Claire compared with the other 812 cities
| Measure | Eau Claire | Median city |
|---|---|---|
| Typical home value | $317,833 | $422,451 |
| Typical rent | $1,119 /mo | $1,837 /mo |
| Price-to-rent ratio | 23.7 (#183 of 813) | 18.5 |
| Home prices, last 10 years | 6.8% a year | 6.2% a year |
| Property tax | 1.44% | 0.87% |
| Households that rent | 46% | 42% |
Sources: Zillow ZHVI and ZORI, Census ACS 2020-2024.
More Wisconsin cities
- In Milwaukee, WI, renting comes out $4k ahead.
- In Madison, WI, renting comes out $79k ahead.
- In Green Bay, WI, renting comes out $62k ahead.
- In Kenosha, WI, renting comes out $15k ahead.
- In Racine, WI, renting comes out $24k ahead.
- In Appleton, WI, renting comes out $66k ahead.
- In Waukesha, WI, renting comes out $99k ahead.
- In Oshkosh, WI, renting comes out $42k ahead.
- In Janesville, WI, renting comes out $65k ahead.
- In West Allis, WI, renting comes out $30k ahead.
- In La Crosse, WI, renting comes out $44k ahead.