Rent vs buy in Flagstaff, AZ

In Flagstaff, Arizona, the typical rent is $2,128 /mo and the typical home costs $650,175.

Rent

Over 7 years, renting comes out ahead by $53k

Today's mortgage rate applies here, along with 20% down and Flagstaff's typical rent and home value. You reach break-even in year 12.

An opinion, clearly labelled, and the math shown. These are estimates, not quotes. The stamp updates when you change a number.

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The stamp draws on Flagstaff's figures for typical rent and home value. The result can change based on your rent, price and years.

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After 7 years, renting costs $52,526 less when sale proceeds are included. For the first 11 years, renting costs less. By year 12, owning catches up.

Rent. Own. Net cost by year so far.

Rent and the mortgage don't tell the whole story. Here are all monthly costs for year 1 at Flagstaff's typical price.

Each month, year 1	Amount	What it is
Rent	$2,128	All of it, every month
Mortgage payment	$3,545	$3,124 of it is interest in year 1
Property tax	$211	0.39% of the value a year
Insurance	$96	Census median for the city
Upkeep	$542	1% of the value a year
Owning, cash out	$4,394	$420 of it builds equity
Lost return on the down payment	$1,057	Annual earnings on the cash at 8.3%
Buying costs, spread out	$271	3.5% of the price over 7 years
True cost of owning	$5,301	Cash paid, minus the equity portion, plus the two amounts listed above

Typical home valueZillow ZHVI, September 2026: $650,175
Typical rentZillow ZORI, September 2026: $2,128 /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, Arizona, 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, Flagstaff: 0.39% of value
Home insuranceCensus ACS 2020-2024, Flagstaff: $96 /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

Each line marks where Flagstaff's 7-year verdict changes, while all other parts stay as they are.

Home prices rise by less than 6.1% each year, and our calculation uses 5.2%, Arizona's long-term rate.
The mortgage rate remains above 5.80%.
For a home like this, monthly rent comes to under $2,690 (typical here: $2,128).
You move before reaching year 12.