Rent vs buy in Framingham, MA
In Framingham, Massachusetts, typical rent runs $2,298 /mo and a typical home runs $656,833.
Renting comes out ahead by $85k over 7 years
It assumes a 20% down payment and today's mortgage rate, using Framingham's typical rent and home value. Break-even happens in year 18.
Clearly labelled opinion, with the math shown. These are estimates, not quotes. Change any number and the stamp changes with it.
- Renting leads by
- $85k after 7 years
- When the two tie
- Year 18 when owning catches up
- What owning really costs
- $5,765 a month year 1, against $2,298 rent
Change my numbers
The stamp uses Framingham's figures, its typical rent and its home value. Change your rent, your price or your years and the result can flip.
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Put in your own figures: rent, price and down payment. As those numbers change, so does the stamp.
Is renting or buying cheaper in Framingham?
Over 7 years renting costs you $84,694 less, counting the money that comes back to you when you sell. For the first 17 years, renting is the cheaper choice. By year 18, owning catches up.
Rent. Buy. Net cost to date, by year.
Average rent compared with the mortgage payment in Framingham
Rent and the mortgage don't tell the whole story, so here are all the monthly costs of year 1, using Framingham's typical price.
| Each month, year 1 | Amount | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Rent | $2,298 | All of it, every month |
| Mortgage payment | $3,581 | $3,156 of it is interest in year 1 |
| Property tax | $602 | 1.1% of the value a year |
| Insurance | $118 | Census median for the city |
| Upkeep | $547 | 1% of the value a year |
| Owning, cash out | $4,849 | $425 of it builds equity |
| Lost return on the down payment | $1,068 | What you'd earn on that cash at 8.3% a year |
| Buying costs, spread out | $274 | 3.5% of the price over 7 years |
| True cost of owning | $5,765 | Cash out, minus the equity share, plus the two lines above |
The Framingham verdict, in numbers
- Typical home valueZillow ZHVI, September 2026
- $656,833
- Typical rentZillow ZORI, September 2026
- $2,298 /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, Massachusetts, 1995 to 2025
- 5.1% 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, Framingham
- 1.1% of value
- Home insuranceCensus ACS 2020-2024, Framingham
- $118 /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 Framingham result?
Each line shows where the 7-year Framingham verdict changes, with everything else held as it is.
When renting wins
- Home prices rise by less than 6.6% each year. The figure we use is 5.1%, Massachusetts's rate over the long run.
- The rate on a mortgage holds above 4.94%.
- Such a home rents for less than $3,210 monthly (typical here: $2,298).
- You move out before year 18.
When buying wins
- Home prices grow at more than 6.6% a year.
- You get a mortgage rate under 4.94% locked in (today's is 7.24%).
- That same home, rented, would cost more than $3,210 each month.
- You stay 18 years or more.
How Framingham compares with the other 812 cities
| Measure | Framingham | Median city |
|---|---|---|
| Typical home value | $656,833 | $422,451 |
| Typical rent | $2,298 /mo | $1,837 /mo |
| Price-to-rent ratio | 23.8 (#174 of 813) | 18.5 |
| Home prices, last 10 years | 5.8% a year | 6.2% a year |
| Rents, last 5 years | 2.9% a year | 4% a year |
| Property tax | 1.10% | 0.87% |
| Households that rent | 45% | 42% |
Sources: Zillow ZHVI and ZORI, Census ACS 2020-2024.
More cities in Massachusetts
- Rent. Boston, MA. Renting comes out ahead by $10k.
- Rent. Worcester, MA. Renting comes out ahead by $8k.
- Buy. Springfield, MA. Buying comes out ahead by $18k.
- Rent. Cambridge, MA. Renting comes out ahead by $83k.
- Rent. Lowell, MA. Renting comes out ahead by $9k.
- Rent. Brockton, MA. Renting comes out ahead by $19k.
- Rent. Lynn, MA. Renting comes out ahead by $45k.
- Rent. Renting wins by $51k in Quincy, MA.
- Rent. Renting wins by $40k in New Bedford, MA.
- Rent. Renting wins by $29k in Fall River, MA.
- Rent. Renting wins by $317k in Newton, MA.
- Toss-up. Lawrence, MA. Renting leads by $2k.