Rent vs buy in Fullerton, CA
Typical rent $2,888 /mo, typical home $1,037,545: Fullerton, California.
Over 7 years, renting comes out ahead by $139k
Fullerton's typical rent and its typical home value, with 20% down, at today's mortgage rate. The break-even point arrives in year 18.
An opinion, clearly labelled, with the math shown. These are estimates, not quotes. Adjust a figure and the stamp updates.
- Renting leads by
- $139k after 7 years
- Break-even point
- Year 18 when owning catches up
- What owning really costs
- Per month: $8,617 year 1, against $2,888 rent
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Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Fullerton?
Counting the money that comes back to you when you sell, renting costs $138,554 less over 7 years. For the first 17 years, renting costs less. In year 18, owning catches up.
Renting. Buying. Net cost to date, by year.
Fullerton: average rent compared with the mortgage payment
Rent and mortgage payments don't tell the whole story. Here are all the monthly costs in year 1, using Fullerton's typical price.
| Each month, year 1 | Amount | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Rent | $2,888 | All of it, every month |
| Mortgage payment | $5,657 | $4,986 of it is interest in year 1 |
| Property tax | $545 | 0.63% of the value a year |
| Insurance | $103 | Census median for the city |
| Upkeep | $865 | 1% of the value a year |
| Owning, cash out | $7,169 | $671 of it builds equity |
| Lost return on the down payment | $1,686 | What your cash would earn each year at 8.3% |
| Buying costs, spread out | $432 | 3.5% of the price over 7 years |
| True cost of owning | $8,617 | Take the cash out, subtract the equity part, add the two lines above |
The numbers behind Fullerton's verdict
- Typical home value, from Zillow ZHVI, September 2026
- $1,037,545
- Typical rent, from Zillow ZORI, September 2026
- Per month: $2,888
- Down payment: 20% avoids private mortgage insurance, and the engine doesn't model that cost.
- 20%
- Mortgage rate: Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey (FRED MORTGAGE30US)
- 7.24%
- Growth in home prices: FHFA house price index for California, 1995 to 2025
- 5.3% each year
- Rent growth: CPI rent of primary residence, growth each year, 2006 to 2026
- 3.5% yearly
- Return on savings60% S&P 500 that includes dividends, plus 40% 10-year Treasuries, rebalanced each year, 1928 to 2025
- 8.3% yearly
- Property tax, per the Census ACS 2020-2024, Fullerton
- 0.63% of the value
- Home insurance, per the Census ACS 2020-2024, Fullerton
- $103 a month
- MaintenanceFannie Mae, low end of the 1% to 4% range
- 1% of the value each year
- Buying costsFreddie Mac, middle of the 2% to 5% range
- 3.5% of the price
- Selling costsAgent commission and closing costs
- 6% of the price
What would flip the result in Fullerton?
Every line marks the spot where the 7-year verdict for Fullerton flips, with everything else held as it is.
When renting wins
- Home prices grow at under 6.8% a year (the figure we use is 5.3%, California's rate over the long run).
- The mortgage rate remains above 4.86%.
- A similar home rents for under $4,370 a month (the typical rent here is $2,888).
- Your move happens before year 18.
When buying wins
- Home prices rise at a pace above 6.8% a year.
- You lock in a mortgage rate under 4.86% (today's rate is 7.24%).
- For the same home, monthly rent would exceed $4,370.
- You remain 18 years or longer.
Fullerton compared with the other 812 cities
| Measure | Fullerton | Median city |
|---|---|---|
| Typical home value | $1,037,545 | $422,451 |
| Typical rent | $2,888 /mo | $1,837 /mo |
| Price-to-rent ratio | 29.9 (#70 of 813) | 18.5 |
| Home prices, last 10 years | 6.2% a year | 6.2% a year |
| Rents, last 5 years | 4.4% a year | 4% a year |
| Property tax | 0.63% | 0.87% |
| Households that rent | 48% | 42% |
Data comes from Zillow ZHVI and ZORI, Census ACS 2020-2024.
More California cities
- Rent. Los Angeles, CA. Renting is ahead by $111k.
- Rent. San Diego, CA. Renting comes out 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. Renting leads by $3k, too close to call.
- Rent. Long Beach, CA. Renting comes out $111k ahead.
- Rent. Oakland, CA. Renting comes out ahead by $44k.
- Buy. Bakersfield, CA. Buying comes out ahead by $11k.
- Rent. In Anaheim, CA, renting wins by $115k.
- Buy. In Stockton, CA, buying wins by $16k.
- Renting wins by $27k in Riverside, CA.