Rent vs buy in Glendale, AZ

In Glendale, Arizona, the typical rent is $1,511 /mo and the typical home is $399,844.

Rent

Over 7 years, renting comes out ahead by $17k

We use Glendale's typical rent and typical home value, with 20% down and the mortgage rate today. Break-even happens in year 10.

Clearly labelled opinion with the math laid out. Every figure here is an estimate rather than a quote. The stamp shifts when you change a number.

Renting is ahead by: $17k
The break-even point: Year 10
What owning really costs: $3,301 per month

Change my numbers

Glendale's typical rent and home value are what the stamp uses. Put in your own rent, price and years, and the result can flip.

Do your numbers differ from the city's?

Put in your own numbers for rent, price and down payment. Those numbers update the stamp.

Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Glendale?

Count the money that comes back to you when you sell, and renting is cheaper by $16,998 over 7 years. For the first 9 years, renting costs less. By year 10, owning catches up.

Renting. Owning. Running net cost, year by year.

Average rent compared with the mortgage payment in Glendale

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

Each month, year 1	Amount	What it is
Rent	$1,511	All of it, every month
Mortgage payment	$2,180	$1,921 of it is interest in year 1
Property tax	$140	0.42% of the value a year
Insurance	$90	Census median for the city
Upkeep	$333	1% of the value a year
Owning, cash out	$2,743	$258 of it builds equity
Lost return on the down payment	$650	At 8.3% a year, that's what the cash would earn.
Buying costs, spread out	$167	3.5% of the price over 7 years
True cost of owning	$3,301	Cash out, minus the equity part, plus both lines above

The figures behind the Glendale verdict

Typical home valueZillow ZHVI, September 2026: $399,844
Typical rentZillow ZORI, September 2026: $1,511 /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, Glendale: 0.42% of value
Home insuranceCensus ACS 2020-2024, Glendale: $90 /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 Glendale?

Each line shows where the 7-year Glendale verdict changes, and everything else stays as it is.

When renting wins

Home prices grow by less than 5.7% each year. We use 5.2%, Arizona's rate over the long run.
The mortgage rate remains above 6.49%.
A home like this one rents for under $1,690 a month; the typical rent here is $1,511.
You move before you reach year 10.

When buying wins

Home prices rise by more than 5.7% each year.
You secure a mortgage rate under 6.49% (today's rate is 7.24%).
You would pay over $1,690 each month to rent that same home.
You stay for 10 years or longer.

Glendale versus the other 812 cities

Measure	Glendale	Median city
Typical home value	$399,844	$422,451
Typical rent	$1,511 /mo	$1,837 /mo
Price-to-rent ratio	22.1 (#244 of 813)	18.5
Home prices, last 10 years	6.8% a year	6.2% a year
Rents, last 5 years	0.7% a year	4% a year
Property tax	0.42%	0.87%
Households that rent	43%	42%

Sources: Zillow ZHVI and ZORI, Census ACS 2020-2024.

More Arizona cities

Rent. Phoenix, AZ. Renting is ahead by $14k.
Rent. Peoria, AZ. Renting is ahead by $17k.
Buy. Surprise, AZ. Buying is ahead by $18k.

Arizona's rent vs buy numbers