Rent vs buy in Glendale, CA
In Glendale, California, the typical rent is $2,765 /mo and the typical home is $1,172,783.
Over 7 years, renting comes out ahead by $201k
Glendale's figures: typical rent and home value, a 20% down payment and today's mortgage rate. The break-even point lands in year 23.
An opinion, clearly labelled, with the math shown. These are estimates, not quotes. Adjust one number and the stamp changes.
- Renting leads by
- $201k after 7 years
- Break-even point
- year 23 when owning catches up
- Real cost of owning
- $9,718 /mo year 1, against $2,765 rent
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Is renting or buying cheaper in Glendale?
Renting comes out $201,106 cheaper over 7 years, once you count what comes back when you sell. For the first 22 years, renting costs less. In year 23, owning catches up.
Renting. Owning. Net cost so far, year by year.
Average rent compared with the mortgage payment in Glendale
The monthly rent and the mortgage leave out part of the picture. Below is every cost that comes up each month in year 1, based on Glendale's typical price.
| Each month, year 1 | Amount | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Rent | $2,765 | All of it, every month |
| Mortgage payment | $6,394 | $5,636 of it is interest in year 1 |
| Property tax | $596 | 0.61% of the value a year |
| Insurance | $114 | Census median for the city |
| Upkeep | $977 | 1% of the value a year |
| Owning, cash out | $8,081 | $758 of it builds equity |
| Lost return on the down payment | $1,906 | What that money would earn yearly at 8.3% |
| Buying costs, spread out | $489 | 3.5% of the price over 7 years |
| True cost of owning | $9,718 | Cash out, minus the equity share, plus the two lines above |
Behind the Glendale verdict: the numbers
- Typical home value, Zillow ZHVI, September 2026
- $1,172,783
- Typical rent, Zillow ZORI, September 2026
- $2,765 /mo
- Down payment. 20% avoids private mortgage insurance; the engine doesn't model it.
- 20%
- Mortgage rate: Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey (FRED MORTGAGE30US)
- 7.24%
- Growth in home prices, per the FHFA house price index for California, 1995 through 2025
- 5.3% each year
- Rent growthCPI primary residence rent, yearly growth 2006 to 2026
- A yearly rate of 3.5%
- Return on savings40% 10-year Treasuries and 60% S&P 500 with dividends, rebalanced every year, 1928 to 2025
- That's 8.3% each year.
- Property tax, from Census: ACS 2020-2024, Glendale
- Value times 0.61%.
- Home insurance, from Census: ACS 2020-2024, Glendale
- Each month costs $114.
- MaintenanceFannie Mae, the low end of the 1% to 4% range
- Each year, 1% of value.
- Buying costsFreddie Mac, the middle of the 2% to 5% range
- Price times 3.5%.
- Selling costsAgent commission and closing costs
- Price times 6%.
What would flip the verdict in Glendale?
Each line marks the point at which the 7-year Glendale verdict changes, while everything else stays as it is.
When renting wins
- Home price growth under 7.2% a year (we use California's long-run rate, 5.3%).
- The mortgage rate remains above 4.17%.
- For a home like this, the rent comes to under $4,920 each month (typical here: $2,765).
- Before year 23, you move.
When buying wins
- Home prices grow at more than 7.2% a year.
- You lock in a mortgage rate under 4.17% (today's rate is 7.24%).
- The rent on the same home would run more than $4,920 a month.
- You remain 23 years or longer.
Glendale compared with the other 812 cities
| Measure | Glendale | Median city |
|---|---|---|
| Typical home value | $1,172,783 | $422,451 |
| Typical rent | $2,765 /mo | $1,837 /mo |
| Price-to-rent ratio | 35.3 (#28 of 813) | 18.5 |
| Home prices, last 10 years | 6.7% a year | 6.2% a year |
| Rents, last 5 years | 3.2% a year | 4% a year |
| Property tax | 0.61% | 0.87% |
| Households that rent | 65% | 42% |
Sources: Zillow's ZHVI and ZORI, Census ACS 2020-2024.
More cities in California
- Renting wins. Los Angeles, CA. $111k ahead.
- 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.
- Too close to call. In Sacramento, CA, rent holds a $3k edge.
- Rent. Long Beach, CA. Renting comes out ahead by $111k.
- Rent. Oakland, CA: renting comes out ahead by $44k.
- Buy. In Bakersfield, CA, buying wins by $11k.
- Rent. In Anaheim, CA, renting wins by $115k.
- Buy. In Stockton, CA, buying wins by $16k.
- Rent. In Riverside, CA, renting wins by $27k.