Rent vs buy in Gresham, OR
In Gresham, Oregon, the typical monthly rent is $1,601 and the typical home price is $462,189.
Over 7 years, renting wins by $61k
Using Gresham's typical rent and home value, plus 20% down and today's mortgage rate. Costs balance in year 19.
Clearly labeled opinion with the math shown. These are estimates rather than quotes. Change any number and the stamp changes too.
- How far renting leads
- $61k after 7 years
- When costs balance
- year 19 when owning catches up
- Actual cost of owning
- $3,976 /mo year 1, against $1,601 rent
Change my numbers
Gresham's typical rent and home value drive the stamp. Your own rent, price and time period can change the result.
Your numbers differ from the city's?
Add the rent, purchase price and down payment you want to use. The stamp moves when those numbers change.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Gresham?
Once you include the money returned when you sell, renting costs $60,959 less over 7 years. For the first 18 years, renting costs less. By year 19, owning has caught up.
Rent. Own. Net cost so far, year by year.
Gresham average rent compared with mortgage payment
Rent and mortgage payments don't tell the whole story. Here are all monthly costs for year 1 at Gresham's typical price.
| Each month, year 1 | Amount | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Rent | $1,601 | All of it, every month |
| Mortgage payment | $2,520 | $2,221 of it is interest in year 1 |
| Property tax | $350 | 0.91% of the value a year |
| Insurance | $75 | Census median for the city |
| Upkeep | $385 | 1% of the value a year |
| Owning, cash out | $3,330 | $299 of it builds equity |
| Lost return on the down payment | $751 | What that cash would earn yearly at 8.3% |
| Buying costs, spread out | $193 | 3.5% of the price over 7 years |
| True cost of owning | $3,976 | Cash paid out, minus the equity part, plus both lines above |
Behind the Gresham verdict: the numbers
- Typical home value Data by Zillow: ZHVI, September 2026
- $462,189
- Typical rent Data by Zillow: ZORI, September 2026
- $1,601 /mo
- A 20% down payment avoids private mortgage insurance, but the engine leaves that cost out of its model.
- 20%
- Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey (FRED MORTGAGE30US), used for the mortgage rate.
- 7.24%
- FHFA index of home prices for Oregon, 1995 to 2025, used for home price growth.
- Each year: 4.9%
- Rent growth Yearly growth in CPI rent of primary residence, 2006 to 2026
- Each year: 3.5%
- 60% S&P 500 with dividends plus 40% 10-year Treasuries, rebalanced each year, 1928 to 2025, used for the return on savings.
- Each year: 8.3%
- Property tax: Census ACS 2020-2024, Gresham
- 0.91% of the value
- Home insurance: Census ACS 2020-2024, Gresham
- Monthly cost: $75
- Maintenance: Fannie Mae, low end of 1% to 4%
- Each year: 1% of value
- Buying costs: Freddie Mac, middle of 2% to 5%
- Price share: 3.5%
- Selling costs: Agent commission plus closing costs
- Price share: 6%
Which changes would switch the Gresham result?
Every line shows where the 7-year verdict in Gresham switches, and everything else stays as it is.
Renting comes out ahead when
- Home prices grow more slowly than 6.4% a year, and we use 4.9%, Oregon's pace over many years, as the growth rate.
- The mortgage rate remains above 4.88%.
- A home like this one costs less than $2,250 a month to rent (the typical cost here is $1,601).
- Before year 19, you move.
When buying is ahead
- Home prices rise faster than 6.4% a year.
- You secure a mortgage rate under 4.88% (today's rate is 7.24%).
- Renting this same home would cost more than $2,250 a month.
- You remain for 19 years or more.
Gresham compared with the other 812 cities
| Measure | Gresham | Median city |
|---|---|---|
| Typical home value | $462,189 | $422,451 |
| Typical rent | $1,601 /mo | $1,837 /mo |
| Price-to-rent ratio | 24.1 (#161 of 813) | 18.5 |
| Home prices, last 10 years | 5% a year | 6.2% a year |
| Rents, last 5 years | 1.9% a year | 4% a year |
| Property tax | 0.91% | 0.87% |
| Households that rent | 44% | 42% |
The data come from Zillow ZHVI and ZORI, Census ACS 2020-2024.
Cities besides Gresham in Oregon
- Rent. Portland, OR. Renting comes out ahead by $82k.
- Rent. Salem, OR. Renting comes out ahead by $48k.
- Rent. Eugene, OR. Renting comes out ahead by $49k.
- Rent. Hillsboro, OR. Renting comes out ahead by $44k.
- Rent. Bend, OR. Renting comes out ahead by $93k.
- Rent. Beaverton, OR. Renting comes out ahead by $65k.
- Rent. Medford, OR. Renting comes out ahead by $19k.
- Rent. Corvallis, OR. Renting comes out ahead by $93k.
- Rent. Springfield, OR. Renting comes out ahead by $31k.
- Rent. In Tigard, OR, renting wins by $102k.
- Rent. In Albany, OR, renting wins by $39k.