Rent vs buy in Gulfport, MS

In Gulfport, Mississippi, typical rent is $1,467 /mo, and a typical home costs $206,122.

Buy

Buying comes out ahead by $12k over 7 years

This calculation uses 20% down, today's mortgage rate, and Gulfport's typical rent and home value. You reach break-even in year 6.

A clearly labelled opinion, with the math shown. These are estimates, not quotes. Adjust a number and the stamp updates.

Owning leads by: $12k
Break-even point: It occurs in year 6
Actual cost of owning: Monthly cost: $1,879

Change my numbers

The stamp relies on Gulfport's figures for typical rent and home value. Your rent, price and years can reverse the result.

Do your numbers differ from the city's?

Enter the rent, price and down payment you want to use. The stamp changes based on those values.

Does renting or buying cost less in Gulfport?

Counting the money you get back when you sell, buying costs $11,538 less over 7 years. In year 6, owning's net cost falls below renting's and remains lower.

The renting option. The owning option. Net cost to date, by year.

Average rent compared with mortgage payment in Gulfport

Rent and mortgage payments don't show every cost. Here are all monthly expenses for year 1 at Gulfport's typical price.

Each month, year 1	Amount	What it is
Rent	$1,467	All of it, every month
Mortgage payment	$1,124	$991 of it is interest in year 1
Property tax	$124	0.72% of the value a year
Insurance	$172	Census median for the city
Upkeep	$172	1% of the value a year
Owning, cash out	$1,591	$133 of it builds equity
Lost return on the down payment	$335	The yearly return on that cash: 8.3%
Buying costs, spread out	$86	3.5% of the price over 7 years
True cost of owning	$1,879	Cash paid out, minus the equity portion, plus the two items above

The numbers behind Gulfport's verdict

Typical home valueZillow ZHVI, September 2026: $206,122
Typical rentZillow ZORI, September 2026: $1,467 /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, Mississippi, 1995 to 2025: 3.5% 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, Gulfport: 0.72% of value
Home insuranceCensus ACS 2020-2024, Gulfport: $172 /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 Gulfport verdict?

Each line marks where Gulfport's 7-year verdict changes, while all other assumptions remain the same.

Renting is better when

Home prices grow by less than 2.8% annually. We use 3.5%, which is Mississippi's long-run rate.
The rate on a mortgage remains above 8.23%.
A similar home rents for under $1,340 each month (typical here: $1,467).
Your move happens before year 6.

Buying is better when

Home prices increase by more than 2.8% a year.
You secure a mortgage rate under 8.23% (today's is 7.24%).
If you rented this same home, you'd pay more than $1,340 monthly.
You remain 6 years or longer.

Gulfport compared with the other 812 cities

Measure	Gulfport	Median city
Typical home value	$206,122	$422,451
Typical rent	$1,467 /mo	$1,837 /mo
Price-to-rent ratio	11.7 (#767 of 813)	18.5
Home prices, last 10 years	5.5% a year	6.2% a year
Rents, last 5 years	5.7% a year	4% a year
Property tax	0.72%	0.87%
Households that rent	45%	42%

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

More cities in Mississippi

Rent. Renting wins by $9k in Southaven, MS.

Mississippi's rent vs buy numbers