Rent vs buy in Highland, CA
In Highland, California, the typical rent is $2,630 /mo and the typical home costs $539,387.
Over 7 years, buying comes out ahead by $23k.
Today's mortgage rate and 20% down are included, along with Highland's typical rent and the typical home value. It breaks even in year 6.
Estimates, not quotes, with the math shown and clearly marked as opinion. If you change a number, the stamp changes.
- Owning comes out ahead by
- $23k after 7 years
- Break-even point
- year 6 when owning catches up
- Actual cost of owning
- $4,596 /mo year 1, against $2,630 rent
Change my numbers
Highland's typical rent and home value are the inputs the stamp relies on. It can flip based on what your rent, price and years are.
Do your numbers differ from the city's?
Enter the rent, price and down payment you want to use. The stamp changes with those figures.
Which costs less in Highland, renting or buying?
Across 7 years, buying runs $22,505 below renting, counting the money returned to you when you sell. In year 6, owning's net cost falls below renting's and stays lower.
Rent. The owning side. Running net cost, year by year.
Average rent compared with mortgage payment in Highland
Rent and the mortgage don't tell the whole story. Here are all monthly costs for year 1, using Highland's typical price.
| Each month, year 1 | Amount | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Rent | $2,630 | All of it, every month |
| Mortgage payment | $2,941 | $2,592 of it is interest in year 1 |
| Property tax | $355 | 0.79% of the value a year |
| Insurance | $98 | Census median for the city |
| Upkeep | $449 | 1% of the value a year |
| Owning, cash out | $3,843 | $349 of it builds equity |
| Lost return on the down payment | $877 | What your cash would earn each year at 8.3% |
| Buying costs, spread out | $225 | 3.5% of the price over 7 years |
| True cost of owning | $4,596 | Cash out minus the equity share, plus both lines above. |
Numbers behind the Highland result
- Home value, typical: Zillow ZHVI, September 2026
- $539,387
- Rent, typical: Zillow ZORI, September 2026
- $2,630 each month
- Private mortgage insurance is avoided with 20% down, but the engine does not model it.
- 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 from CPI for primary residence rent, yearly growth 2006 to 2026
- 3.5% each year
- What savings earn: 40% 10-year Treasuries and 60% S&P 500 with dividends, rebalanced yearly, 1928 to 2025
- A yearly rate of 8.3%
- Tax on the property: Census ACS 2020-2024, Highland
- Value times 0.79%
- Home insurance cost: Census ACS 2020-2024, Highland
- Monthly cost of $98
- Maintenance: Fannie Mae, 1% to 4%, low end
- Each year, 1% of value
- Buying costs: Freddie Mac, 2% to 5%, middle of the range
- The price times 3.5%
- Selling costs: Agent commission and closing costs
- The price times 6%
In Highland, what would flip it?
Each line shows when the 7-year verdict for Highland flips, while all other inputs stay the same.
When renting wins
- Home price growth falls below 4.8% a year (5.3% is California's long-run rate, which we use).
- The mortgage rate remains above 7.98%.
- Monthly rent for a home like this comes to under $2,390 (typical here: $2,630).
- Your move comes before year 6.
When buying wins
- Home price growth goes above 4.8% a year.
- You lock in a mortgage rate under 7.98% (today's is 7.24%).
- You would pay more than $2,390 a month to rent that same home.
- You remain 6 years or longer.
Highland compared with the other 812 cities
| Measure | Highland | Median city |
|---|---|---|
| Typical home value | $539,387 | $422,451 |
| Typical rent | $2,630 /mo | $1,837 /mo |
| Price-to-rent ratio | 17.1 (#488 of 813) | 18.5 |
| Home prices, last 10 years | 6.4% a year | 6.2% a year |
| Property tax | 0.79% | 0.87% |
| Households that rent | 36% | 42% |
Sources: Zillow's ZHVI, ZORI, Census ACS 2020-2024.
Other California cities
- Rent. Renting wins by $111k in Los Angeles, CA.
- Rent. Renting wins by $108k in San Diego, CA.
- Rent. Renting wins by $210k in San Jose, CA.
- Rent. Renting wins by $128k in San Francisco, CA.
- Buy. Buying wins by $22k in Fresno, CA.
- Toss-up. Sacramento, CA. Toss-up, with renting ahead by $3k.
- Rent. Renting wins by $111k in Long Beach, CA.
- Rent. Renting wins by $44k in Oakland, CA.
- Buy. Buying wins by $11k in Bakersfield, CA.
- Rent. Anaheim, CA. Renting is ahead by $115k.
- Buy. Stockton, CA. Buying comes out ahead by $16k.
- Rent. Riverside, CA. Renting is ahead by $27k.