Rent vs buy in Huntington Beach, CA
In Huntington Beach, California, the typical rent is $3,105 /mo and the typical home is $1,344,725.
Renting comes out $231k ahead across 7 years
Using the typical rent and home value for Huntington Beach's market, plus 20% down and today's mortgage rate. The break-even point is reached in year 23.
Clearly labelled opinion, with the math shown. These are estimates, not quotes. Change any number, and the stamp will change with it.
- Ahead with renting
- $231k after 7 years
- Break-even point
- year 23 when owning catches up
- Full cost of home ownership
- $11,078 /mo year 1, against $3,105 rent
Change my numbers
The stamp draws on typical rent and home value for Huntington Beach's market. Your rent, price and time period can change the result.
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Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Huntington Beach?
Across 7 years, renting costs $230,618 less, including the money returned to you when you sell. For the first 22 years, renting costs less. In year 23, owning catches up.
Renting. Owning. Net cost to date, shown by year.
Average rent compared with mortgage payments in Huntington Beach
Rent and mortgage payments don't tell the whole story. At Huntington Beach's typical price, here are all monthly costs in year 1.
| Each month, year 1 | Amount | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Rent | $3,105 | All of it, every month |
| Mortgage payment | $7,331 | $6,462 of it is interest in year 1 |
| Property tax | $639 | 0.57% of the value a year |
| Insurance | $111 | Census median for the city |
| Upkeep | $1,121 | 1% of the value a year |
| Owning, cash out | $9,202 | $869 of it builds equity |
| Lost return on the down payment | $2,186 | Annual earnings on the cash at 8.3% |
| Buying costs, spread out | $560 | 3.5% of the price over 7 years |
| True cost of owning | $11,078 | Cash paid out, minus the equity portion, plus the two amounts listed above |
The figures behind the Huntington Beach result
- Typical home valueZillow ZHVI, September 2026
- $1,344,725
- Typical rentZillow ZORI, September 2026
- $3,105 /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, California, 1995 to 2025
- 5.3% 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, Huntington Beach
- 0.57% of value
- Home insuranceCensus ACS 2020-2024, Huntington Beach
- $111 /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 change the Huntington Beach result?
Each line marks where the 7-year verdict changes in Huntington Beach, while everything else remains as it is.
Renting is ahead under these conditions
- The condition calls for home prices to grow by less than 7.2% each year. Our comparison uses 5.3%, based on California's long-term average.
- A mortgage rate over 4.17% must hold for this condition to apply.
- Monthly rent for a similar home is under $5,580; the typical local figure is $3,105.
- You move earlier than year 23.
Buying comes out ahead when
- Home prices rise by more than 7.2% a year.
- You secure a mortgage rate under 4.17% (today's is 7.24%).
- The same home would cost more than $5,580 a month to rent.
- You'll stay 23 years or more.
How Huntington Beach compares with 812 other cities
| Measure | Huntington Beach | Median city |
|---|---|---|
| Typical home value | $1,344,725 | $422,451 |
| Typical rent | $3,105 /mo | $1,837 /mo |
| Price-to-rent ratio | 36.1 (#25 of 813) | 18.5 |
| Home prices, last 10 years | 7.3% a year | 6.2% a year |
| Rents, last 5 years | 4.2% a year | 4% a year |
| Property tax | 0.57% | 0.87% |
| Households that rent | 45% | 42% |
Sources: Zillow ZHVI and ZORI, Census ACS 2020-2024.
More cities in California
- Renting wins by $111k in Los Angeles, CA.
- Renting wins by $108k in San Diego, CA.
- Renting wins by $210k in San Jose, CA.
- Renting wins by $128k in San Francisco, CA.
- Buying wins by $22k in Fresno, CA.
- Toss-up: renting leads by $3k in Sacramento, CA.
- Renting wins by $111k in Long Beach, CA.
- Renting wins by $44k in Oakland, CA.
- Buying wins by $11k in Bakersfield, CA.
- Renting wins by $115k in Anaheim, CA.
- Buying wins by $16k in Stockton, CA.
- Renting wins by $27k in Riverside, CA.