Rent vs buy in Lodi, CA
Lodi, California has a typical rent of $2,278 /mo and a typical home of $508,738.
Buying comes out ahead by $7k over a period of 7 years
The calculation applies today's mortgage rate and a 20% down payment, using Lodi's typical home value and typical rent. The break-even point is year 7.
Opinion, clearly labeled, with the math shown. These figures are estimates, not quotes. The stamp changes when you change a number.
- Owning leads by
- $7k after 7 years
- The break-even point
- year 7 when owning catches up
- Actual cost of owning
- $4,285 /mo year 1, against $2,278 rent
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For the stamp, Lodi's typical rent and home value are the inputs. The result can flip based on your rent, price and years.
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Enter the rent, price and down payment you want. When those figures change, the stamp changes too.
In Lodi, is buying or renting cheaper?
Over 7 years, buying costs $7,285 less when you include the money you get back from selling. In year 7, owning's net cost falls below renting's and remains lower.
Renting Owning Net cost through each year.
Lodi's average rent compared with its mortgage payment
Rent and mortgage payments aren't the whole story. Here are all monthly costs for year 1 at Lodi's typical price.
| Each month, year 1 | Amount | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Rent | $2,278 | All of it, every month |
| Mortgage payment | $2,774 | $2,445 of it is interest in year 1 |
| Property tax | $284 | 0.67% of the value a year |
| Insurance | $93 | Census median for the city |
| Upkeep | $424 | 1% of the value a year |
| Owning, cash out | $3,575 | $329 of it builds equity |
| Lost return on the down payment | $827 | Annual earnings on the cash at 8.3% |
| Buying costs, spread out | $212 | 3.5% of the price over 7 years |
| True cost of owning | $4,285 | Cash out, minus the equity portion, plus both figures above. |
The figures behind Lodi's result
- Typical home value: Zillow: ZHVI, September 2026
- $508,738
- Typical rent: Zillow: ZORI, September 2026
- $2,278 /mo
- Down payment: with 20%, private mortgage insurance is avoided, which the engine does not model
- 20%
- Mortgage rate: Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey (FRED MORTGAGE30US)
- 7.24%
- House value growthFHFA's house price index for California, 1995 through 2025
- Each year: 5.3%
- Rent growth: CPI primary residence rent, yearly growth 2006 to 2026
- Each year: 3.5%
- Savings return60% allocated to S&P 500 with dividends and 40% in 10-year Treasuries, rebalanced yearly from 1928 to 2025
- Each year: 8.3%
- Property tax source: Census ACS 2020-2024, Lodi
- The rate on value is 0.67%
- Home insurance source: Census ACS 2020-2024, Lodi
- Each month: $93
- Maintenance: Fannie Mae, low end of 1% to 4%
- Each year, 1% of value
- Buying costs: Freddie Mac, middle of 2% to 5%
- Applied to price: 3.5%
- Selling costs: Agent commission plus closing costs
- Applied to price: 6%
What change would flip the result in Lodi?
The 7-year verdict in Lodi changes at the point shown by each line, while everything else remains unchanged.
Renting comes out ahead when
- Home prices grow less than 5.1% a year; the calculation uses California's 5.3% long-run rate.
- The mortgage rate remains higher than 7.49%.
- A similar home rents for under $2,200 a month (the typical rate here is $2,278).
- Before year 7, you move.
Buying comes out ahead when
- Home prices rise by more than 5.1% a year.
- Your locked mortgage rate is below 7.49%, while today's is 7.24%.
- You would pay over $2,200 monthly to rent that same home.
- You remain for 7 years or longer.
How Lodi compares with the other 812 cities
| Measure | Lodi | Median city |
|---|---|---|
| Typical home value | $508,738 | $422,451 |
| Typical rent | $2,278 /mo | $1,837 /mo |
| Price-to-rent ratio | 18.6 (#400 of 813) | 18.5 |
| Home prices, last 10 years | 4.8% a year | 6.2% a year |
| Rents, last 5 years | 3.6% a year | 4% a year |
| Property tax | 0.67% | 0.87% |
| Households that rent | 43% | 42% |
Based on Zillow data covering ZHVI and ZORI, Census ACS 2020-2024.
More cities in California
- Renting. Los Angeles, CA. The advantage totals $111k.
- 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.
- Toss-up. Sacramento, CA. The lead for renting is $3k.
- Renting. Long Beach, CA. The advantage totals $111k.
- Rent. Oakland, CA. Renting comes out ahead by $44k.
- Buy. Bakersfield, CA. Buying comes out ahead by $11k.
- Renting. Anaheim, CA gives renting an edge of $115k.
- Buying. Stockton, CA gives buying an edge of $16k.
- Renting. Riverside, CA gives renting an edge of $27k.