Rent vs buy in Manteca, CA
In Manteca, California, the typical rent is $2,530 /mo and the typical home value is $572,552.
After 7 years, the difference is $2,954, making it a toss-up
The calculation applies 20% down and today's mortgage rate to Manteca's typical rent and home value. The break-even point is year 7.
A clearly marked opinion with the math shown. These figures are estimates, not quotes. Any change to a number changes the stamp.
- Gap
- $3k after 7 years
- Break-even point
- year 7 when owning catches up
- Actual ownership cost
- $4,842 /mo year 1, against $2,530 rent
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Manteca's typical rent and home value drive the stamp. Your rent, price and time period can change the result.
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In Manteca, is renting or buying cheaper?
After 7 years, the paths are within $2,954 of each other, and small changes decide the outcome. In year 7, owning's net cost drops under renting's and remains lower.
Renting. Owning. Total net cost up to each year.
Average rent compared with mortgage payment in Manteca
Rent and the mortgage don't tell the whole story. Here are all monthly costs for year 1 at Manteca's typical price.
| Each month, year 1 | Amount | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Rent | $2,530 | All of it, every month |
| Mortgage payment | $3,122 | $2,751 of it is interest in year 1 |
| Property tax | $348 | 0.73% of the value a year |
| Insurance | $96 | Census median for the city |
| Upkeep | $477 | 1% of the value a year |
| Owning, cash out | $4,043 | $370 of it builds equity |
| Lost return on the down payment | $931 | Annual earnings on the cash at 8.3% |
| Buying costs, spread out | $239 | 3.5% of the price over 7 years |
| True cost of owning | $4,842 | Cash paid out, minus the equity portion, plus the two items listed above |
Manteca's verdict explained by the numbers
- Value of a typical homeZillow ZHVI, September 2026
- $572,552
- Typical rent figureZillow ZORI, September 2026
- Monthly: $2,530
- Down paymentThe 20% down payment avoids private mortgage insurance, but the engine does not model it
- 20%
- Rate for mortgagesFreddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey (FRED MORTGAGE30US)
- 7.24%
- Growth in home pricesFHFA house price index, California, 1995 to 2025
- Annual rate: 5.3%
- Annual rent growth comes from CPI rent of primary residence, yearly change 2006 to 2026
- Annual rate: 3.5%
- Savings return estimate: 60% S&P 500 with dividends plus 40% 10-year Treasuries, rebalanced each year, 1928 to 2025
- Annual rate: 8.3%
- Property tax, from Census ACS 2020-2024, Manteca
- Percentage of value: 0.73%
- Home insurance, from Census ACS 2020-2024, Manteca
- Monthly: $96
- Expenses for maintenance, from Fannie Mae, low end of the 1% to 4% range
- Each year, 1% of value.
- Buying costs, based on Freddie Mac, 2% to 5% at the midpoint
- Percentage of price: 3.5%
- Sale expensesAgent commission plus closing costs
- Percentage of price: 6%
Which changes would flip the Manteca result?
Where the 7-year verdict for Manteca changes, each line gives that point, and everything else holds steady.
Renting has the advantage when
- Home prices rise below 5.2% yearly (our figure is California's long-run rate of 5.3%).
- The mortgage rate holds above 7.33%.
- The monthly rent for a similar home is under $2,500 (typical here: $2,530).
- Your move happens before year 7.
Buying has the advantage when
- Annual home price growth exceeds 5.2%.
- Buying wins if you secure a rate under 7.33% (today's is 7.24%).
- You'd pay over $2,500 a month to rent that same home.
- Your stay lasts 7 years or longer.
How Manteca compares with the other 812 cities
| Measure | Manteca | Median city |
|---|---|---|
| Typical home value | $572,552 | $422,451 |
| Typical rent | $2,530 /mo | $1,837 /mo |
| Price-to-rent ratio | 18.9 (#393 of 813) | 18.5 |
| Home prices, last 10 years | 4.8% a year | 6.2% a year |
| Rents, last 5 years | 2.2% a year | 4% a year |
| Property tax | 0.73% | 0.87% |
| Households that rent | 28% | 42% |
These sources supply the figures: Zillow ZHVI and ZORI, Census ACS 2020-2024.
More cities in California
- Rent wins: Los Angeles, CA. The gap is $111k.
- Rent wins: San Diego, CA. The gap is $108k.
- Rent wins: San Jose, CA. The gap is $210k.
- Rent wins: San Francisco, CA. The gap is $128k.
- Buying comes out ahead by $22k in Fresno, CA.
- Toss-up: Sacramento, CA. Renting leads by $3k.
- Rent wins: Long Beach, CA. The gap is $111k.
- Rent wins: Oakland, CA. The gap is $44k.
- Buying comes out ahead by $11k in Bakersfield, CA.
- Rent wins: Anaheim, CA. The gap is $115k.
- In Stockton, CA, buying wins by $16k.
- In Riverside, CA, renting wins by $27k.