Rent vs buy in Mesquite, TX
In Texas, the typical rent is $1,458 /mo and the typical home costs $256,597 in Mesquite, Texas.
Renting comes out ahead by $8k over 7 years
Using Mesquite's typical rent and home value, plus 20% down and today's mortgage rate. The break-even point is year 9.
Clearly labelled opinion, math shown. Estimates, not quotes. Adjust any number, and the stamp adjusts too.
- Renting leads by
- $8k after 7 years
- Break-even point
- year 9 when owning catches up
- Actual cost of owning
- $2,460 /mo year 1, against $1,458 rent
Change my numbers
The stamp draws on the typical rent and home value from Mesquite's market. Your rent, price and time period can change the result.
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Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Mesquite?
If you count the money returned when you sell, renting costs $7,961 less over 7 years. For the first 8 years, renting costs less. By year 9, owning catches up.
Renting. Owning. The net cost through each year.
Mesquite: average rent compared with mortgage payment
Rent and mortgage don't tell the whole story. Here are the monthly costs for year 1 using Mesquite's typical price.
| Each month, year 1 | Amount | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Rent | $1,458 | All of it, every month |
| Mortgage payment | $1,399 | $1,233 of it is interest in year 1 |
| Property tax | $336 | 1.57% of the value a year |
| Insurance | $153 | Census median for the city |
| Upkeep | $214 | 1% of the value a year |
| Owning, cash out | $2,102 | $166 of it builds equity |
| Lost return on the down payment | $417 | Annual earnings the cash would receive at 8.3% |
| Buying costs, spread out | $107 | 3.5% of the price over 7 years |
| True cost of owning | $2,460 | Cash out after subtracting the equity share, then add the two lines above |
The figures behind Mesquite's result
- Typical home valueZillow ZHVI, September 2026
- $256,597
- Typical rentZillow ZORI, September 2026
- $1,458 /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, Texas, 1995 to 2025
- 4.7% 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, Mesquite
- 1.57% of value
- Home insuranceCensus ACS 2020-2024, Mesquite
- $153 /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 reverse the result in Mesquite?
Each line marks where Mesquite's 7-year verdict flips, while everything else stays as it is.
Renting wins if
- Texas's long-run rate of 4.7% is what we use for price growth under 5.1% a year.
- The rate for the mortgage stays above 6.69%.
- For a home like this, monthly rent runs under $1,540, and the local typical rate is $1,458.
- Your move happens before year 9.
Buying comes out ahead when
- Home prices rise by more than 5.1% each year.
- You secure a rate below 6.69% for your mortgage (today's rate is 7.24%).
- The same home would cost more than $1,540 a month to rent.
- Your stay reaches 9 years or longer.
Mesquite compared with the other 812 cities
| Measure | Mesquite | Median city |
|---|---|---|
| Typical home value | $256,597 | $422,451 |
| Typical rent | $1,458 /mo | $1,837 /mo |
| Price-to-rent ratio | 14.7 (#642 of 813) | 18.5 |
| Home prices, last 10 years | 6.1% a year | 6.2% a year |
| Rents, last 5 years | 3.4% a year | 4% a year |
| Property tax | 1.57% | 0.87% |
| Households that rent | 37% | 42% |
Sources: Zillow ZHVI and ZORI, Census ACS 2020-2024.
More cities in Texas
- Toss-up. Houston, TX has a close result, with renting leading by $2k.
- Rent. San Antonio, TX favors renting by $10k.
- Rent. Dallas, TX. Renting is ahead by $20k.
- Rent. Fort Worth, TX. Renting is ahead by $17k.
- Rent. Austin, TX. Renting is ahead by $111k.
- Toss-up. El Paso, TX comparison. The result is close, with buying ahead by $2k.
- Rent. Arlington, TX comparison. The gap favors renting by $34k.
- Buy. Corpus Christi, TX. Buying is ahead by $4k.
- Rent. Plano, TX. Renting is ahead by $105k.
- Toss-up. Lubbock, TX comparison. The result is close, with buying ahead by $2k.
- Rent. Laredo, TX comparison. The gap favors renting by $20k.
- Rent. Irving, TX. Renting is ahead by $36k.