Rent vs buy in National City, CA

In National City, California, the typical rent is $2,426 /mo and the typical home is $685,179.

Rent

Renting comes out ahead by $41k across 7 years

The calculation uses National City's typical figures for rent and home value, plus 20% down and today's mortgage rate. Your break-even point arrives in year 11.

An opinion, clearly labeled, with the math shown. These are estimates, not quotes. Adjust one number and the stamp will adjust.

Renting leads by: $41k
Point of break-even: The year: 11
Actual cost to own: $5,675 each month

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National City's stamp is based on typical rent and home value there. Your rent, price and time period can change the result.

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In National City, which costs less, renting or buying?

Over 7 years, renting costs $41,401 less after counting the money you receive when you sell. For the first 10 years, renting costs less. In year 11, owning catches up.

Renting. Owning. Net cost to date, broken down by year.

How average rent compares with mortgage payments in National City

Rent and mortgage payments don't tell the full story. At National City's typical price, the list shows every monthly expense in year 1.

Each month, year 1	Amount	What it is
Rent	$2,426	All of it, every month
Mortgage payment	$3,736	$3,293 of it is interest in year 1
Property tax	$337	0.59% of the value a year
Insurance	$75	Census median for the city
Upkeep	$571	1% of the value a year
Owning, cash out	$4,718	$443 of it builds equity
Lost return on the down payment	$1,114	The annual return on cash at 8.3%
Buying costs, spread out	$285	3.5% of the price over 7 years
True cost of owning	$5,675	Cash out minus the equity part, with the two entries above added.

The figures behind the National City verdict

Typical home valueZillow ZHVI, September 2026: $685,179
Typical rentZillow ZORI, September 2026: $2,426 /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, National City: 0.59% of value
Home insuranceCensus ACS 2020-2024, National City: $75 /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 cause the National City result to flip?

For National City, each line marks where the 7-year verdict changes. Everything else stays as it is.

Renting comes out ahead when

Home price growth remains under 6.0% a year; we use California's 5.3% long-run rate.
The mortgage rate remains above 6.17%.
Monthly rent for a home like this is under $2,870 (the local typical: $2,426).
Your move comes before year 11.

When buying comes out ahead

Home prices rise by more than 6.0% each year.
You lock in a mortgage rate below 6.17%. The current rate is 7.24%.
The monthly rent for the same home would exceed $2,870.
You remain there for 11 years or more.

812 cities compared with National City

Measure	National City	Median city
Typical home value	$685,179	$422,451
Typical rent	$2,426 /mo	$1,837 /mo
Price-to-rent ratio	23.5 (#191 of 813)	18.5
Home prices, last 10 years	6.3% a year	6.2% a year
Property tax	0.59%	0.87%
Households that rent	65%	42%

Sources: Zillow ZHVI and ZORI, Census ACS 2020-2024.

Additional cities in California

In Los Angeles, CA, renting has a $111k advantage.
In San Diego, CA, renting has a $108k advantage.
In San Jose, CA, renting has a $210k advantage.
In San Francisco, CA, renting has a $128k advantage.
In Fresno, CA, buying has a $22k advantage.

California rent vs buy: state numbers