Rent vs buy in Overland Park, KS
In Overland Park, Kansas, typical rent is $1,754 /mo and a typical home costs $480,952.
Renting comes out ahead by $103k over 7 years.
The calculation uses 20% down, today's mortgage rate and typical rent and home value for Overland Park's market. There's no break-even point during 30 years.
Clearly labeled opinion with the math shown. These are estimates, not quotes. If you change a number, the stamp changes with it.
- Amount renting is ahead by
- $103k after 7 years
- Break-even point
- 30+ years owning never catches up sooner
- True cost of ownership
- $4,284 /mo year 1, against $1,754 rent
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The stamp's inputs are typical rent and home value for Overland Park's market. Your rent, purchase price and chosen period can change which option wins.
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Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Overland Park?
Over 7 years, renting costs $103,153 less after counting the money you receive when you sell. Renting's net cost stays under owning's in each year shown, and owning doesn't make up the difference within 30 years.
Rent. Buying. Net cost so far, shown by year.
Average rent compared with mortgage payment in Overland Park
Monthly costs go beyond rent and mortgage payments. At Overland Park's typical price, here are all of them for year 1.
| Each month, year 1 | Amount | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Rent | $1,754 | All of it, every month |
| Mortgage payment | $2,622 | $2,311 of it is interest in year 1 |
| Property tax | $421 | 1.05% of the value a year |
| Insurance | $169 | Census median for the city |
| Upkeep | $401 | 1% of the value a year |
| Owning, cash out | $3,613 | $311 of it builds equity |
| Lost return on the down payment | $782 | Annual earnings the cash would receive at 8.3% |
| Buying costs, spread out | $200 | 3.5% of the price over 7 years |
| True cost of owning | $4,284 | Cash out, minus the equity part, plus the two amounts above |
The Overland Park verdict explained by the numbers
- Zillow data for ZHVI, September 2026 gives the typical home value.
- $480,952
- Typical rent Zillow ZORI, September 2026
- $1,754 /mo
- The engine leaves private mortgage insurance out of its model, while a 20% down payment avoids it.
- 20%
- Mortgage rate data: Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey (FRED MORTGAGE30US)
- 7.24%
- Growth in home pricesFHFA index of house prices, Kansas, 1995 to 2025
- Each year: 4%.
- Rent growth CPI rent of primary residence: annual change 2006 to 2026
- 3.5% each year.
- Savings returnFrom 1928 to 2025: 60% S&P 500, including dividends, plus 40% 10-year Treasuries, with yearly rebalancing
- 8.3% yearly
- Property tax from Census ACS 2020-2024, Overland Park
- Value times 1.05%
- Home insurance from Census ACS 2020-2024, Overland Park
- $169 /mo
- Maintenance Fannie Mae: low end of 1% to 4%
- Each year, 1% of value
- Buying costs Freddie Mac: middle of 2% to 5%
- Price times 3.5%
- Selling costs: Agent commission plus closing costs
- Price times 6%
What would reverse the result in Overland Park?
The 7-year result for Overland Park changes at each line, with everything else remaining unchanged.
Renting is ahead when
- We use 4% as the long-run rate for Kansas's home prices; the condition is growth below 6.5% a year.
- The mortgage rate remains above 3.37%.
- For a home like this, the monthly rent is under $2,860 (the typical rent here is $1,754).
- Moving at any time in the next 30 years, you still won't see owning catch up with these numbers.
Buying is ahead when
- Home prices increase by over 6.5% annually.
- You secure a mortgage rate under 3.37%, compared with today's 7.24%.
- You would pay over $2,860 each month to rent the same home.
Overland Park compared with 812 other cities
| Measure | Overland Park | Median city |
|---|---|---|
| Typical home value | $480,952 | $422,451 |
| Typical rent | $1,754 /mo | $1,837 /mo |
| Price-to-rent ratio | 22.9 (#211 of 813) | 18.5 |
| Home prices, last 10 years | 6% a year | 6.2% a year |
| Rents, last 5 years | 5.8% a year | 4% a year |
| Property tax | 1.05% | 0.87% |
| Households that rent | 39% | 42% |
Data from Zillow ZHVI and ZORI, Census ACS 2020-2024.
Other Kansas cities
- Rent. Wichita, KS. Renting comes out ahead by $14k.
- Too close to call. Kansas City, KS. Buying leads by $1k.
- Renting has the edge. Olathe, KS. Renting leads by $76k.
- Too close to call. Topeka, KS. Renting leads by $2k.
- Renting has the edge. Lawrence, KS. Renting leads by $45k.
- Rent. Shawnee, KS. Renting comes out ahead by $100k.
- Rent. Lenexa, KS. Renting comes out ahead by $108k.
- Rent. Manhattan, KS. Renting comes out ahead by $55k.