Rent vs buy in Petaluma, CA
In Petaluma, California, the typical home costs $895,482, while the typical rent is $2,869 /mo.
Renting saves $88k over 7 years
Using 20% down, today's mortgage rate and Petaluma's typical rent and home value. Break-even point: year 14.
Clearly labeled opinion with math. These figures are estimates, not quotes. The stamp updates whenever you change a number.
- Renting leads by
- $88k after 7 years
- Break-even point
- year 14 when owning catches up
- Actual cost of owning
- $7,477 /mo year 1, against $2,869 rent
Change my numbers
Petaluma's typical figures for rent and home value feed into the stamp. Changes in your rent, price and years can flip the result.
Do your numbers differ from the city's?
Enter your own rent, home price and down payment. Your entries change the stamp.
Is renting or buying cheaper in Petaluma?
Over 7 years, renting saves $88,022 when you include the money you receive when selling. During the first 13 years, renting costs less. In year 14, owning catches up.
Renting. Buying. Net cost to date, shown by year.
Average rent compared with mortgage payment in Petaluma
At Petaluma's typical price, monthly costs in year 1 go beyond rent and the mortgage. Here are all of them.
| Each month, year 1 | Amount | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Rent | $2,869 | All of it, every month |
| Mortgage payment | $4,882 | $4,303 of it is interest in year 1 |
| Property tax | $485 | 0.65% of the value a year |
| Insurance | $114 | Census median for the city |
| Upkeep | $746 | 1% of the value a year |
| Owning, cash out | $6,227 | $579 of it builds equity |
| Lost return on the down payment | $1,456 | Annual earnings on the cash at 8.3% |
| Buying costs, spread out | $373 | 3.5% of the price over 7 years |
| True cost of owning | $7,477 | Cash out, minus equity, plus the two costs listed above |
Numbers behind the Petaluma result
- Typical home valueZillow ZHVI, September 2026
- $895,482
- Typical rentZillow ZORI, September 2026
- $2,869 /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, Petaluma
- 0.65% of value
- Home insuranceCensus ACS 2020-2024, Petaluma
- $114 /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 flip the Petaluma result?
Each line marks the point where the 7-year result in Petaluma changes, while all other factors stay the same.
When renting comes out ahead
- Home prices increase at a rate below 6.4% each year. For our calculations, we use California's long-run rate of 5.3%.
- The mortgage rate remains above 5.49%.
- A comparable home's monthly rent is under $3,810. The typical local figure is $2,869.
- Your move comes before year 14.
Buying is better when
- Home prices increase by more than 6.4% each year.
- You secure a mortgage rate under 5.49%, while today's rate is 7.24%.
- You'd pay more than $3,810 each month to rent the same home.
- You stay for at least 14 years.
How Petaluma compares with the other 812 cities
| Measure | Petaluma | Median city |
|---|---|---|
| Typical home value | $895,482 | $422,451 |
| Typical rent | $2,869 /mo | $1,837 /mo |
| Price-to-rent ratio | 26.0 (#122 of 813) | 18.5 |
| Home prices, last 10 years | 3.7% a year | 6.2% a year |
| Rents, last 5 years | 3.5% a year | 4% a year |
| Property tax | 0.65% | 0.87% |
| Households that rent | 35% | 42% |
Sources: Zillow ZHVI and ZORI, Census ACS 2020-2024.
More cities in California
- Renting leads by $111k in Los Angeles, CA.
- Renting leads by $108k in San Diego, CA.
- Renting leads by $210k in San Jose, CA.
- Renting leads by $128k in San Francisco, CA.
- Buying leads by $22k in Fresno, CA.
- Renting leads by $3k, making Sacramento, CA a toss-up.
- Renting leads by $111k in Long Beach, CA.
- Renting leads by $44k in Oakland, CA.
- Buy. In Bakersfield, CA, buying comes out ahead by $11k.
- Rent. In Anaheim, CA, renting comes out ahead by $115k.
- Buy. In Stockton, CA, buying comes out ahead by $16k.
- Rent. In Riverside, CA, renting comes out ahead by $27k.