Rent vs buy in Pueblo, CO

In Pueblo, Colorado, typical rent is $1,323 /mo and a typical home costs $281,571.

Buy

Over 7 years, buying comes out ahead by $5k

Using Pueblo's typical home value and rent, with 20% down, at today's mortgage rate. The break-even point: year 7.

Our opinion, clearly labelled, with the math shown. These are estimates, not quotes. Adjust a number and the stamp updates.

How far owning is ahead: $5k
Break-even point: Year 7
What owning really costs: $2,411 a month

Change my numbers

The stamp takes its typical rent and home value from Pueblo's figures. Your rent, price and years have the power to flip it.

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Enter a rent, price and down payment of your own. The stamp updates when those change.

Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Pueblo?

Counting the money that comes back to you when you sell, buying costs $4,678 less over 7 years. In year 7, owning's net cost falls below renting's and stays there.

Rent. Ownership. Net cost by year so far.

Pueblo: average rent against mortgage payment

Rent and the mortgage don't tell the whole story. Here are all monthly costs at Pueblo's typical price in year 1.

Each month, year 1	Amount	What it is
Rent	$1,323	All of it, every month
Mortgage payment	$1,535	$1,353 of it is interest in year 1
Property tax	$117	0.5% of the value a year
Insurance	$131	Census median for the city
Upkeep	$235	1% of the value a year
Owning, cash out	$2,018	$182 of it builds equity
Lost return on the down payment	$458	The return on that cash at 8.3% a year
Buying costs, spread out	$117	3.5% of the price over 7 years
True cost of owning	$2,411	Cash out, less the equity part, plus both lines above.

Pueblo verdict: the numbers behind it

Typical home valueZillow's ZHVI, September 2026: $281,571
Typical rentZillow's ZORI, September 2026: $1,323 a month
Down payment20% avoids private mortgage insurance, and the engine skips it.: 20%
Mortgage rateFreddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey data (FRED MORTGAGE30US): 7.24%
Home price growth: FHFA house price index, Colorado, 1995 through 2025: 5.2% annually
Rent growthCPI rent of primary residence, growth each year, 2006 to 2026: 3.5% annually
Savings return60% in S&P 500 with dividends, 40% in 10-year Treasuries, rebalanced each year, 1928 to 2025: 8.3% per year
Property tax Census ACS 2020-2024, Pueblo: 0.5% of the value
Home insurance Census ACS 2020-2024, Pueblo: $131 per month
MaintenanceFannie Mae, low end of the 1% to 4% range: 1% of the value each year
Buying costs Freddie Mac, midpoint of 2% to 5%: 3.5% of the price
Selling costs Agent commission and closing costs: 6% of the price

What would flip the result in Pueblo?

Every line marks the point where Pueblo's 7-year verdict flips, with everything else held the same.

Renting comes out ahead when

Home values gain under 5.0% a year (our number: 5.2%, Colorado's pace over the long run).
The mortgage rate remains above 7.53%.
A home like this costs under $1,270 a month to rent (the typical rent here is $1,323).
Moving happens before year 7.

Buying comes out ahead when

Home prices rise by more than 5.0% a year.
You secure a mortgage rate under 7.53% (today's rate: 7.24%).
You'd pay more than $1,270 a month to rent that same home.
You remain for 7 years or more.

Pueblo compared with the other 812 cities

Measure	Pueblo	Median city
Typical home value	$281,571	$422,451
Typical rent	$1,323 /mo	$1,837 /mo
Price-to-rent ratio	17.7 (#445 of 813)	18.5
Home prices, last 10 years	6.9% a year	6.2% a year
Rents, last 5 years	3.4% a year	4% a year
Property tax	0.50%	0.87%
Households that rent	39%	42%

Data from Zillow ZHVI and ZORI, Census ACS 2020-2024.

More cities in Colorado

Rent. In Denver, CO, renting wins by $37k.
Rent. Renting wins by $17k in Colorado Springs, CO.
Rent. Renting wins by $22k in Aurora, CO.
Rent. In Arvada, CO, renting wins by $47k.
Rent. Renting wins by $147k in Boulder, CO.

Rent vs buy: Colorado's numbers