Rent vs buy in Roswell, GA

In Roswell, Georgia, the typical rent is $1,706 /mo and a typical home costs $650,072.

Rent

Over 7 years, renting comes out $159k ahead.

Using Roswell's typical rent and home value, plus 20% down and today's mortgage rate. No break-even occurs within 30 years.

A clearly labeled opinion, with the math shown. These are estimates, not quotes. Change any number, and the stamp changes with it.

Renting is ahead by: $159k
Break-even point: 30 years or more
What owning really costs: $5,555 each month

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The stamp relies on Roswell's typical rent and the typical home value. Change your rent, price or years and it can flip.

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In Roswell, is renting or buying cheaper?

Once you count the money returned when you sell, renting costs $159,308 less over 7 years. In every year shown, renting's net cost sits below owning's, and owning still hasn't caught up within 30 years.

Rent. Buy. Net cost by year so far.

Roswell mortgage payment compared with average rent

There's more to it than rent and the mortgage. These are all monthly costs for year 1, using Roswell's typical price.

Each month, year 1	Amount	What it is
Rent	$1,706	All of it, every month
Mortgage payment	$3,544	$3,124 of it is interest in year 1
Property tax	$417	0.77% of the value a year
Insurance	$145	Census median for the city
Upkeep	$542	1% of the value a year
Owning, cash out	$4,648	$420 of it builds equity
Lost return on the down payment	$1,057	At 8.3% a year, what the cash would earn
Buying costs, spread out	$271	3.5% of the price over 7 years
True cost of owning	$5,555	Cash out, minus the equity share, plus both lines above

What numbers support the Roswell verdict?

Typical home valueZillow ZHVI, September 2026: $650,072
Typical rentZillow ZORI, September 2026: $1,706 /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, Georgia, 1995 to 2025: 4.4% 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, Roswell: 0.77% of value
Home insuranceCensus ACS 2020-2024, Roswell: $145 /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 result in Roswell?

The 7-year verdict in Roswell changes at the point marked by each line, with everything else held constant.

Renting comes out ahead when

Home prices rise by less than 7.2% a year; 4.4% is Georgia's long-run rate and the one we use.
The rate on a mortgage stays higher than 2.81%.
A similar home rents for under $3,410 a month (the typical rent here is $1,706).
Move at any point during the next 30 years and owning still never catches up at these numbers

Buying is the better deal when

Home prices rise by more than 7.2% a year.
Today's rate is 7.24%, and you lock one below 2.81%.
That same home would cost more than $3,410 monthly to rent.

Roswell compared with the other 812 cities

Measure	Roswell	Median city
Typical home value	$650,072	$422,451
Typical rent	$1,706 /mo	$1,837 /mo
Price-to-rent ratio	31.8 (#53 of 813)	18.5
Home prices, last 10 years	6% a year	6.2% a year
Rents, last 5 years	2% a year	4% a year
Property tax	0.77%	0.87%
Households that rent	28%	42%

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

More cities in Georgia

Buying wins by $27k in Augusta, GA.
It's a toss-up in Savannah, GA, with renting ahead by $1k.

Georgia rent vs buy: the state's numbers