Rent vs buy in San Angelo, TX
In San Angelo, Texas, typical rent is $1,311 /mo and a typical home costs $210,720.
Over 7 years, buying comes out ahead by $7k.
At 20% down and today's mortgage rate, the figures use San Angelo's typical home value and rent. The break-even point is year 6.
A clearly labeled opinion with the math shown. These are estimates, not quotes. The stamp updates whenever a number changes.
- How far owning is ahead
- $7k after 7 years
- When it breaks even
- Year 6 when owning catches up
- What owning really costs
- $1,987 per month year 1, against $1,311 rent
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Which costs less in San Angelo: renting or buying?
Once you include the money you get back when you sell, buying costs $7,279 less over 7 years. In year 6, owning's net cost falls below renting's and stays lower.
Rent. Own. Net cost by year so far.
Average rent compared with mortgage payment in San Angelo
Rent and mortgage payments don't tell the whole story. At San Angelo's typical price, these are all the monthly costs in year 1.
| Each month, year 1 | Amount | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Rent | $1,311 | All of it, every month |
| Mortgage payment | $1,149 | $1,013 of it is interest in year 1 |
| Property tax | $239 | 1.36% of the value a year |
| Insurance | $130 | Census median for the city |
| Upkeep | $176 | 1% of the value a year |
| Owning, cash out | $1,693 | $136 of it builds equity |
| Lost return on the down payment | $343 | At 8.3% a year, this is what the cash would earn. |
| Buying costs, spread out | $88 | 3.5% of the price over 7 years |
| True cost of owning | $1,987 | Cash out with the equity part removed, plus the two lines above. |
The San Angelo verdict, explained by the numbers
- Typical home valueZillow ZHVI, September 2026
- $210,720
- Typical rentZillow ZORI, September 2026
- $1,311 /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, Texas, 1995 to 2025
- 4.7% 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, San Angelo
- 1.36% of value
- Home insuranceCensus ACS 2020-2024, San Angelo
- $130 /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 outcome in San Angelo?
Each line marks the point at which the 7-year verdict changes in San Angelo; everything else stays as it is.
Renting comes out ahead when
- Home prices grow by less than 4.3% each year. The calculation applies Texas's long-run rate of 4.7%.
- The mortgage rate remains above 7.85%.
- For a home like this, the monthly rent is less than $1,230 (typical here: $1,311).
- Moving before year 6.
Buying comes out ahead when
- Annual home-price growth runs above 4.3%.
- You lock in a mortgage rate under 7.85%; today's rate is 7.24%.
- For the same home, renting would cost more than $1,230 a month.
- You remain in the home for 6 years or more.
How San Angelo compares with the other 812 cities
| Measure | San Angelo | Median city |
|---|---|---|
| Typical home value | $210,720 | $422,451 |
| Typical rent | $1,311 /mo | $1,837 /mo |
| Price-to-rent ratio | 13.4 (#707 of 813) | 18.5 |
| Home prices, last 10 years | 4.4% a year | 6.2% a year |
| Rents, last 5 years | 4.1% a year | 4% a year |
| Property tax | 1.36% | 0.87% |
| Households that rent | 39% | 42% |
Sources: Zillow ZHVI and ZORI, Census ACS 2020-2024.
More Texas cities
- Toss-up. Houston, TX comparison. Renting leads by $2k, so the result is too close to call.
- Rent. San Antonio, TX shows renting winning by $10k.
- Rent. Dallas, TX. Renting comes out ahead by $20k.
- Rent. Fort Worth, TX. Renting comes out ahead by $17k.
- Rent. Austin, TX. Renting comes out ahead by $111k.
- El Paso, TX comparison. It's a toss-up, with buying ahead by $2k.
- Rent. Arlington, TX comparison. Renting has a $34k advantage.
- Buy. Corpus Christi, TX. Buying comes out ahead by $4k.
- Rent. Plano, TX. Renting comes out ahead by $105k.
- Lubbock, TX comparison. It's a toss-up, with buying ahead by $2k.
- Rent. Laredo, TX comparison. Renting has a $20k advantage.
- Rent. Irving, TX comparison. Renting has a $36k advantage.