Rent vs buy in San Clemente, CA
In San Clemente, California, typical rent is $3,411 /mo and typical home price is $1,751,315.
Renting comes out ahead by $361k over 7 years
Based on San Clemente's usual rent and home value, the calculation assumes 20% down and today's mortgage rate. No break-even occurs within 30 years.
The math is shown, and the opinion is clearly labelled. The figures are estimates, not quotes. The stamp changes when you change a number.
- Renting leads by
- $361k after 7 years
- Break-even point
- 30+ years owning never catches up sooner
- Actual cost of owning
- $14,448 monthly year 1, against $3,411 rent
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In San Clemente, which costs less, renting or buying?
Across 7 years, renting costs $361,319 less, counting money returned when you sell. Every year shown has a lower net cost for renting than owning, and within 30 years, owning never catches up.
Renting option. Home ownership. Year-by-year net cost so far.
San Clemente: average rent vs mortgage payment
Rent and mortgage payments don't tell the whole story. For year 1, every monthly expense appears at San Clemente's typical price.
| Each month, year 1 | Amount | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Rent | $3,411 | All of it, every month |
| Mortgage payment | $9,548 | $8,416 of it is interest in year 1 |
| Property tax | $846 | 0.58% of the value a year |
| Insurance | $150 | Census median for the city |
| Upkeep | $1,459 | 1% of the value a year |
| Owning, cash out | $12,004 | $1,132 of it builds equity |
| Lost return on the down payment | $2,847 | What the cash would earn each year at 8.3% |
| Buying costs, spread out | $730 | 3.5% of the price over 7 years |
| True cost of owning | $14,448 | Cash out, after subtracting the equity part and adding the two lines above. |
San Clemente verdict: the numbers behind it
- Typical home valueZillow ZHVI, September 2026
- $1,751,315
- Typical rentZillow ZORI, September 2026
- $3,411 /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, San Clemente
- 0.58% of value
- Home insuranceCensus ACS 2020-2024, San Clemente
- $150 /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 San Clemente result?
In San Clemente, each line shows where the 7-year verdict changes, with everything else remaining as it is.
Renting wins if
- With yearly home price growth below 7.6%, the rate used is 5.3%, California's long-run rate.
- This condition applies while the mortgage rate remains above 3.53%.
- For a home like this, monthly rent is under $7,280 (typical here: $3,411).
- If you move at any point during the next 30 years, owning won't catch up under these figures.
Buying wins in these cases
- Home prices grow at more than 7.6% a year.
- You secure a mortgage rate under 3.53% (today's is 7.24%).
- For the same home, renting would cost you over $7,280 a month.
San Clemente compared with the other 812 cities
| Measure | San Clemente | Median city |
|---|---|---|
| Typical home value | $1,751,315 | $422,451 |
| Typical rent | $3,411 /mo | $1,837 /mo |
| Price-to-rent ratio | 42.8 (#4 of 813) | 18.5 |
| Home prices, last 10 years | 8.3% a year | 6.2% a year |
| Rents, last 5 years | 5.6% a year | 4% a year |
| Property tax | 0.58% | 0.87% |
| Households that rent | 34% | 42% |
Sources: Zillow ZHVI and ZORI, Census ACS 2020-2024.
More California cities
- For Los Angeles, CA, rent wins by $111k.
- For San Diego, CA, rent wins by $108k.
- For San Jose, CA, rent wins by $210k.
- For San Francisco, CA, rent wins by $128k.
- Buy. Fresno, CA. Buying comes out ahead by $22k.
- Toss-up. Sacramento, CA. Renting leads by $3k.
- In Long Beach, CA, rent comes out ahead by $111k.
- For Oakland CA, rent comes out $44k ahead.
- Buy. Bakersfield, CA. Buying comes out ahead by $11k.
- Rent. Anaheim, CA. Renting is ahead by $115k.
- Buy. Stockton, CA. Buying comes out ahead by $16k.
- Rent. Riverside, CA. Renting is ahead by $27k.