Rent vs buy in St. Cloud, FL
In St. Cloud, Florida, typical rent is $2,244 /mo and a typical home costs $389,582.
Over 7 years, buying comes out ahead by $46k.
The calculation uses typical rent and home values in St. Cloud, based on 20% down and today's mortgage rate. The break-even point is year 4.
Clearly labelled opinion, with the math shown. Estimates, not quotes. If you change a number, the stamp changes.
- How far owning leads
- $46k after 7 years
- Break-even point
- Year 4 when owning catches up
- Actual cost of owning
- Monthly: $3,385 year 1, against $2,244 rent
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For the stamp, we use typical rent and home value figures from St. Cloud. The result can change based on your rent, your price and the number of years you choose.
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Is renting or buying cheaper in St. Cloud?
Across 7 years, buying costs $46,329 less when you include the money returned when you sell. In year 4, owning's net cost falls below renting's and remains lower.
Rent. Own. Running net cost, by year.
St. Cloud's average rent versus its mortgage payment
At the typical St. Cloud price, this lists every monthly cost for year 1, including costs beyond rent and the mortgage.
| Each month, year 1 | Amount | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Rent | $2,244 | All of it, every month |
| Mortgage payment | $2,124 | $1,872 of it is interest in year 1 |
| Property tax | $253 | 0.78% of the value a year |
| Insurance | $139 | Census median for the city |
| Upkeep | $325 | 1% of the value a year |
| Owning, cash out | $2,841 | $252 of it builds equity |
| Lost return on the down payment | $633 | Annual return the cash would earn at 8.3% |
| Buying costs, spread out | $162 | 3.5% of the price over 7 years |
| True cost of owning | $3,385 | Cash paid out, minus the equity portion, plus the two lines above |
St. Cloud verdict: the numbers behind it
- Typical home valueZillow ZHVI, September 2026
- $389,582
- Typical rentZillow ZORI, September 2026
- $2,244 /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, Florida, 1995 to 2025
- 5.4% 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, St. Cloud
- 0.78% of value
- Home insuranceCensus ACS 2020-2024, St. Cloud
- $139 /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 could change the St. Cloud result?
With everything else unchanged, each line marks where St. Cloud's 7-year verdict changes.
Renting comes out ahead when
- Prices for homes grow below 4.0% annually. The calculation uses 5.4%, Florida's long-run rate.
- Your mortgage rate remains above 9.33%.
- Here, a home like this costs less than $1,750 a month to rent, compared with the typical $2,244.
- Your move happens before year 4.
Buying comes out ahead when
- Each year, home prices grow by more than 4.0%.
- You fix your mortgage rate under 9.33% (today's is 7.24%).
- The same home would cost more than $1,750 a month to rent.
- You remain in the home for 4 years or more.
How St. Cloud compares with 812 other cities
| Measure | St. Cloud | Median city |
|---|---|---|
| Typical home value | $389,582 | $422,451 |
| Typical rent | $2,244 /mo | $1,837 /mo |
| Price-to-rent ratio | 14.5 (#657 of 813) | 18.5 |
| Home prices, last 10 years | 5.9% a year | 6.2% a year |
| Rents, last 5 years | 3.2% a year | 4% a year |
| Property tax | 0.78% | 0.87% |
| Households that rent | 27% | 42% |
Sources: Zillow ZHVI and ZORI, Census ACS 2020-2024.
Cities in Florida besides St. Cloud
- Buying wins by $27k in Jacksonville, FL.
- Buying wins by $27k in Miami, FL.
- Buying wins by $19k in Tampa, FL.
- Buying wins by $17k in Orlando, FL.
- Buying wins by $41k in St. Petersburg, FL.
- Buying wins by $48k in Port St. Lucie, FL.
- Buying wins by $37k in Hialeah, FL.
- Buying wins by $36k in Cape Coral, FL.
- Buying wins by $11k in Tallahassee, FL.
- Buying wins by $25k in Fort Lauderdale, FL.
- Buying wins by $22k in Pembroke Pines, FL.
- Buying wins by $17k in Hollywood, FL.