Rent vs buy in Tamarac, FL

In Tamarac, Florida, the typical home is $291,266 and typical rent is $2,121 a month.

Buy

Buying comes out ahead by $67k over 7 years

Today's mortgage rate, 20% down, and Tamarac's typical rent and home value form the basis of the calculation. The break-even point is year 3.

An opinion, clearly labeled, with the math shown. These are estimates, not quotes. The stamp changes when you change a number.

How far owning comes out ahead: $67k
Break-even point: year 3
True cost of ownership: $2,626 /mo

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The stamp reflects Tamarac's typical rent and home value. Change your rent, price or years, and the result can flip.

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Is renting or buying cheaper in Tamarac?

Once you count the money returned when you sell, buying costs $67,446 less over 7 years. By year 3, owning's net cost is below renting's and remains lower.

Renting. Ownership. Net cost to date, grouped by year.

Average rent versus mortgage payment in Tamarac

The full picture includes every monthly cost during year 1 at Tamarac's typical price, not just rent and the mortgage.

Each month, year 1	Amount	What it is
Rent	$2,121	All of it, every month
Mortgage payment	$1,588	$1,400 of it is interest in year 1
Property tax	$223	0.92% of the value a year
Insurance	$166	Census median for the city
Upkeep	$243	1% of the value a year
Owning, cash out	$2,220	$188 of it builds equity
Lost return on the down payment	$473	What the cash would earn each year at 8.3%
Buying costs, spread out	$121	3.5% of the price over 7 years
True cost of owning	$2,626	Add cash out after removing its equity portion to the two lines above.

Numbers behind Tamarac's verdict

Typical home value from Zillow: ZHVI, September 2026: $291,266
Typical rent from Zillow: ZORI, September 2026: $2,121 /mo
Down payment: 20% means private mortgage insurance is avoided, and the engine doesn't model it.: 20%
Mortgage rate from Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey (FRED MORTGAGE30US): 7.24%
Growth in home pricesFHFA house price index, Florida, 1995 to 2025: Annual rate: 5.4%
Rent growth: CPI rent of primary residence, yearly growth from 2006 to 2026: Annual rate: 3.5%
Return on savings60% S&P 500 including dividends and 40% 10-year Treasuries, rebalanced each year, 1928 to 2025: Annual rate: 8.3%
Tax charged on the property: Census ACS 2020-2024, Tamarac: 0.92% of the property's value
Insurance for the home: Census ACS 2020-2024, Tamarac: Monthly cost: $166
UpkeepFannie Mae, low end of 1% to 4%: Each year, 1% of the value
Cost of buyingFreddie Mac, midpoint of 2% to 5%: 3.5% of home price
Sale costsAgent commission plus closing costs: 6% of the price

In Tamarac, what would reverse it?

Each line shows when the 7-year result in Tamarac changes, with everything else staying the same.

Renting wins if

Home price growth below 2.4% a year (the rate we use is 5.4%, Florida's long-run pace).
The mortgage rate remains above 11.30%.
Less than $1,400 a month is the rent for a home like this; here, the typical amount is $2,121.
Your move occurs before year 3.

Conditions for buying to win

Home prices increase by more than 2.4% a year.
You lock in a mortgage rate under 11.30%, while today's rate is 7.24%.
The same home would cost more than $1,400 a month to rent.
You remain for 3 years or longer.

Tamarac compared with the other 812 cities

Measure	Tamarac	Median city
Typical home value	$291,266	$422,451
Typical rent	$2,121 /mo	$1,837 /mo
Price-to-rent ratio	11.4 (#772 of 813)	18.5
Home prices, last 10 years	6.8% a year	6.2% a year
Rents, last 5 years	4.4% a year	4% a year
Property tax	0.92%	0.87%
Households that rent	24%	42%

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

Cities elsewhere in Florida

Buy. Jacksonville, FL. Buying comes out ahead by $27k.
Choose buying in Fort Lauderdale, FL; it comes out ahead by $25k.
Choose buying in Pembroke Pines, FL; it comes out ahead by $22k.

Florida's rent vs buy numbers