Rent vs buy in Tucson, AZ
In Tucson, Arizona, the typical rent is $1,428 /mo, and a typical home is valued at $318,760.
A toss-up: over 7 years, the difference is $672
Today's mortgage rate and 20% down apply, and the rent and home value are Tucson's typical figures. The break-even point is year 7.
A clearly labelled opinion, with the math shown. These are estimates, not quotes. Change one number and the stamp updates.
- Gap
- $672 after 7 years
- Break-even point
- Year 7 when owning catches up
- Actual cost of owning
- $2,699 per month year 1, against $1,428 rent
Change my numbers
The stamp relies on Tucson's typical rent and home value. Change your rent, price or years, and the result can flip.
Do your numbers differ from the city's?
Enter a rent, price and down payment of your own. The stamp updates to match those figures.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Tucson?
After 7 years, the two choices come within $672 of one another, and small changes decide which wins. In year 7, owning's net cost falls below renting's and stays lower.
Renting. Owning. Net cost to date, by year.
Tucson's average rent compared with mortgage payment
Rent and the mortgage don't tell the whole story. At Tucson's typical price, here's every monthly cost for year 1.
| Each month, year 1 | Amount | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Rent | $1,428 | All of it, every month |
| Mortgage payment | $1,738 | $1,532 of it is interest in year 1 |
| Property tax | $178 | 0.67% of the value a year |
| Insurance | $73 | Census median for the city |
| Upkeep | $266 | 1% of the value a year |
| Owning, cash out | $2,254 | $206 of it builds equity |
| Lost return on the down payment | $518 | At 8.3% a year, what the cash would earn |
| Buying costs, spread out | $133 | 3.5% of the price over 7 years |
| True cost of owning | $2,699 | Cash out minus equity, plus the two lines listed above. |
Tucson verdict numbers
- Typical home value: Zillow ZHVI, September 2026
- $318,760
- Typical rent: Zillow ZORI, September 2026
- $1,428 per month
- Down payment: a 20% down payment avoids private mortgage insurance, and that cost isn't modeled by the engine
- 20%
- Mortgage rate source: Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey (FRED MORTGAGE30US)
- 7.24%
- How home prices grew: Arizona, 1995 to 2025, FHFA house price index
- 5.2% per year
- Rent growthPrimary residence rent from CPI, growth each year from 2006 to 2026
- 3.5% annually
- Savings return: 60% S&P 500 including dividends, 40% 10-year Treasuries, 1928 to 2025, rebalanced yearly
- 8.3% per year
- Property tax Census data: ACS 2020-2024, Tucson
- 0.67% of the value
- Insurance for a home: Census ACS 2020-2024, Tucson
- $73 each month
- Upkeep costs: Fannie Mae, low end of the 1% to 4% range
- Each year, 1% of value
- Costs of buying: Freddie Mac, middle of the 2% to 5% range
- 3.5% times the price
- Selling costs: Agent commission plus closing costs
- 6% of the price
What would flip the Tucson verdict?
Every line marks the point where Tucson's 7-year verdict changes, while all other inputs stay the same.
Renting comes out ahead when
- We use 5.2% as the basis, Arizona's long-run rate; home prices grow more slowly than 5.2% a year.
- The mortgage rate remains above 7.28%.
- For a similar home, monthly rent comes in under $1,420 (typical here: $1,428).
- Your move happens before year 7.
Home buying wins when
- Home prices rise by more than 5.2% a year.
- A mortgage rate under 7.28% is what you lock in (today's is 7.24%).
- You'd pay more than $1,420 a month to rent that same home.
- Your stay lasts at least 7 years.
Tucson compared with the other 812 cities
| Measure | Tucson | Median city |
|---|---|---|
| Typical home value | $318,760 | $422,451 |
| Typical rent | $1,428 /mo | $1,837 /mo |
| Price-to-rent ratio | 18.6 (#402 of 813) | 18.5 |
| Home prices, last 10 years | 6.3% a year | 6.2% a year |
| Rents, last 5 years | 2.8% a year | 4% a year |
| Property tax | 0.67% | 0.87% |
| Households that rent | 48% | 42% |
Source data: Zillow ZHVI, ZORI, Census ACS 2020-2024 data.
More Arizona cities
- Renting comes out ahead in Phoenix, AZ by $14k, so rent.
- Renting is ahead in Mesa, AZ by $24k, so rent.
- Renting leads by $26k in Gilbert, AZ, so rent.
- Renting holds an edge in Chandler, AZ worth $25k, so rent.
- Rent. Glendale AZ. Renting is ahead by $17k.
- Renting wins by $129k in Scottsdale, AZ, so rent.
- Renting holds an edge in Peoria, AZ worth $17k, so rent.
- Renting leads by $31k in Tempe, AZ, so rent.
- Buying comes out ahead in Surprise, AZ by $18k, so buy.
- Renting is ahead in Goodyear, AZ by $28k, so rent.
- Buying leads in Buckeye, AZ by $29k, so buy.
- Buying leads by $11k in Yuma, AZ, so buy.