Rent vs buy in Vallejo, CA
Vallejo, California has a typical rent of $2,200 /mo and a typical home price of $517,277.
Renting comes out $9k ahead over 7 years
The calculation uses Vallejo's typical rent along with its home value, a 20% down payment and today's mortgage rate. Break-even occurs in year 8.
An opinion, clearly marked, with calculations shown. These are estimates, not quotes. If you change a number, the stamp changes.
- Amount renting is ahead by
- $9k after 7 years
- Break-even point
- year 8 when owning catches up
- Actual cost of owning
- $4,411 /mo year 1, against $2,200 rent
Change my numbers
Vallejo's typical rent and home value are used for the stamp. Your rent, price and years can flip it.
Do your numbers differ from the city's?
Enter your own rent, home price and down payment. Those changes alter the stamp.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Vallejo?
Across 7 years, renting costs $8,566 less, including the money you get back when you sell. For the first 7 years, renting costs less. By year 8, owning has caught up.
Renting. Owning. Net cost by year so far.
How average rent compares with mortgage payments in Vallejo
Rent and the mortgage don't tell the whole story, so here are all monthly costs for year 1 at Vallejo's typical price.
| Each month, year 1 | Amount | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Rent | $2,200 | All of it, every month |
| Mortgage payment | $2,820 | $2,486 of it is interest in year 1 |
| Property tax | $328 | 0.76% of the value a year |
| Insurance | $110 | Census median for the city |
| Upkeep | $431 | 1% of the value a year |
| Owning, cash out | $3,689 | $334 of it builds equity |
| Lost return on the down payment | $841 | The annual return on the cash at 8.3% |
| Buying costs, spread out | $216 | 3.5% of the price over 7 years |
| True cost of owning | $4,411 | Cash out, minus the equity portion, plus the two lines above |
The Vallejo verdict by the numbers
- Typical home valueZillow ZHVI, September 2026
- $517,277
- Typical rentZillow ZORI, September 2026
- $2,200 /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, Vallejo
- 0.76% of value
- Home insuranceCensus ACS 2020-2024, Vallejo
- $110 /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
Which factors would flip the result in Vallejo?
Each line shows where the 7-year result in Vallejo changes, while all other factors stay the same.
When renting wins
- Home prices grow by less than 5.5% a year. Our calculation uses 5.3%, California's long-run rate.
- A mortgage rate above 6.95% remains in place.
- A similar home rents for under $2,290 a month (the typical rent here is $2,200).
- Your move happens before year 8.
When buying wins
- Home prices increase by more than 5.5% a year.
- You secure a mortgage rate below 6.95%, while today's rate is 7.24%.
- The same home would cost more than $2,290 a month to rent.
- Your stay lasts 8 years or longer.
How Vallejo compares with the other 812 cities
| Measure | Vallejo | Median city |
|---|---|---|
| Typical home value | $517,277 | $422,451 |
| Typical rent | $2,200 /mo | $1,837 /mo |
| Price-to-rent ratio | 19.6 (#353 of 813) | 18.5 |
| Home prices, last 10 years | 4.3% a year | 6.2% a year |
| Rents, last 5 years | 2.7% a year | 4% a year |
| Property tax | 0.76% | 0.87% |
| Households that rent | 43% | 42% |
Sources: Zillow ZHVI and ZORI, Census ACS 2020-2024.
More cities in California
- Rent. For Los Angeles, CA, renting leads by $111k.
- Rent. For San Diego, CA, renting leads by $108k.
- Rent. For San Jose, CA, renting leads by $210k.
- Rent. For San Francisco, CA, renting leads by $128k.
- Buy. For Fresno, CA, buying leads by $22k.