Rent vs buy in Vancouver, WA

In Vancouver, Washington, the typical rent is $1,803 /mo and the typical home costs $498,160.

Rent

Renting comes out ahead by $39k over 7 years

Using today's mortgage rate, a 20% down payment and Vancouver's typical rent and home value. The break-even point comes in year 12.

Math shown, with the opinion clearly labelled. The figures are estimates, not quotes. If you change a number, the stamp changes with it.

Renting is ahead by: $39k
Break-even point: year 12
Full cost of home ownership: $4,262 /mo

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Vancouver's typical rent and home value provide the figures used by the stamp. Your rent, price and years can flip it.

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Enter your own rent, home price and down payment. The stamp updates with those figures.

Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Vancouver?

Across 7 years, renting saves you $39,404 after counting the money you receive when you sell. For the first 11 years, renting costs less. In year 12, home ownership catches up.

Renting. Owning. Net cost by year so far.

Vancouver: average rent compared with mortgage payment

Rent and mortgage payments don't tell the whole story. At Vancouver's typical price, these are all monthly costs in year 1.

Each month, year 1	Amount	What it is
Rent	$1,803	All of it, every month
Mortgage payment	$2,716	$2,394 of it is interest in year 1
Property tax	$349	0.84% of the value a year
Insurance	$87	Census median for the city
Upkeep	$415	1% of the value a year
Owning, cash out	$3,567	$322 of it builds equity
Lost return on the down payment	$810	At 8.3% a year, that's what the cash could earn.
Buying costs, spread out	$208	3.5% of the price over 7 years
True cost of owning	$4,262	Deduct the equity part from cash out, then add the two lines above

The figures behind Vancouver's result

Zillow ZHVI, September 2026 Typical home value: $498,160
Zillow ZORI, September 2026 Typical rent: Per month: $1,803
Down payment: private mortgage insurance is avoided with 20%, and the engine doesn't include it: 20%
Mortgage rate: Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey (FRED MORTGAGE30US): 7.24%
Growth in home pricesFHFA house price index for Washington, 1995 to 2025: Each year: 5.3%
Rent growthprimary residence rent index (CPI), yearly growth 2006 to 2026: Each year: 3.5%
What your savings earn40% 10-year Treasuries and 60% S&P 500 with dividends, rebalanced yearly, 1928 to 2025: Each year: 8.3%
Property tax: Census ACS 2020-2024, Vancouver: 0.84% applies to the value
Home insurance: Census ACS 2020-2024, Vancouver: Each month: $87
Maintenance: Fannie Mae, low end of 1% to 4%: Each year: 1% of value
Buying costsFreddie Mac, 2% to 5% range midpoint: 3.5% applied to the purchase price
Selling costs: Agent commission plus closing costs: 6% of the purchase price

What would flip the result in Vancouver?

The 7-year verdict in Vancouver changes at each listed point, with all other details left unchanged.

Renting wins if

With home price growth below 6.2% a year, the calculation uses 5.3%, based on Washington's long-term rate.
The mortgage rate remains above 5.83%.
A similar home rents for less than $2,230 each month. The typical rent here is $1,803.
Moving before year 12.

Buying comes out ahead when

Home prices grow by more than 6.2% a year.
You secure a mortgage rate under 5.83% (today's is 7.24%).
The same home would cost more than $2,230 a month to rent.
You remain there for 12 years or longer.

Vancouver compared with the other 812 cities

Measure	Vancouver	Median city
Typical home value	$498,160	$422,451
Typical rent	$1,803 /mo	$1,837 /mo
Price-to-rent ratio	23.0 (#206 of 813)	18.5
Home prices, last 10 years	5.9% a year	6.2% a year
Rents, last 5 years	2.1% a year	4% a year
Property tax	0.84%	0.87%
Households that rent	49%	42%

Data from Zillow ZHVI and ZORI, Census ACS 2020-2024.

More cities in Washington

Compare rent and buying: Seattle, WA. Renting comes out ahead by $128k.

Buy or rent in Washington: the state's numbers