Rent vs buy in Weston, FL
A typical home in Weston, Florida is $718,627, and the typical rent is $3,414 /mo.
Renting costs $14k less over 7 years
Today's mortgage rate and a 20% down payment go with Weston's typical rent and typical home value here. You break even in year 8.
An opinion, clearly labelled, with the math shown. These are estimates, not quotes. The stamp changes whenever a number changes.
- Renting leads by
- $14k after 7 years
- Break-even point
- year 8 when owning catches up
- Real cost of owning
- $6,580 /mo year 1, against $3,414 rent
Change my numbers
The stamp is built from Weston's typical rent and the typical home value. Change your rent, price or years, and the result can flip.
Do your numbers differ from the city's?
Enter a rent, a price and a down payment of your own. The stamp updates when those numbers change.
Is renting or buying cheaper in Weston?
Renting is cheaper by $14,316 over 7 years, including the money you get back when you sell. For the first 7 years, renting costs less. By year 8, owning catches up.
Rent Owning. Net cost so far, year by year.
Weston: average rent compared with the mortgage payment
Rent and the mortgage payment are only part of the picture. Every monthly cost in year 1 is listed at Weston's typical price.
| Each month, year 1 | Amount | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Rent | $3,414 | All of it, every month |
| Mortgage payment | $3,918 | $3,453 of it is interest in year 1 |
| Property tax | $719 | 1.2% of the value a year |
| Insurance | $342 | Census median for the city |
| Upkeep | $599 | 1% of the value a year |
| Owning, cash out | $5,577 | $465 of it builds equity |
| Lost return on the down payment | $1,168 | What the cash would earn each year at 8.3% |
| Buying costs, spread out | $299 | 3.5% of the price over 7 years |
| True cost of owning | $6,580 | Cash out, minus the equity portion, plus the two amounts above |
Numbers behind the Weston result
- Typical home value Zillow ZHVI, September 2026
- $718,627
- Typical rent Zillow ZORI, September 2026
- $3,414 /mo
- Down payment 20% avoids private mortgage insurance, and the engine leaves that cost out.
- 20%
- Mortgage rate, from the Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey (FRED MORTGAGE30US)
- 7.24%
- Growth in home prices: the FHFA index of home prices, Florida, 1995 to 2025
- 5.4% each year
- Rent growth, from the CPI rent of primary residence, with yearly growth 2006 to 2026
- Each year: 3.5%
- Return on savings, from the 60% S&P 500 (dividends counted) and 40% 10-year Treasuries, rebalanced once a year, 1928 to 2025
- Each year: 8.3%
- Property tax Census ACS 2020-2024, Weston
- 1.2% of the value
- Home insurance Census ACS 2020-2024, Weston
- Monthly: $342
- Maintenance Fannie Mae, low end of the 1% to 4% range
- Each year: 1% of value
- Buying costs Freddie Mac, middle of the 2% to 5% range
- 3.5% of the price
- Selling costs Agent commission and closing costs
- 6% of the price
What would flip the result in Weston?
Each line marks the point at which the 7-year verdict for Weston turns, with everything else staying as it is.
Renting comes out ahead when
- Home prices grow by less than 5.6% a year; we apply 5.4%, which is Florida's long-run rate for the state.
- The mortgage rate remains above 6.89%.
- Monthly rent under $3,570 for this type of home compares with the local typical of $3,414.
- You move out before year 8.
Buying comes out ahead when
- Home prices increase by more than 5.6% a year.
- You secure a mortgage rate under 6.89%, compared with today's 7.24%.
- The same home would cost over $3,570 a month to rent.
- You remain for 8 years or longer.
How Weston compares with the other 812 cities
| Measure | Weston | Median city |
|---|---|---|
| Typical home value | $718,627 | $422,451 |
| Typical rent | $3,414 /mo | $1,837 /mo |
| Price-to-rent ratio | 17.5 (#460 of 813) | 18.5 |
| Home prices, last 10 years | 5.5% a year | 6.2% a year |
| Rents, last 5 years | 4% a year | 4% a year |
| Property tax | 1.20% | 0.87% |
| Households that rent | 27% | 42% |
Sources: Zillow ZHVI, ZORI, Census ACS 2020-2024.
Other Florida cities
- Buy. Jacksonville, FL. Buying comes out ahead by $27k.
- Buy. Miami, FL. Buying comes out ahead by $27k.
- Buy. Tampa, FL. Buying comes out ahead by $19k.
- Buy. Orlando, FL. Buying comes out ahead by $17k.
- Buy. St. Petersburg, FL. Owning comes out ahead by $41k.
- Buy. Port St. Lucie, FL. Owning comes out ahead by $48k.
- Buy. Hialeah, FL. Buying comes out ahead by $37k.
- Buy. Cape Coral, FL. Buying comes out ahead by $36k.
- 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.