Rent vs buy in Yuma, AZ
In Yuma, Arizona, the typical rent is $1,425 /mo and the typical home costs $293,382.
Over 7 years, buying wins by $11k
Today's mortgage rate and 20% down apply, along with Yuma's typical rent and home value. The break-even point is year 6.
Our opinion is clearly labelled and shows the math. The numbers are estimates, not quotes. Adjust a number and the stamp changes.
- How far owning is ahead
- $11k after 7 years
- Break-even point
- year 6 when owning catches up
- What owning really costs
- $2,480 /mo year 1, against $1,425 rent
Change my numbers
The stamp relies on Yuma's usual rent and home value. Your rent, price and years can flip the result.
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Enter your own rent, price and down payment. It changes with those numbers.
In Yuma, is renting or buying cheaper?
Counting the money you get back when you sell, buying costs $11,437 less than renting over 7 years. Owning's net cost goes below renting's in year 6 and remains lower.
Renting Owning Net cost to date, by year.
Average rent compared with mortgage payment in Yuma
Rent and mortgage payments don't tell the whole story. Here are all monthly costs for year 1 at Yuma's typical price.
| Each month, year 1 | Amount | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Rent | $1,425 | All of it, every month |
| Mortgage payment | $1,600 | $1,410 of it is interest in year 1 |
| Property tax | $156 | 0.64% of the value a year |
| Insurance | $70 | Census median for the city |
| Upkeep | $244 | 1% of the value a year |
| Owning, cash out | $2,070 | $190 of it builds equity |
| Lost return on the down payment | $477 | What your cash would earn each year at 8.3% |
| Buying costs, spread out | $122 | 3.5% of the price over 7 years |
| True cost of owning | $2,480 | Cash out, minus the equity part, plus the two lines listed above |
The numbers behind Yuma's verdict
- Typical home value from Zillow ZHVI, September 2026
- $293,382
- Typical rent from Zillow ZORI, September 2026
- $1,425 /mo
- A 20% down payment avoids private mortgage insurance, which this engine doesn't model.
- 20%
- Mortgage rate: Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey (FRED MORTGAGE30US)
- 7.24%
- Growth in home pricesFHFA house price index: Arizona, 1995 to 2025
- Each year: 5.2%
- Rent growth CPI for rent of primary residence, with yearly growth from 2006 to 2026
- Each year: 3.5%
- Return on savings Yearly rebalanced mix: 60% S&P 500 with dividends, 40% 10-year Treasuries, 1928 to 2025
- The yearly rate is 8.3%.
- Property tax: Census ACS 2020-2024, Yuma
- The tax equals 0.64% of what the home is worth.
- Home insurance: Census ACS 2020-2024, Yuma
- $70 /mo
- Maintenance Fannie Mae, the low end of the 1% to 4% range
- Each year, 1% of what the home is worth.
- Buying costs: Freddie Mac, midpoint of 2% to 5%
- The price times 3.5%
- Selling costs: Agent commission and closing costs
- The price times 6%
What would change the result in Yuma?
Each line marks the point where Yuma's 7-year verdict changes, with everything else staying the same.
Renting comes out ahead when
- Prices for homes rise at less than 4.7% a year (we use Arizona's long-run rate of 5.2%).
- The mortgage rate remains above 7.93%.
- Monthly rent for a home like this comes to less than $1,300 (typical here: $1,425).
- Your move comes before year 6.
Buying comes out ahead when
- Home price growth runs above 4.7% a year.
- A mortgage rate you lock in comes in below 7.93% (the current rate is 7.24%).
- The same home would cost over $1,300 a month to rent.
- You remain 6 years or more.
How Yuma compares with the other 812 cities
| Measure | Yuma | Median city |
|---|---|---|
| Typical home value | $293,382 | $422,451 |
| Typical rent | $1,425 /mo | $1,837 /mo |
| Price-to-rent ratio | 17.2 (#484 of 813) | 18.5 |
| Home prices, last 10 years | 7.2% a year | 6.2% a year |
| Property tax | 0.64% | 0.87% |
| Households that rent | 33% | 42% |
The figures come from Zillow ZHVI and ZORI, Census ACS 2020-2024.
More Arizona cities
- Renting wins by $14k in Phoenix, AZ.
- Buying is ahead by $672 in Tucson, AZ, so it's a toss-up.
- Renting wins by $24k in Mesa, AZ.
- Renting wins by $26k in Gilbert, AZ.
- Renting wins by $25k in Chandler, AZ.
- Renting wins by $17k in Glendale, AZ.
- Renting wins by $129k in Scottsdale, AZ.
- Renting wins by $17k in Peoria, AZ.
- Renting wins by $31k in Tempe, AZ.
- Buy. Buying wins by $18k in Surprise, AZ.
- Rent. Renting wins by $28k in Goodyear, AZ.
- Buy. Buying wins by $29k in Buckeye, AZ.