Durham, NC

Rent vs buy in Durham

Median home $359,400. A 1 bedrooms rents for $1,276 a month. Ownership is modelled at 20% down, 6.5% APR, property tax and upkeep.

Rent · 1 bedrooms: $1,276; per month
Own the median home: $2,389; P&I, tax, insurance, upkeep
Owning costs extra: $1,113; per month, same metro

What a purchase actually costs

20% down payment$71,880
Mortgage at 6.5%$1,817
Property tax (0.81% of value)$243/mo · $2,911/yr
Insurance and upkeep (1.1%/yr)$329
Total monthly ownership$2,389

Months of leftover to save the down payment

At $2,707 left over a month, it takes about 27 months (2.3 years) to save $71,880 if every leftover dollar goes to the down payment — which it won't.

Rent is asking rent for a new lease. Home value is the Census ACS median. The mortgage is a 30-year fixed at 6.5% with 20% down — a yardstick, not a quote. Not housing or lending advice.