Is it cheaper to rent or buy in your state? Monthly rent vs estimated mortgage payment for all 50 states.
| # | State | Mortgage - Rent ▲ | Visual | Income | COL | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | West Virginia | $59/mo | $48,000 | 84 | A+ | |
| #2 | Mississippi | $135/mo | $46,500 | 83 | A+ | |
| #3 | Louisiana | $137/mo | $52,300 | 91 | A+ | |
| #4 | Kansas | $187/mo | $62,100 | 89 | A+ | |
| #5 | Arkansas | $206/mo | $52,100 | 84 | A+ | |
| #6 | Alabama | $237/mo | $56,200 | 87 | A+ | |
| #7 | Iowa | $237/mo | $63,200 | 90 | A+ | |
| #8 | Oklahoma | $237/mo | $55,800 | 86 | A+ | |
| #9 | Michigan | $238/mo | $63,400 | 89 | A+ | |
| #10 | Indiana | $288/mo | $58,600 | 90 | A+ | |
| #11 | Missouri | $288/mo | $61,000 | 88 | A+ | |
| #12 | Ohio | $288/mo | $59,300 | 89 | A+ | |
| #13 | Pennsylvania | $290/mo | $67,600 | 94 | A+ | |
| #14 | Illinois | $291/mo | $72,200 | 93 | A+ | |
| #15 | Kentucky | $313/mo | $55,600 | 87 | A+ | |
| #16 | North Dakota | $338/mo | $64,800 | 93 | A+ | |
| #17 | Nebraska | $339/mo | $66,500 | 91 | A+ | |
| #18 | Wisconsin | $390/mo | $64,800 | 93 | A | |
| #19 | South Carolina | $442/mo | $56,200 | 92 | A | |
| #20 | Alaska | $444/mo | $77,800 | 127 | A | |
| #21 | Georgia | $444/mo | $63,400 | 93 | A | |
| #22 | Texas | $444/mo | $67,300 | 93 | A | |
| #23 | Maryland | $447/mo | $90,200 | 118 | A | |
| #24 | South Dakota | $490/mo | $62,100 | 91 | A | |
| #25 | Delaware | $493/mo | $69,100 | 102 | A | |
| #26 | Minnesota | $493/mo | $77,700 | 97 | A | |
| #27 | Florida | $498/mo | $63,100 | 103 | A | |
| #28 | New Mexico | $541/mo | $53,000 | 91 | A | |
| #29 | Virginia | $547/mo | $80,600 | 103 | A | |
| #30 | North Carolina | $645/mo | $61,000 | 95 | A | |
| #31 | Vermont | $645/mo | $63,400 | 110 | A | |
| #32 | Connecticut | $647/mo | $83,800 | 121 | A | |
| #33 | Wyoming | $693/mo | $65,000 | 95 | B+ | |
| #34 | Maine | $746/mo | $63,200 | 109 | B+ | |
| #35 | Arizona | $748/mo | $65,600 | 103 | B+ | |
| #36 | Nevada | $748/mo | $64,200 | 104 | B+ | |
| #37 | Tennessee | $796/mo | $59,700 | 91 | B+ | |
| #38 | New Hampshire | $900/mo | $83,300 | 112 | B+ | |
| #39 | New York | $902/mo | $75,900 | 139 | B+ | |
| #40 | Rhode Island | $949/mo | $71,200 | 109 | B+ | |
| #41 | Idaho | $998/mo | $62,300 | 97 | B | |
| #42 | Oregon | $1,002/mo | $71,200 | 113 | B | |
| #43 | New Jersey | $1,003/mo | $87,700 | 121 | B | |
| #44 | Colorado | $1,206/mo | $80,200 | 105 | B | |
| #45 | Montana | $1,250/mo | $60,600 | 103 | B | |
| #46 | Utah | $1,254/mo | $75,600 | 103 | B | |
| #47 | Massachusetts | $1,258/mo | $89,700 | 135 | B | |
| #48 | Washington | $1,409/mo | $82,100 | 115 | C | |
| #49 | California | $2,119/mo | $84,900 | 142 | F | |
| #50 | Hawaii | $2,122/mo | $84,900 | 190 | F |
Based on our analysis of rent vs buy decision across all 50 states, West Virginia ranks #1 with $59/mo, while Hawaii ranks last at $2,122/mo. The national average is $636/mo.
States with no income tax (Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, Wyoming) generally perform well on affordability metrics due to higher effective take-home pay.
The gap between the best and worst state is significant: $2,063/mo. This means your choice of state can make a dramatic difference in your rent vs buy decision. Use our rent vs buy calculator to run the numbers for your specific situation.
West Virginia ranks #1 with $59/mo. Mississippi and Louisiana round out the top 3.
Hawaii ranks last (#50) with $2,122/mo. California and Washington are also among the worst.
The average across all 50 states is $636/mo. The median is $493/mo.
This data is calculated using the latest available median income, housing prices, cost of living indices, tax rates, and expense data for each state. Our methodology uses consistent formulas applied to all 50 states for fair comparison.