Estimated Home Price
$491,000
Typical 2-3 BR; metro housing index applied to national median
Estimated Monthly Rent
$2,175
Comparable 2-3 BR rental in Salt Lake City, UT
Property Tax Rate
0.63%
Effective rate, Utah
Estimated Mortgage
$2,413/mo
20% down, 30-year fixed at 6.23%
Break-Even
never (within 30 years)
When buying net worth catches renting + invested down payment
10-Year Net Worth
$323,909
Buyer (vs renter $415,134)
The Verdict for Salt Lake City, UT
Renting tends to win over a 10-year horizon at current Salt Lake City, UT rents and prices — the higher home price and ownership costs outpace Salt Lake City, UT's rents.
National 2025 averages used for the rest: 6.23% mortgage rate, 3.5% home appreciation, 8% investment return, 24% marginal tax bracket, no itemising, 10-year horizon, West regional defaults. Your situation differs — adjust below.
What this calculation accounts for
- Buyer side: mortgage P&I, property tax, homeowner's insurance, maintenance (1% of home value annually), HOA, closing costs (3% buying / 6% selling), tax-deductible mortgage interest if itemising.
- Renter side: rent escalating 3%/year; the down payment + closing costs and the monthly cash savings vs ownership invested at 8% annualised.
- Apples-to-apples comparison: the renter is assumed to invest the difference, not spend it. If you wouldn't actually invest it, ownership wins by a wider margin via forced savings.
- Not modelled: moving costs, recurring transaction friction, the option value of mobility, your own preference for stability vs flexibility.
Salt Lake City, UT cost-of-living context
Salt Lake City, UT's housing cost is at index 117 against the U.S. national average of 100 — meaning housing here costs roughly 117% of the national average. The composite cost-of-living index is 104.
See the full cost of living comparison to compare Salt Lake City, UT against your current city, or the mortgage calculator to size payments at different prices.