The real estate site compared the total costs of renting and buying in each of the 50 largest cities in the country - including mortgage rates, taxes, insurance and other costs - to determine how many years' of renting costs it would take to purchase a home.
Arlington, Texas came in as the most affordable city in the country to purchase a home, with a price-to-rent ratio of just seven to one, meaning that for seven years' average rent, a resident there could buy a home for the same amount of money. Fresno, California and Miami, Florida also ranked as very affordable housing markets.
On the other hand, even with record-low mortgage rates, renting makes much more sense for those moving to New York City, as buying a home is 35 times more expensive than renting. Seattle, Washington and Fort Worth, Texas also had relatively expensive home prices.
Low interest rates and home prices have made the current market very affordable for homeowners. Late last month, the National Association of Realtors said that its Housing Affordability Index for August had reached its highest point since March.
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