Rent vs buy in San Antonio, TX
A 7-year breakeven using this ZIP's actual home-value and rent trends, not national averages. ZIP 78204 (Bexar County).
Renting wins in San Antonio over 7 years by about $63,345 — buying only beats it if prices appreciate faster than projected.
7-year cost comparison
$176,165
Net cost over 7 years after equity
Equity built: $-3,635
$112,820
Total rent paid over 7 years
No equity, no selling costs
Assumes 20% down, 6.75% rate, -4.9%/yr price growth and -0.2%/yr rent growth (this ZIP's 5-yr trend).
Price-to-rent ratio
10.2x
Favorable for buying — price-to-rent favors owning (modeled investor cash flow is negative, so this is owner-occupant math — it is not a claim of strong rental yield)
Price-to-income
2.3x
Affordable (≤3x income — historical rule of thumb)
5-yr price CAGR
-4.9%
Annualized home-value growth
San Antonio — rent vs buy questions
Is San Antonio, TX a good rental market?
For owning at the median, yes — San Antonio's price-to-rent ratio of 10.2 is in the favorable range, but modeled investor cash flow is negative, so it is not a claim of strong rental yield.
What is the median home value in San Antonio?
The typical home value in San Antonio is about $165,146 (ZIP-level market index, cross-checked against the Census ACS county median updated by FHFA HPI), down 2.8% year-over-year, and down 22.1% over five years.
What is the median rent in San Antonio?
The typical rent in San Antonio is about $1,352/mo (ZIP-level market-rent index, cross-checked against HUD Small Area FMR), down 1.2% year-over-year.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in San Antonio?
Over a 7-year horizon, renting is cheaper in San Antonio by about $63,345 — buying only pays off if prices appreciate faster than projected.
Is San Antonio affordable for homebuyers?
San Antonio's median home value is 2.3x the local median household income — Affordable (≤3x income — historical rule of thumb).
Data: FHFA HPI, Census ACS, HUD FMR, FBI CDE. For research only — verify before deciding.