Rent or buy in Rochester? Renting is $978 a month cheaper.
Renting the typical home in Rochester costs $978 less a month than owning it. Even counting equity and price growth, buying does not come out ahead of renting and investing the difference within 30 years under our baseline assumptions.
Updated November 12, 2026 · Zillow data for September 2026 · 7.11% mortgage rate (Freddie Mac, November 12, 2026) · Rank 158 of 339 (1 = owning closest to renting) · Part of our 2026 rent vs. buy study
Monthly cost to own$2,580typical home, 20% down
Typical monthly rent$1,602Zillow, September 2026
Buying breaks even30+ years3.5% price growth
Cash needed to buy$78,336$340,589 home · 20% down + 3% closing
Income needed to own$103,209vs. $64,080 to rent · 30% rule
Where the monthly money goes.
The first-month cost of owning the typical Rochester home, split into its parts, against the typical rent. About $219 of the first mortgage payment is principal, which you keep as equity.
The median household income in Rochester is $89,389 (Census ACS 2020–2024). Owning the typical home would take 35% of it; renting would take 22%.
As a check with a larger rental, HUD's FY2027 Fair Market Rent for a three-bedroom home in the Rochester, MN HUD Metro FMR Area area is $1,969 a month, still $611 below the cost of owning.
Own
$2,580
Rent
$1,602
Mortgage principal & interest $1,833
Property tax $298
Home insurance $166
Maintenance $284
How long you would need to stay.
Net worth of a buyer compared with a renter who invests the down payment, closing costs and any monthly savings at 6% a year. Home values and rents grow 3.5% a year; selling costs 6%.
Price is the Zillow Home Value Index and rent the Zillow Observed Rent Index for Rochester. The cost of owning includes principal and interest at 7.11% with 20% down, property tax at the city's 1.05% effective rate (Census ACS), the Minnesota average homeowners premium (NAIC 2023) and 1% yearly maintenance. It leaves out income-tax effects, HOA dues and utilities. The typical rental may be smaller than the typical home for sale. Full methodology. This is a citywide estimate, not advice about a specific home.