What makes a the U.S. rent-to-own market 'cheap'?

Low estimated monthly payment relative to local incomes. Sub-$1,500/month markets are the most accessible.

Are option fees included?

We assume 10% option fee credited toward purchase; the monthly payment estimate excludes that up-front amount.

Does this guarantee a home at this price?

No. Listings vary; this is a market-level estimate to compare cities side-by-side.

What makes a New York rent-to-own market 'cheap'?

Low estimated monthly payment relative to local incomes. Sub-$1,500/month markets are the most accessible.

Are option fees included?

We assume 10% option fee credited toward purchase; the monthly payment estimate excludes that up-front amount.

Does this guarantee a home at this price?

No. Listings vary; this is a market-level estimate to compare cities side-by-side.

Buyer authority

Cheapest rent-to-own markets

Rent-to-own works best where monthly carrying costs are reachable on a typical household income. This ranks the U.S. by estimated monthly payment on a median-priced home with a 10% option fee.

Last updated June 2026

Top 25 nationally

#	City	State	Est. monthly payment
1	Scottsdale	AZ	$4,925/mo	View
2	Chandler	AZ	$4,580/mo	View
3	Gilbert	AZ	$4,708/mo	View
4	Litchfield Park	AZ	$4,323/mo	View
5	Cave Creek	AZ	$4,604/mo	View
6	Paradise Valley	AZ	$5,847/mo	View
7	Los Angeles	CA	$7,259/mo	View
8	San Diego	CA	$9,095/mo	View
9	San Jose	CA	$9,248/mo	View
10	San Francisco	CA	$9,560/mo	View
11	Sacramento	CA	$6,465/mo	View
12	Fresno	CA	$5,687/mo	View
13	Bakersfield	CA	$6,970/mo	View
14	Long Beach	CA	$7,098/mo	View
15	Riverside	CA	$7,042/mo	View
16	Oakland	CA	$7,732/mo	View
17	Stockton	CA	$5,679/mo	View
18	Anaheim	CA	$7,724/mo	View
19	Santa Ana	CA	$7,291/mo	View
20	Modesto	CA	$5,919/mo	View
21	Corona	CA	$8,582/mo	View
22	Chula Vista	CA	$8,309/mo	View
23	San Bernardino	CA	$4,636/mo	View
24	Fontana	CA	$6,986/mo	View
25	Irvine	CA	$9,047/mo	View

By state

Top picks within each state. Click through for the full state-level ranking.

Alabama

1. Madison$2,366/mo
2. Owens Cross Roads$2,390/mo
3. Trussville$2,334/mo

Full AL ranking

Alaska

1. Anchorage$4,034/mo
2. Eagle River$3,986/mo
3. Juneau$3,786/mo

Full AK ranking

Arizona

1. Scottsdale$4,925/mo
2. Chandler$4,580/mo
3. Gilbert$4,708/mo

Full AZ ranking

Arkansas

1. Bentonville$2,013/mo
2. Little Rock$1,861/mo
3. Maumelle$1,765/mo

Full AR ranking

California

1. Los Angeles$7,259/mo
2. San Diego$9,095/mo
3. San Jose$9,248/mo

Full CA ranking

Colorado

1. Denver$5,101/mo
2. Colorado Springs$5,245/mo
3. Aurora$4,708/mo

Full CO ranking

Connecticut

1. Stamford$4,804/mo
2. Norwalk$4,443/mo
3. West Hartford$4,403/mo

Full CT ranking

Delaware

1. Hockessin$4,163/mo
2. Wilmington$3,986/mo
3. Middletown$3,898/mo

Full DE ranking

Florida

1. Fort Lauderdale$4,548/mo
2. Naples$4,451/mo
3. Boca Raton$4,620/mo

Full FL ranking

Georgia

1. Alpharetta$3,994/mo
2. Suwanee$3,786/mo
3. Duluth$3,738/mo

Full GA ranking

Hawaii

1. Honolulu$9,063/mo
2. Waipahu$8,686/mo
3. Ewa Beach$8,670/mo

Full HI ranking

Idaho

1. Eagle$4,588/mo
2. Hailey$4,219/mo
3. Boise$4,042/mo

Full ID ranking

Illinois

1. Winnetka$4,339/mo
2. Glencoe$4,451/mo
3. Lake Forest$4,123/mo

Full IL ranking

Indiana

1. Zionsville$3,080/mo
2. Carmel$2,960/mo
3. Granger$2,663/mo

Full IN ranking

Iowa

1. Urbandale$2,454/mo
2. West Des Moines$2,262/mo
3. Bettendorf$2,254/mo

Full IA ranking

Kansas

1. Leawood$3,008/mo
2. Overland Park$2,647/mo
3. Stilwell$2,631/mo

Full KS ranking

Kentucky

1. Prospect$2,695/mo
2. Ft Mitchell$2,174/mo
3. Union$2,166/mo

Full KY ranking

Louisiana

1. Mandeville$2,117/mo
2. Madisonville$2,117/mo
3. Prairieville$2,061/mo

Full LA ranking

Maine

1. Cape Elizabeth$4,387/mo
2. Falmouth$4,034/mo
3. Yarmouth$3,994/mo

Full ME ranking

Maryland

1. Silver Spring$4,724/mo
2. Gaithersburg$5,077/mo
3. Rockville$5,021/mo

Full MD ranking

Massachusetts

1. Boston$7,379/mo
2. Worcester$4,347/mo
3. Lowell$4,564/mo

Full MA ranking

Michigan

1. Bloomfield Hills$3,216/mo
2. West Bloomfield$2,895/mo
3. Birmingham$2,887/mo

Full MI ranking

Minnesota

1. Wayzata$4,299/mo
2. Excelsior$4,010/mo
3. Minneapolis$3,770/mo

Full MN ranking

Mississippi

1. Madison$1,981/mo
2. Brandon$1,636/mo
3. Ocean Springs$1,596/mo

Full MS ranking

Missouri

1. Chesterfield$3,200/mo
2. Ballwin$2,615/mo
3. Grover$2,591/mo

Full MO ranking

Montana

1. Billings$4,516/mo
2. Sidney$4,123/mo
3. Bozeman$3,858/mo

Full MT ranking

Nebraska

1. Elkhorn$2,526/mo
2. Papillion$2,494/mo
3. Bennington$2,470/mo

Full NE ranking

Nevada

1. Las Vegas$4,475/mo
2. Reno$4,347/mo
3. Henderson$4,620/mo

Full NV ranking

New Hampshire

1. Nashua$4,459/mo
2. Salem$4,860/mo
3. Merrimack$4,981/mo

Full NH ranking

New Jersey

1. Jersey City$6,256/mo
2. Trenton$4,652/mo
3. Toms River$4,957/mo

Full NJ ranking

New Mexico

1. Los Alamos$3,216/mo
2. Santa Fe$3,128/mo
3. Corrales$2,976/mo

Full NM ranking

New York

1. Brooklyn$4,307/mo
2. New York$6,553/mo
3. Staten Island$5,045/mo

Full NY ranking

North Carolina

1. Cary$3,914/mo
2. Waxhaw$3,794/mo
3. Davidson$3,665/mo

Full NC ranking

North Dakota

1. Williston$2,438/mo
2. Bismarck$2,326/mo
3. West Fargo$2,286/mo

Full ND ranking

Ohio

1. Chagrin Falls$2,759/mo
2. Hudson$2,775/mo
3. Powell$2,719/mo

Full OH ranking

Oklahoma

1. Edmond$2,318/mo
2. Broken Arrow$2,005/mo
3. Owasso$1,917/mo

Full OK ranking

Oregon

1. Portland$4,636/mo
2. Hillsboro$4,315/mo
3. Lake Oswego$5,630/mo

Full OR ranking

Pennsylvania

1. Villanova$4,524/mo
2. Berwyn$3,505/mo
3. Newtown$3,457/mo

Full PA ranking

Puerto Rico

1. Guaynabo$2,398/mo
2. San Juan$2,109/mo
3. Bayamon$2,109/mo

Full PR ranking

Rhode Island

1. Cranston$4,411/mo
2. Cumberland$4,700/mo
3. North Kingstown$4,459/mo

Full RI ranking

South Carolina

1. Hilton Head Island$3,120/mo
2. Mount Pleasant$3,072/mo
3. Fort Mill$2,952/mo

Full SC ranking

South Dakota

1. Sioux Falls$2,470/mo
2. Brandon$2,326/mo
3. Rapid City$2,214/mo

Full SD ranking

Tennessee

1. Brentwood$4,034/mo
2. Germantown$3,938/mo
3. Franklin$3,593/mo

Full TN ranking

Texas

1. Southlake$4,716/mo
2. Bellaire$4,259/mo
3. Colleyville$4,179/mo

Full TX ranking

Utah

1. Salt Lake City$4,475/mo
2. West Jordan$4,684/mo
3. Sandy$5,663/mo

Full UT ranking

Vermont

1. Williston$3,617/mo
2. Essex Junction$3,417/mo
3. Colchester$3,345/mo

Full VT ranking

Virginia

1. Alexandria$4,764/mo
2. Arlington$5,093/mo
3. Woodbridge$4,524/mo

Full VA ranking

Washington

1. Seattle$6,545/mo
2. Spokane$4,347/mo
3. Tacoma$4,852/mo

Full WA ranking

Washington D.C.

1. Washington$7,435/mo

Full DC ranking

West Virginia

1. Scott Depot$1,500/mo
2. Charles Town$1,452/mo
3. Bridgeport$1,436/mo

Full WV ranking

Wisconsin

1. Thiensville$3,473/mo
2. Brookfield$3,240/mo
3. Hudson$3,104/mo

Full WI ranking

Wyoming

1. Gillette$3,529/mo
2. Jackson$3,521/mo
3. Rock Springs$3,064/mo

Full WY ranking

Methodology

Estimated monthly payment = (median home price × 0.9) amortized at 8% over 30 years + 1.2% taxes + 0.5% insurance, divided by 12. Lower payment = better rent-to-own market.

FAQ

What makes a the U.S. rent-to-own market 'cheap'?: Low estimated monthly payment relative to local incomes. Sub-$1,500/month markets are the most accessible.
Are option fees included?: We assume 10% option fee credited toward purchase; the monthly payment estimate excludes that up-front amount.
Does this guarantee a home at this price?: No. Listings vary; this is a market-level estimate to compare cities side-by-side.