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It now takes less time for homebuyers in Greater Hartford to realize the benefits of buying compared to renting.

In Greater Hartford, it takes 13.7 years before the typical homebuyer with a 20 percent down payment breaks even relative to renting, compared to 14.7 years in May 2025, according to new calculations from listings portal Zillow. That figure was 6.8 years in May 2021, and had jumped up to 10 years by May 2022, according to Zillow’s historical data.

Zillow’s analysis looked at what happens over the duration of a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage when a typical household buys versus rents. For buyers, the model accounts for all the direct costs of ownership, including mortgage payments, property taxes, insurance, maintenance, and closing costs. For renters, the model factors in monthly rent and renters insurance, plus the return on cash that wasn’t spent on a down payment.

San Francisco, Silicon Valley, and New Orleans are the only major American metros where the typical homebuyer doesn’t break even within 30 years, the term of the typical American mortgage.

“For generations, Americans have been told that buying a home is the smartest financial move they’ll ever make. This analysis finds the truth is more complicated,” Zillow Senior Economist Orphe Divounguy said in a statement. “This research shows that both renting and buying can be smart decisions, just in different cities. The good news is that for buyers who are ready, conditions today are the most favorable they’ve been in years. But the ZIP code you choose may matter more than any other financial decision you make.”

The typical homebuyer in the United States breaks even relative to renting in about six years nationally, down from a peak of 8.4 years in October 2023.

“The rent-versus-buy decision in 2026 is as much of a lifestyle decision as a financial one,” Zillow Home Trends Expert Amanda Pendleton said in a statement. “Do you want a backyard garden and a menagerie of pets? Or do you want to skip yard work entirely and have the flexibility to move on a whim? These types of lifestyle questions are as important as whether or not the math works in your favor.”