According to ATTOM’s just released 2026 Rental Affordability Report, in a majority of the counties analyzed, homeownership is more affordable than renting a three-bedroom property.
The report reveals that in 57.7 percent (210) of the 364 counties with sufficient data, typical homeownership costs required a smaller share of residents’ wages than the cost of renting.
WATCH: ATTOM #FiguresFriday – Top 10 U.S. Counties Most Affordable for Owning a Home
ATTOM’s 2026 rental affordability analysis found that while homeownership may be more affordable over the long term for many Americans, it typically requires a substantial upfront investment, and 2025 closed with record-high home prices that may deter some prospective buyers. In more than two-thirds of the counties analyzed, median home prices increased faster than rents in 2025.
Also according to the 2026 analysis, counties in Midwestern states were far more likely to see homeownership as more affordable than renting, while Western states showed the opposite pattern.
In the Midwest, buying was more affordable than renting in 81.5 percent of counties analyzed, compared with 66.3 percent in the South. By contrast, homeownership was more affordable in just 48.8 percent of Northeastern counties and only 16.9 percent of counties in the West.
The rental affordability report found that the largest affordability gaps favoring homeownership were found in several counties. In Collier County, FL, ownership expenses for homes purchased in 2025 consumed 70.1 percent of the typical resident’s wages, compared with 119.4 percent for median three-bedroom rent. In Suffolk County, NY, owning required 60.4 percent of typical wages versus 97.8 percent to rent. Taylor County, TX showed ownership costs at 28.6 percent of typical wages, compared with 45.9 percent for renting, while in Mobile County, AL, owning consumed just 15.1 percent of typical wages versus 29 percent for renting.
The analysis also found that homeownership expenses exceeded one-third of the typical resident’s wages in 65.7 percent (239) of the 364 counties analyzed. By region, this threshold was surpassed in 96.9 percent of Western counties, 86 percent of Northeastern counties, 61 percent of Southern counties, and 29.7 percent of Midwestern counties.
In this post, we dig deep into the data to uncover the top 10 counties, among counties with a population of 100,000 or more with 100 or more sales and sufficient rental data, where it is most affordable to own a home in 2026:
1. Peoria County, Illinois
2025 Median Single-Family Sales Price: $134,000
2025 Percent of Average Local Wages to Buy a SFH: 14.5%
2. Wayne County, Michigan
2025 Median Single-Family Sales Price: $165,000
2025 Percent of Average Local Wages to Buy a SFH: 14.9%
3. Mobile County, Alabama
2025 Median Single-Family Sales Price: $150,000
2025 Percent of Average Local Wages to Buy a SFH: 15.1%
4. Jefferson County, Alabama
2025 Median Single-Family Sales Price: $179,900
2025 Percent of Average Local Wages to Buy a SFH: 16.3%
5. Montgomery County, Alabama
2025 Median Single-Family Sales Price: $164,687
2025 Percent of Average Local Wages to Buy a SFH: 16.7%
6. Saint Louis City County, Missouri
2025 Median Single-Family Sales Price: $202,067
2025 Percent of Average Local Wages to Buy a SFH: 17.3%
7. Jefferson County, Texas
2025 Median Single-Family Sales Price: $174,250
2025 Percent of Average Local Wages to Buy a SFH: 17.4%
8. Delaware County, Indiana
2025 Median Single-Family Sales Price: $143,000
2025 Percent of Average Local Wages to Buy a SFH: 18%
9. Richmond County, Georgia
2025 Median Single-Family Sales Price: $163,000
2025 Percent of Average Local Wages to Buy a SFH: 18.4%
10. Bibb County, Georgia
2025 Median Single-Family Sales Price: $159,900
2025 Percent of Average Local Wages to Buy a SFH: 18.8%
Conclusion
ATTOM’s 2026 Rental Affordability Report finds that owning a home is more affordable than renting a three-bedroom property in 57.7 percent of the 364 U.S. counties analyzed, with Midwestern counties leading the way. While homeownership often requires a significant upfront investment amid record-high home prices in 2025, ownership costs consumed a smaller share of wages than rents in most Midwest and many Southern counties, compared with far fewer in the West and Northeast. This report highlights the top 10 large U.S. counties where owning a home is most affordable heading into 2026.
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