A ‘rent vs. buy’ financial calculator

The pros and cons of long-term renting

Soaring mortgage rates and inflated home prices have led more consumers to opt to rent instead of buying, becoming “forever renters.” This article weighs the costs and benefits of renting instead of buying. Benefits include flexibility, less upkeep, and potentially lower expenses, while downsides include less stability and reliance on landlords. Read this article and decide whether homeownership or renting is the choice for you.

Renting versus owning a home, charted by age

One-third of American households are rented. The other two-thirds are owned or in the process of becoming owned, according to 2022 data from the American Community Survey. While most people rent in their younger years, homeownership rates tend to fluctuate based on age. To see home ownership and renter rates charted by age, check out these charts.

The average monthly mortgage payment in the US costs 38% more than monthly rent

A recent study showed that the price gap between renting and buying grew in 38 major US metro areas since last year. The metro areas with the smallest price gaps between renting and buying include Detroit, Philadelphia, and Cleveland.

Use this mortgage calculator to estimate how much you can borrow, factoring in fundamentals such as financial standing, property cost, loan length, and more.

Roughly 37% of first-time US home buyers have student debt

When those people have extra money, they might wonder: Is it better to pay down my mortgage or my student loans first? This article argues that the answer depends on each loan's interest rate, among other factors.

How the credit scoring system could change

Factoring rental payments into credit scores is just one proposed change some have suggested making to today’s credit scoring system to cater the system to renters as well as homeowners.

About 88% of all homebuyers feel their home is a good investment.

How interest rates affect homebuying

Rising interest rates impact every aspect of buying a home. This five-minute article gives a high-level overview of the relationship between the housing market and interest rates.

The salary needed to buy a home in the US

Anyone who has recently explored buying a home in the US knows it's not a cheap endeavor. The median salary for the typical American homebuyer has risen to roughly $104K, up from $88K two years ago. This data visualization breaks down the household income required to buy a median-priced home in 50 major US metro areas. Learn more here.

Historically, borrowing money from other people to purchase property was common until private financing companies—primarily building and loan associations—stepped in to offer mortgages to buyers.

See the annual income required to purchase a typical three-bedroom home in each state as of 2025, based on a 10% down payment, a 6.65% interest rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage, and a 30% income-to-housing cost threshold.

The average wealth gap between homeowners and renters was more than $1.3M in 2022.

Calculate the financial outlook for your retirement

This simple calculator takes your age, income, planned contributions, and expected retirement needs into account to give you a portrait of how your financial condition will look when it comes time to start withdrawals.

See how many days of work it takes to afford a monthly mortgage in each US state, with the US average being 14 days.

Mortgages are loans used to buy property

A mortgage is a loan used to buy property, like a house. Borrowers typically put down a percentage of the cost of the home, and the amount left over is financed through a lender, like a bank.

New York was the most expensive city to rent a three-bedroom apartment in as of 2025

At an average of $8.4K per month, New York City beat out London, Paris, San Francisco, and others as the most expensive major city to rent in. This visualization shows exactly how the others ranked.

How much money you'd have now if you bought bitcoin years ago

Do you ever wonder how much money you'd have now if you bought bitcoin in 2019? 2018? 2017? This calculator provides the answer. Plug in the amount of bitcoin you would have purchased, plus the year and the currency.

A guide to the homebuying process

From searching for the home itself to writing an offer letter to closing on the home, there are specific steps involved in becoming a homeowner. This checklist from a Tennessee real estate broker provides a visual outlining the basic steps of the process.

57% of future homebuyers plan to put down less than the recommended 20% on a house

Historically, experts have recommended buyers put down 20% on a house when buying. But due to rising housing costs and the cost of living, this goal is unattainable for many buyers.

Despite record-high housing costs, Gen Z homeownership is surging

Many Gen Z homeowners have compromised on location and tightened their expenses to make buying a home possible. In 2025, 4% of homebuyers were Gen Z, up from 3% the year before.

Calculate your capital gains tax bill

If mental math is not your forte, a handy tool can help you figure out what you owe at tax time. Find the purchase and sales price of an asset, your taxable income, your tax filing status, and the length of time you held said asset, and you'll get your total for Uncle Sam.

Use this marriage tax calculator to see how much two specific people might pay if they were to get married, based on their individual income levels and more.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta provides a monthly measure of home ownership affordability

Specifically, the Home Ownership Affordability Monitor shows a monthly measure of the median-income household's capacity to afford the median-priced home at the national level, the metro level, and more.

Use this interactive calculator to see if you could rebalance the federal budget by adjusting taxes and spending.

Calculate: Do you need to file for bankruptcy?

About 77% of American households had some debt at the end of 2023. However, when debt becomes crushing, it's time to consider a management plan or a bankruptcy filing. This calculator helps explore whether debt is manageable based on inputs like medical debt, payday loans, and gross annual income.

Use a prediction market profit or loss calculator

In order to calculate how much someone would make from a specific trade on a prediction market, this calculator asks for the purchase price of a given "yes" or "no" prediction, the number of contracts the trader plans to purchase, and more.

Calculate creator economy platform costs

The creator economy continues to be an attractive way to earn money for many people. While many platforms exist to help creators monetize their work, each has different feature sets and pricing models. This calculator helps workers decide which platform works best for them.

Owning a home can help build wealth via tax benefits and more

In addition to tax benefits and the potential to build equity in your home, houses are also typically considered an appreciating asset. That means their value is likely to increase over time.

Refinancing a mortgage is when a homeowner exchanges their current loan for a new one

Homeowners typically refinance to secure a lower interest rate and potentially a new loan term length. Debt owed on mortgages made up about 70% of US consumer debt as of 2025.

Calculate whether or not you're in the American middle class

In 2022, roughly 52% of US adults lived in middle-income households. This income calculator can help you determine whether or not you're one of them. Specifically, the calculator lets you enter your household income, location, and more to see where you line up in Pew's government data.

Surprising costs associated with homeownership include taxes and roof maintenance

Owning a home includes not just expected costs such as a mortgage, homeowners insurance, and landscaping, but also less-obvious expenses like property taxes, repairing and maintaining one’s roof and HVAC system, and HOA fees.

See how much it costs to build a new home in each US state, as homeowners look to new construction in a competitive real estate market—with a national average cost of over $332K for a 2,100-square-foot home.

Living wage calculator

Some people who work low-wage jobs don't make enough money to pay for the cost of basic needs (like housing or child care) in their area of the country. Curious to see whether or not you make what's considered a "living wage" for your city or state? To find out, plug your locale into this Living Wage Calculator.

GoBankingRates evaluated whether the middle class can afford the American Dream

To do so, they looked at two studies: One that shows middle-class income ranges in each state, and another that determined the cost of the American dream in each state.

The rare, so-called 'assumable' mortgage is landing homebuyers a 3% rate.

Use this annuity income calculator to estimate how much money someone can expect in their annuity payouts, depending on factors such as how much they invest and how long they expect to be paid.

Explore current CD interest rates

Data itself is not (exactly) a financial advisor, but it can help you decide between a variable or fixed rate CD, or CDs with different term lengths. A chart from the Federal Reserve shows the three-month trend of CD interest rates.

A wedding cost calculator

Want to know how much your wedding will cost? Simply enter your wedding date, location, and a few more details about your wedding plans, and this tool will spit out an estimate for how much it will all cost—with details on how each estimate was figured, from a wedding dress or tux to ordering the cake. If you're planning a wedding soon (or just dreaming about planning one), explore this wedding cost generator.

Learn how to calculate your net worth

Someone's net worth is the value of their assets minus their liabilities. Assets may include a home or a retirement savings account, whereas examples of liabilities include student or credit card debt.

Mortgage insurance offers help to buyers who can’t afford to put down 20% up front

Buyers who need mortgage insurance end up paying more per month on top of their loan to cover the added insurance. At its core, mortgage insurance helps buyers purchase a home they can’t afford, letting them put down 20%, while protecting lenders offering potentially risky loans.

In real estate, a larger down payment can reduce your loan amount

However, the trade-off is liquidity: Tying up too much cash in a home can reduce emergency savings and delay your purchase.

Why Americans keep buying McMansions

Some argue that McMansions—large, relatively newly built, amenity-filled, cookie-cutter homes—are ugly. Others say they're just not a good investment. And yet Americans continue buying them. This video explores why McMansions are still popular despite these criticisms, and how these homes got their start in the first place. Watch the video here.

How to balance paying down debt vs. investing

When someone has extra money in their pocket, they're quickly faced with a decision: Is it a better idea to use that money to pay down debt, or invest it? While the answer depends on each individual's financial situation, this video explains which solution works best depending on the circumstances. Watch it here.

Housing prices have skyrocketed over the last 50 years

After adjusting for inflation, housing costs have more than doubled since 1965. And based on average incomes, buyers are spending more than five times their income for a home versus buyers in 1965, who typically spent less than three times their income.

Use this federal student loan calculator to estimate your monthly student loan payments and see which repayment option is right for you.

A life insurance cost calculator

The overall cost of life insurance coverage ranges widely. Factors like your term length, death benefit (the money paid out after death), health and lifestyle, and any added benefits can drastically change your monthly cost. This calculator can help you determine how much your desired coverage could run you per month.

Calculate the salary of a mother's work

While traditional parenting roles are changing, mothers do a ton of work at home, from cleaning and cooking to managing household finances. This quick calculator estimates the salary a mother (or caregiver) should receive based on number of...

In 2024, 74% of homebuyers took out a mortgage

Debt owed on mortgages made up about 70% of US consumer debt as of 2025. Mortgage collateral ensures the lender isn’t at a complete loss if the borrower defaults. Under most mortgage contracts, the property is considered collateral under the loan. This means that if a borrower doesn’t repay the loan, then the lender can seize their property.

Student debt has a widespread economic impact

Student debt is no different than the big rent or car payment that comes out of someone’s paycheck every month: Its presence affects that household’s purchasing power. Multiply that household by the 43 million Americans who had outstanding federal loan debt in September 2023, and student debt’s impact becomes considerable.

Use this tool to calculate the dollar value of your parental mental load, from meal planning to coordinating after-school care, then see resources that help generate solutions.