Rent against home prices

A year's median rent equals 6.4% of the median home's value in Mississippi, and 2.7% in Hawaii.

A higher share means rents are high for what homes cost. Rental investors often look at this first, while a lower share means buying is expensive compared with renting.

Rents highest against prices

1. Mississippi: 6.4%: $1,033 a month, $192,700 home
2. West Virginia: 6.3%: $921 a month, $176,300 home
3. Illinois: 5.8%: $1,419 a month, $294,400 home
4. Louisiana: 5.7%: $1,105 a month, $231,800 home
5. Texas: 5.7%: $1,515 a month, $318,100 home
6. Oklahoma: 5.7%: $1,107 a month, $234,000 home
7. Florida: 5.6%: $1,866 a month, $396,700 home
8. Indiana: 5.6%: $1,187 a month, $255,200 home
9. Arkansas: 5.5%: $1,055 a month, $228,400 home
10. South Carolina: 5.5%: $1,395 a month, $306,200 home

Rents lowest against prices

1. Hawaii: 2.7%: $2,009 a month, $901,500 home
2. California: 3.4%: $2,160 a month, $770,700 home
3. Montana: 3.4%: $1,208 a month, $427,500 home
4. District of Columbia: 3.5%: $2,075 a month, $715,500 home
5. Utah: 3.6%: $1,646 a month, $543,400 home
6. Wyoming: 3.7%: $1,087 a month, $357,300 home
7. Washington: 3.7%: $1,873 a month, $605,600 home
8. Massachusetts: 3.8%: $1,962 a month, $626,900 home
9. Idaho: 3.8%: $1,462 a month, $457,800 home
10. Rhode Island: 3.8%: $1,531 a month, $478,700 home

Read this with care

This is before taxes, insurance, repairs and vacancies, and the rented homes and owned homes in a state aren't the same homes. It's for comparing states, not for judging a deal.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2025 1-year estimates, tables B25064, B25077. Survey estimates carry a margin of error, which is larger in small states. Pulled 2026-11-03.