Northwest Arkansas homeownership more expensive than renting
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Renting is cheaper than owning a home in Northwest Arkansas, according to a recent LendingTree analysis.
Why it matters: Housing costs have soared nationwide, with stubbornly high home prices and mortgage rates weighing on would-be buyers.
U.S. homeowners with a mortgage now pay around 37% more per month than renters, researchers found.
By the numbers: Nationally, the median monthly gross rent was nearly $1,500 in 2024, based on the latest available census data, compared to over $2,000 a month for mortgaged homes.
- That gap widened from the year before as homeownership costs rose faster than rents.
Zoom in: The median gross rent in NWA was about $1,220, compared to more than $1,700 monthly for mortgages.
Reality check: Attainable housing is one of NWA's top quality-of-life issues. Area population growth is so rapid that the infrastructure and zoning to support new housing development haven't fully evolved to keep pace.
- Meanwhile, the average selling price for a single-family home in Benton County during the first half of 2025 was $471,427, up 8.8% from a year earlier. It was $417,489 in Washington County, up 7.2% from a year earlier, per the Arvest Skyline report.
Threat level: In 22 of the 100 largest U.S. metros, owning costs at least 50% more each month than renting, including utilities, fees and taxes.
Northeastern metros — New York (76%), Bridgeport, Connecticut (75%), and Providence, Rhode Island (67%) — saw the biggest percentage differences between homeowners' and renters' bills.
- San Francisco posted the largest dollar difference, nearly $1,600.
- Even in relatively affordable areas such as Phoenix and Orlando, Florida, renting remains around $200 cheaper per month.
What they're saying: "The cost disparity here could be enough to convince someone that they'll never be able to own a home in some areas, and — unfortunately — they may be right," said Matt Schulz, LendingTree's chief consumer finance analyst, in a statement.
- Homebuyers may have to move to another city to find a place within reach, he says.
What we're watching: President Trump has proposed a raft of policies meant to lower mortgage rates and boost home-buying demand.
- But making housing more affordable is easier said than done.