Should you rent or buy? More Zillow users are considering both during the same housing search. Zillow’s April 2026 analysis found that 7.6% of its U.S. shoppers looking at homes for sale also engaged with rentals. The finding comes as Freddie Mac’s 30-year fixed mortgage-rate average reached 7.28% on October 1, 2026—but neither source establishes that rising rates caused the behavior.
What does “dual shopper” mean?
Zillow uses “dual shopper” for a user who engages with both for-sale and rental listings. In its analysis, engagement meant saving or sharing a listing. Zillow grouped activity by month and region and analyzed users who interacted with either or both listing types.
This is a measure of activity on Zillow and StreetEasy, not a representative survey of all U.S. households. It shows what users considered, not whether they ultimately rented or bought.
How many Zillow shoppers consider both renting and buying?
Zillow’s April 14, 2026 analysis found that 7.6% of U.S. for-sale shoppers on Zillow also engaged with rentals—roughly one in 13. The company’s analysis says users often considered the same bedroom count across tenure types, commonly three-bedroom homes. The rental listings they engaged with were, on average, 284 square feet smaller than the for-sale listings they considered.
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Those patterns describe listings users interacted with, not necessarily equivalent homes or final housing choices. A smaller rental and a larger home for sale are not a like-for-like cost comparison.
What was the estimated rent-versus-own cost gap?
Zillow estimated monthly ownership costs for the for-sale homes dual shoppers considered, assuming a 20% down payment and including mortgage payments, property taxes, homeowner insurance, and maintenance. It compared those estimates with rents for the rental homes those users considered. The reported national median gap was $415 per month, with estimated ownership costs higher.
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This is a model of listings users engaged with, not a quote for an individual household or a matched comparison of equivalent homes. The estimate depends on the selected properties and Zillow’s assumptions; a buyer’s actual costs also depend on financing, down payment, taxes, insurance, maintenance, and any association fees. Zillow reported a gap above $3,400 in San Jose and $2,174 in Los Angeles.
How did dual shopping vary by market?
Zillow reported higher dual-shopping shares in several expensive coastal markets and a lower share in Hartford. Its figures also illustrate why market labels and data sources matter:
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| Market | Share of for-sale shoppers also engaging with rentals | Source and scope |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | 12.0% | Zillow metro figure |
| San Diego | 10.8% | Zillow metro figure |
| San Francisco | 10.1% | Zillow metro figure |
| New York metro | 7.4% | Zillow table |
| Hartford | 4.2% | Zillow metro figure |
| New York City | 29.9% | StreetEasy figure cited by Zillow; different platform and market scope |
Do not treat New York City’s StreetEasy figure as directly comparable to every Zillow metro figure. Zillow also said median households in Los Angeles, San Diego, and San Francisco would need to spend roughly two-thirds of income on a monthly mortgage payment with 20% down, compared with roughly one-third of income on rent. These associations point to affordability pressures; they do not show that mortgage-rate increases alone produced the differences.
What do current mortgage rates add to the picture?
Freddie Mac’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey reported a 7.28% average 30-year fixed mortgage rate on October 1, 2026, up from 7.03% one week earlier and 6.34% one year earlier. The average 15-year fixed rate was 6.60% that week. Freddie Mac releases the survey weekly, usually Thursdays at noon Eastern; its survey page explains that the averages are derived from mortgage application data submitted through Loan Product Advisor by lenders across the country.
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These are national survey averages, not a personal loan offer. Borrower circumstances, including credit, affect available rates, and the survey’s headline rate is not a complete comparison of loan costs: fees and points are not consistently available in the current survey. Compare quotes for equivalent terms and review fees as well as the interest rate.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How should you decide whether to rent or buy?
Compare the all-in cost of the specific homes you would actually consider, rather than rent against mortgage principal and interest alone. For a purchase, include:
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- Mortgage payment, property taxes, and homeowner insurance.
- Maintenance and any homeowners association or condominium fees.
- Upfront cash, including the down payment and closing costs.
- How long you expect to stay and the value you place on flexibility.
For renting, account for rent, any recurring fees, and the flexibility of moving without selling a home. There is no universal rent-or-buy answer: the comparison depends on your local choices, finances, and expected time in the home. Zillow’s release points users to its BuyAbility tool for an estimate of purchasing power and its rent affordability calculator for a rent estimate. Use tools as starting points, then check the assumptions against your own figures.
How much would a higher mortgage rate change your payment?
The payment impact depends on the loan amount, term, and rate offered to you. The Freddie Mac national average does not determine your individual payment. To see the effect for your situation, compare lender quotes for the same loan amount and term at the rates available to you, and include fees and points in the comparison. A higher rate raises principal-and-interest payments on a fixed-rate loan, but a payment estimate alone does not capture taxes, insurance, maintenance, or the cash needed upfront.
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