Getty Images. 3. Generally, ... At least half of all properties in each of these cities are less expensive to buy than rent, Redfin found. This is true of a staggering 80% of homes in Detroit.

The net result is that home price gains would need to average only 3.25% annually to beat renting, according to Beracha and Johnson. To make the math work, you have to stay in the home for at ...

In most US cities, renting tends to be far more affordable than buying — the Philly area is an exception. MediaNews Group via Getty Images Next is Philly, where owners get a comparative 7% discount.

Chris Delmas/AFP via Getty Images ... San Jose and San Francisco had some of the highest buy-to-rent ratios, according to the study, with ratios between 86.5 percent and 180.7 percent.

In the D.C. metro area, renting is $630 a month less expensive than buying compared to ownership costs, including mortgage payment and insurance. That is just the average.