Rent or buy? How long it takes for buying a home to pay off in each metro

New Zillow data shows buyers break even in six years nationally, but the timeline ranges from four years to never, depending on where you live  Conditions for buyers have improved, shortening the national breakeven point to six years from a peak of 8.4 years in 2023.  Buyers break even in as little as four years in Columbus, Memphis and Buffalo.