The financial aspects depend a lot on where it is. In and near the large urban areas, no, owning a home does not make financial sense. But in small towns, wel

The financial aspects depend a lot on where it is. In and near the large urban areas, no, owning a home does not make financial sense. But in small towns, well away from the large cities, it is a different matter. Rents vary from one area to another much less than home prices do. I moved in 2001 from the DC suburbs (College Park, MD) to Cumberland MD. The duplex I rented was about a third what it would have cost in College Park. Later, I bought both sides of the duplex, for less than a sixth of what it would have cost in College Park. From what the Places Rated Almanac said, that sort of variation is normal across most of the country. Note that in my case I even stayed within the same state, so I didn't benefit from the regulatory and tax changes that occur in some inter-state moves.