Rent or buy? 10 cities rated

Home price gains needed to make buying a better deal: 6.78%

Historical average gain: 5.4%

Beantown rents may not be cheap but they're a bargain compared with buying. The median home in the metro area sells for about $327,000, roughly twice the national median and 34 times annual rent.

For today's purchases to pay off financially, home price increases in the Boston area would have to exceed historical rates by more than a percentage point -- 6.8% vs. 5.4%.

NEXT: Chicago -- BUY

Last updated May 13 2011: 12:43 PM ET

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Rent or buy? 10 cities rated