Trulia’s Rent vs. Buy Index tracks whether buying a home or renting is less expensive in America’s 50 largest U.S. cities by population. The price-to-rent ratio is calculated using the average list price compared with average rent on two bedroom apartments, condos and townhomes listed on Trulia.com.

1. Better to Rent or Buy? Summer 2011

2. Homeownership Beats Renting in 74% of Major U.S. Cities 12% 74% 14%

3. Top 10 U.S. Cities Where Buying Beats Renting

4. Top 10 U.S. Cities Where Renting Beats Buying

5. Rebounds and Setbacks in Foreclosure Hotspots It’s still more affordable to buy in Miami, but a mini-buying boom created by foreign investors and foreclosure freezes have caused its price-to-rent ratio to jump by 112% from 6 in January to 13 in July.

6. Rebounds and Setbacks in Foreclosure Hotspots Recent job gains in the auto industry have not countered Detroit’s falling home prices. The city’s price-to-rent ratio has dipped 39% from 12 in January to 7 in July.

7. Rebounds and Setbacks in Foreclosure Hotspots Las Vegas, on the other hand, continues to be the best place to buy instead of rent for the past six months with its price-to-rent ratio remaining consistently at 6.

8. Rebounds and Setbacks in Foreclosure Hotspots

9. Extra! Extra! INTERACTIVE RENT VS. BUY VISUALCheck out Trulia’s data visual to see how the rent vs. buy debate has changed throughout 2011 in America’s 50 largest cities. http://insights.truliablog.com/vis/rent-vs-buy-q3/ RENT VS. BUY CALCULATORCompare the costs of owning versus renting a home with Trulia’s rent vs. buy calculator to see which option may be a better fit for your financial needs. http://www.trulia.com/mortgage-calculators/06/rent-or-buy/

11. Median Rent: $1,871.65

13. Price-to-Rent Ratio of 16-20: The total costs of homeownership in this city are greater than the costs of renting, but it might still make financial sense to buy depending on the situation.

15. Total costs of renting include rent and renter's insurance.