It actually depends on location.
Buy/Rent ratio is much higher in Bay Area and NYC than in Arizona/Texas/Florida/Kansas/...
So in Bay Area it's generally better to rent, while in mid-America it's better to own.
So in Bay Area it's generally better to rent, while in mid-America it's better to own.
Basically almost anything in the bay area is not going to be profitable, in the south bay for sure.