Should you quit renting and buy a home? Doing the math means looking at the “capitalization rate” of the house you covet: the estimated rental income the home could produce as a percentage of the purchase price. The higher the cap rate, the more likely that buying will pay off. The Forbes Luxury Residence Rental Index, or Flurry, tracks cap rates for 100 upscale homes in 10 U.S. cities. Following is a list of those cities, from highest to lowest cap rates.

1. Houston

Neighborhoods: Tanglewood, River Oaks
Capitalization rate: 4.3%

Houston tenants should consider buying.

2. Dallas

Neighborhoods: Park Cities, Preston Hollow, Uptown/Turtle Creek
Capitalization rate: 4.2%

Tenants in Texas’ other big city aren’t getting much of a bargain.

3. Atlanta

Neighborhoods: Buckhead, Sandy Springs
Capitalization rate: 4%

Tenants who buy here can feel good about it.

4. Washington, D.C.

Neighborhoods: Dupont Circle, Georgetown, Woodley Park
Capitalization rate: 3.6%

Not a bad place to quit renting — if your seat in Congress is safe.

5. Boston

Neighborhoods: North End, Downtown, Back Bay
Capitalization rate: 3.6%

Tenants here do OK, but buying may be a good move for long-timers.

Sources: Carmela Laurella, Zillow.com.

View the full list of best cities to quit renting and buy a home on Forbes.com.