Trying to figure out whether you should rent a home or buy one?

A new interactive map from Trulia.com may be able to help.

The map is based on Trulia’s latest calculations of the rent versus buy ratio in the 50 largest American cities. Trulia calculated the ratio by comparing the median list price to the median rent of two-bedroom apartments, condos and town houses listed on its site.

A ratio of 1 to 15 (shown with green circles on the map) means owning a home is much less expensive than renting in that particular city, while a ratio of 16 to 20 (or a lighter green circle) means the total cost of ownership in that city is greater than renting but buying still “might still make financial sense,” depending on the situation. Finally, according to Trulia.com, a ratio score above 21 (yellow and red circles) means “renting in this city is much less expensive than owning a home.”

The map also shows data regarding the median annualized rent and median list price of homes and has some surprising findings on the cities where it may make more sense to buy.

The map, of course, may be most helpful to those considering a two bedroom. Yet prices for other size homes may follow similar trends. The general trend now is toward home ownership in most cities, as many former homeowners are now renting.

Check out the map and let us know whether it accurately captures the situation in your city. Also, how do you decide whether to buy or rent where you live?