Is It Always Better to Buy or Rent?

It always frustrated me that the discussion around home ownership was often not much of a discussion at all. I'm sure there are plenty of circumstances where buying really does make more financial sense for someone. But it bothers me that those in the ownership camp aren't even open to a discussion about the numbers. There's a reason why the new york times and nerd wallet have a rent versus by calculator, because it's a decision that needs calculated.