St. Louis, MO Housing Market
AI-powered market intelligence for the St. Louis, MO-IL metro area.
PropertyIQ Scores
St. Louis, MO Market Analysis
Market Overview
St. Louis, MO presents a moderate housing market, reflected in a PropertyIQ Score of 67 out of 100. The median home value of $275,704 is below the state average of $297,573, giving the area a relative affordability advantage. The rent index of $1,443 is above the state average of $1,274, indicating stronger local rental price levels. The unemployment rate of 3.8% is also lower than the state average of 4.9%, while median household income of $80,196 is slightly below the state average of $83,390. These factors create a mixed but generally stable foundation.
The score’s top drivers show both strength and recent softening. Twelve-month home value momentum is positive at 6.05%, but three-month momentum is -0.20% and year-over-year home value change is -$3. With 6,840 homes for sale, a median of 45 days on market, and 19.7% of listings with a price cut, St. Louis is not overheated but also not distressed. Overall, the market is moderately balanced, with affordability and rental strength offset by below-average income and cooling price momentum.
Key Trends
The first trend is cooling price momentum. The 12-month home value momentum of 6.05% shows earlier appreciation, but the three-month momentum of -0.20% and year-over-year home value change of -$3 indicate a flattening or slight recent decline.
A second trend is relative affordability paired with strong rents. The median home value of $275,704 is about $21,900 below the state average, while the rent index of $1,443 is $169 above the state average. This combination can support both ownership affordability and rental investment returns, even though median household income trails the state by about $3,200.
A third trend is a balanced, slightly buyer-friendly sales environment. Homes are on the market for a median of 45 days, and 19.7% of listings have price cuts, suggesting buyers have some negotiation room and sellers need realistic pricing.
A fourth trend is labor market strength without a clear population signal. The unemployment rate of 3.8% is below the state average of 4.9%, but population growth data is not available, so long-term demand growth remains unclear.
Who Is This Market For
This market suits budget-conscious first-time buyers. A median home value below the state average, a 45-day median time on market, and a 19.7% price cut share give buyers more time and leverage. The rent index of $1,443 is high relative to the state average, which may make owning more attractive than renting for qualified local buyers.
Long-term rental investors may also find St. Louis appealing. The rent index is well above the state average while home values are below it, which can support stronger rental yields. The low unemployment rate of 3.8% supports tenant stability, though cooling price momentum and missing population growth data may limit short-term appreciation.
Move-up buyers face a mixed environment. They can negotiate on their next purchase, but may also experience a slower sale on their current home. The negative three-month momentum and year-over-year home value change of -$3 suggest sellers should not expect rapid near-term price gains.
Outlook
The near-term outlook is stable but soft on price growth. The -0.20% three-month home value momentum and -$3 year-over-year home value change point to limited upward price pressure. However, the 6.05% 12-month momentum and 3.8% unemployment rate suggest underlying support rather than a sharp decline. With 19.7% of listings cutting prices and a 45-day median time on market, conditions should remain balanced or slightly buyer-friendly. Affordability relative to the state and a rent index above the state average should continue to attract owner-occupants and rental investors. The main unknown is population growth, which is not available, so long-term demand growth cannot be assessed.
AI-generated analysis based on current market data. Last updated October 5, 2026.
Get St. Louis, MO market updates
Choose your role for tailored insights.
St. Louis, MO market data
St. Louis, MO Housing Market Overview
St. Louis, MO's median home value is $276K, up 6.1% over the past year. Homes here sell in a median 45 days. Its PropertyIQ Score of 67 sits well above the state average of 50, marking a market positioned to outperform its state over the next three years.
Understanding the St. Louis, MO housing market requires looking beyond headline price figures. The PropertyIQ Score reads both sides of market strength: Zillow price momentum across 3- and 12-month windows, and Realtor.com flow signals — days on market and the share of listings with price cuts. Together they predict how this MO metro is set to perform relative to the rest of its state.
Midwestern housing markets are characterized by affordability and economic diversification. From manufacturing hubs undergoing tech-sector transitions to university towns with stable demand, the region offers value-oriented opportunities with lower entry costs than coastal markets. Within the Midwest, St. Louis, MO's PropertyIQ Score of 67 ranks among the Midwest's stronger demand signals.
For the St. Louis, MO market, PropertyIQ calculates a single score each month from four inputs: twelve-month Zillow home-value momentum, three-month Zillow home-value momentum, median days on market from Realtor.com, and the Realtor.com price-reduced share. The score is computed nationally across all metros and calibrated so 50 equals the state average. Across the validation history, metro markets in the top score band have outperformed their state by roughly 1.7 percentage points more per year than bottom-band markets. Momentum here has been positive, with home values up 6.1% over the past year.
Explore the interactive map to see how St. Louis, MO compares to neighboring metros, or view the full market dashboard for detailed analytics including time-series trends, score breakdowns, and AI-generated market reports.
Market data through August 2026. Sourced from Zillow, Realtor.com, Redfin, U.S. Census Bureau, FRED, BLS, and BEA. Per-statistic source and date shown above.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is St. Louis, MO a good place to buy real estate in 2026?
PropertyIQ doesn't label markets simply good or bad. Instead, the PropertyIQ Score measures a market's demand momentum against its own state, where 50 marks the state average. St. Louis, MO currently scores 67, a firming-momentum reading that leaves it positioned to outperform its state over the next three years. For buyers, strengthening demand usually means rising competition and firmer prices, so waiting can cost you negotiating room. Backing that up, the median home value here is $276K, up 6.1% over the past year. So whether St. Louis, MO is right for you comes down to your goals: a rising-momentum market can favor long-term appreciation but offers less room to negotiate, while a cooling one hands buyers more leverage. Treat the score as a timing signal to weigh alongside your budget, holding period, and plans for the property, not a verdict on the market's quality.
What is the PropertyIQ Score for St. Louis, MO?
St. Louis, MO's PropertyIQ Score is 67, indicating firming momentum on a 1-to-99 scale. The score distills four transparent inputs into a single number: Zillow home-value momentum over the past 12 months, Zillow home-value momentum over the past 3 months, the median days homes spend on the market from Realtor.com, and the share of listings with a price cut, also from Realtor.com. Rising values and faster sales push the score up, while slow sales and frequent price cuts pull it down. The scale is calibrated so 50 equals the state average, meaning a score above 50 predicts the market will outperform its state over the next three years and a score below 50 predicts underperformance. PropertyIQ computes the score across every US market nationally, then recenters it against each state, so 67 places St. Louis, MO above its state benchmark.
Are home prices in St. Louis, MO rising or falling?
Home prices in St. Louis, MO are rising. Over the past year, the median home value increased 6.1%, reaching $276K. Over the latest three months, values slipped 0.2%, a sign near-term demand is softening. PropertyIQ derives these figures from Zillow's home-value index, which tracks the typical value across the market rather than only the homes that happened to sell, giving a steadier read than a raw median sale price. Both the 12-month and 3-month momentum readings feed directly into the PropertyIQ Score, so this price trend is one of the core signals behind St. Louis, MO's current score. Keep in mind that appreciation can vary widely by neighborhood and price tier across the metro area, so treat these figures as the market-wide baseline rather than a guarantee for any single property.
How quickly do homes sell in St. Louis, MO?
In St. Louis, MO, homes sell in a median of 45 days from listing to pending sale, based on Realtor.com market data. Median days on market is one of the clearest real-time reads on local demand: when homes move quickly, buyers are competing and sellers hold the advantage, while lengthening timelines signal cooling interest and more room to negotiate. Alongside sale speed, about 20% of active listings here have taken at least one price cut — a complementary demand gauge, since a rising share of reductions often precedes slower sales and softer prices. Both median days on market and the price-cut share feed directly into the PropertyIQ Score, where faster sales and fewer cuts push the score higher. As a general guide, medians under about 30 days indicate a brisk, competitive market, while medians well beyond 60 days point to buyers regaining leverage. Actual time on market still varies by price band, property type, and season, so treat the median as a market-wide baseline.
How current is this metro area data?
This St. Louis, MO market data is refreshed on a monthly cycle, with the latest figures current through August 2026. PropertyIQ ingests fresh data every month from a range of authoritative sources: home values and rents from Zillow, days on market and price-cut activity from Realtor.com, additional housing signals from Redfin, demographic and housing-stock data from the U.S. Census Bureau, mortgage and macroeconomic series from FRED, and employment figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Bureau of Economic Analysis. The PropertyIQ Score itself is recomputed every month once the new source data lands, so the score and its four underlying inputs always reflect the most recent complete reporting period rather than a static snapshot. Because official housing data is typically released with a short lag, the current-through date usually trails the present by a few weeks, which is normal across the industry and not a sign the data is out of date.