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 its PropertyIQ Score of 67 out of 100. The score is shaped by both supportive and cooling signals. On the supportive side, the median home value is $277,434, below the Missouri state average of $299,900, which creates relative affordability for buyers. The rent index is $1,445, well above the state average of $1,227, suggesting stronger rental demand or income potential than much of the state. The unemployment rate is 3.8%, notably lower than the state average of 5.1%, indicating a comparatively healthy local labor market.
However, the market is flattening. The 12-month home value momentum is positive at 6.96%, but the 3-month momentum is negative at -0.72%. The median home value change over the past year is -$3, essentially flat. Median days on market is 44 days, and 17.9% of listings have a price cut. These figures suggest sellers are facing more negotiation pressure than in a hot market. The median household income of $78,225 is below the state average of $81,702, which may limit buyer purchasing power even with lower home prices.
Overall, St. Louis is a moderate market with relative affordability, an above-state rent index, and low unemployment, but with short-term price signals that point to cooling.
Key Trends
One clear trend is cooling home price momentum. The 12-month home value momentum of 6.96% shows notable growth over the past year, but the 3-month momentum of -0.72% and a year-over-year median home value change of -$3 indicate that price growth has stalled in the most recent period. This is a meaningful shift from the longer-term positive trend.
A second trend is a slower sales environment. The median days on market is 44 days, and 17.9% of listings have a price cut. With 6,718 homes for sale, buyers have a decent inventory to choose from, which reduces urgency and gives them more negotiating room.
A third trend is mixed affordability. The median home value of $277,434 is below the state average of $299,900, but the local median household income of $78,225 is also below the state average of $81,702. So while home prices are lower, local incomes do not fully amplify that advantage relative to the state.
A fourth trend is rental market strength. The rent index of $1,445 is above the state average of $1,227, and unemployment is low at 3.8% compared with 5.1% statewide. That may support renter demand even as for-sale price momentum cools. Population growth data is not available, so longer-term demographic demand cannot be directly assessed.
Who Is This Market For
This market may suit first-time buyers seeking a more affordable entry point. The median home value of $277,434 is below the state average of $299,900, and with 17.9% of listings showing price cuts and a median of 44 days on market, first-time buyers may have extra time and leverage to negotiate. However, the median household income of $78,225 is below the state average of $81,702, so budgets should be based on local incomes rather than state-level assumptions.
Buy-and-hold rental investors may also find St. Louis appealing. The rent index of $1,445 is significantly above the state average of $1,227, while the median home value is below the state average. That combination could create a relatively favorable rent-to-price setup compared with other Missouri markets, though the data does not include operating costs, property taxes, or rental vacancy rates. Investors should evaluate those factors separately.
Move-up buyers face a mixed picture. The cooling 3-month momentum and share of price cuts may create opportunities on the purchase side, but selling a current home may take longer given the 44-day median time on market.
Outlook
The St. Louis market is likely to remain moderate and relatively flat in the near term. The negative 3-month home value momentum of -0.72% and the year-over-year median home value change of -$3 suggest that the upward price pressure from the 12-month momentum of 6.96% has faded. With 6,718 homes for sale, a 44-day median time on market, and 17.9% of listings reporting price cuts, sellers may need to remain flexible on price or wait longer to sell.
That said, the market has stabilizing factors. Unemployment at 3.8% is well below the state average of 5.1%, and the rent index of $1,445 exceeds the state average of $1,227, which could keep rental demand relatively firm. The median home value remains below the state average, which may continue to attract buyers looking for relative affordability. However, with median household income below the state average and population growth data unavailable, the data supports a cautious outlook rather than a sharp rebound. Current metrics point to stability with limited near-term price growth.
AI-generated analysis based on current market data. Last updated August 27, 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 $277K, up 7.0% over the past year. Homes here sell in a median 44 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 7.0% 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.
Counties in the St. Louis, MO metro area
ZIP codes in the St. Louis, MO metro area
View all 241 →Top markets in MO
Market data through July 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 $277K, up 7.0% 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 7.0%, reaching $277K. Over the latest three months, values slipped 0.7%, 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 44 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 18% 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 July 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.