Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Clayton, Missouri
A $799,000 home here costs
$6,214per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $4,108. The real number is $2,106 higher every month — 51% more than the payment most buyers budget for.
Where every dollar goes
Only the first line is a mortgage payment. Change any assumption above and every figure below recalculates.
Clayton against St. Louis County and Missouri
| Measure | Clayton | St. Louis County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $799,200 | $260,700 |
| Median property tax | $10,001 | $3,193 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.251% | 1.225% |
| Median gross rent | $1,648 | $1,164 |
| Population | 17,282 | 996,618 |
The weather behind that power bill
Clayton sits in St. Louis County, which averages a high of 89.6°F in its hottest month and a low of 23.8°F in its coldest, with 41.7" of precipitation a year and 34% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 1,713 cooling and 4,433 heating degree days, which is what sets the $123 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for St. Louis County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in St. Louis County
Full St. Louis County cost breakdown · Every county in Missouri
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Clayton?
A $799,000 home in Clayton, Missouri costs approximately $6,214 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $4,108 principal and interest, $833 property tax, $416 homeowners insurance, $191 utilities and $666 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Clayton?
Clayton has an effective property tax rate of 1.251%, based on a median home value of $799,200 and median real estate taxes of $10,001. That is higher than the St. Louis County average of 1.225%.
What is the average home price in Clayton?
The median owner-occupied home value in Clayton, Missouri is $799,200, against $260,700 across St. Louis County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Clayton?
Median gross rent in Clayton is $1,648 a month, against $6,214 to own the median home all in. Renting costs less month to month here, though renting builds no equity.
Sources & methodology
- Median home value, real estate taxes, gross rent and population for Clayton — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Missouri.
- Electricity price — EIA Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A.
- Mortgage rate — Freddie Mac PMMS, refreshed weekly.
- Maintenance (1%/yr) and water and sewer ($68/mo) are national estimates. Every assumption above is editable.