Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in St. Louis, Missouri
A $185,000 home here costs
$1,554per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $951. The real number is $603 higher every month — 63% 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.
St. Louis against St. Louis city and Missouri
| Measure | St. Louis | St. Louis city |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $185,100 | $185,100 |
| Median property tax | $1,935 | $1,935 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.045% | 1.045% |
| Median gross rent | $978 | $978 |
| Population | 293,109 | 293,109 |
The weather behind that power bill
St. Louis sits in St. Louis city, which averages a high of 89.6°F in its hottest month and a low of 24.6°F in its coldest, with 43.91" of precipitation a year and 33% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 1,769 cooling and 4,292 heating degree days, which is what sets the $123 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for St. Louis city — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in St. Louis city
No other places of this size are published in St. Louis city.
Full St. Louis city cost breakdown · Every county in Missouri
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in St. Louis?
A $185,000 home in St. Louis, Missouri costs approximately $1,554 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $951 principal and interest, $161 property tax, $96 homeowners insurance, $191 utilities and $154 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in St. Louis?
St. Louis has an effective property tax rate of 1.045%, based on a median home value of $185,100 and median real estate taxes of $1,935. That is in line with the St. Louis city average of 1.045%.
What is the average home price in St. Louis?
The median owner-occupied home value in St. Louis, Missouri is $185,100, against $185,100 across St. Louis city.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in St. Louis?
Median gross rent in St. Louis is $978 a month, against $1,554 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 St. Louis — 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.