St. Louis County, MO

This county of 987,992 residents needs 8,980 more housing units over the next five years. St. Louis County is a CDBG-entitlement community, see how the ROAD to Housing Act could change that funding. St. Louis County is part of the East-West Gateway Council of Government.

Housing snapshot

Population
987,992 (2026)
Households
412,444
Median household income
$91,644 (2026)
Typical home value
$290,876
Owner-occupied
64%
Five-year housing need
8,980 units

Comparison to other Missouri counties

St. Louis County: $91,644 Median income (2026 estimate)
<$41K >$94K
St. Louis County: 1.55 jobs to household ratio
<0.36 >1.44
St. Louis County: Permits since 2021 represent 1.4% of housing
<0% >5.6%
On this page

How affordable is this community?

A typical home in St. Louis County, MO costs $290,876, somewhat above the Missouri average of $231,344. St. Louis County, MO's median household income of $91,644 comfortably exceeds what is needed to afford the typical home, making this a relatively affordable market.

This chart tracks whether housing prices are keeping pace with local incomes. The gap between what homes cost and what households can afford reveals affordability trends over time.

How is the population changing?

St. Louis County, MO has a population of roughly 995,569 that has been largely stable in recent years.

Population growth patterns reveal how communities are evolving. This chart shows historical population changes by age group and projects future trends based on demographic patterns.

How has employment changed over time?

Jobs by industry sector since 2012. Switch between local jobs — counted where the jobs are located — and resident jobs, counted where the workers live. On the local view the most recent year is a nowcast: it grows the latest local LODES job mix forward using recent county employment growth from QCEW and the BLS local employment series, so the newest point tracks today's economy instead of data that is roughly two years old.

How are households changing by income?

St. Louis County, MO has roughly 412,444 households and a population that has been largely stable in recent years.

Understanding how households at different income levels are growing or declining helps identify which groups face the greatest housing pressure and where new housing is most needed.

Who lives here today?

The housing stock in St. Louis County, MO is heavily oriented toward detached single-family, which makes up 72% of units. Homeownership is the norm in St. Louis County, MO, with 64% of units owner-occupied.

Households may have different structure type preferences depending on characteristics such as household size, income, employment, presence of children, age of individuals, and lifestyle choices. Understanding the housing stock in corresponding terms helps assess how well existing units align with existing households' ideals.

What does the housing stock look like?

The mix of housing types and ownership patterns shapes a community's character. This chart breaks down housing units by structure type and whether they're owner-occupied or rented.

How much new housing supply is needed?

To keep up with growth and fill current housing shortages, St. Louis County, MO needs 8,980 new units over the next 5 years.

8,980
Units to address shortages in existing housing stock
Production needs to address vacancy rates and other factors.
3,207
Replacement housing
Effective annual loss rate is 1.4 per 1,000 units.
2,254
Ownership vacancy adjustment
Owner-occupied vacancy is 0.7%. This is below the minimum stable target of 1.5%.
3,519
Rental vacancy adjustment
Rental vacancy is 5.0%. This is below the minimum stable target of 7.4%.
8,980
Total 5-year housing production need (2026-2031)
1,796
Annual production pace
Average units needed per year to meet 5-year need
2.0%
Total housing unit growth
Percent increase in housing stock over 5 years
0.4%
Annual housing unit growth
Average percent increase in housing stock per year

Build Now Act: how could CDBG funding change?

The Build Now Act (Section 213 of the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act) ties a CDBG entitlement community's grant to how much housing it is building. This is a CommunityScale estimate from public ACS data, not HUD's official determination — HUD calculates from Census Master Address File block counts.

How do these communities compare to each other?