Last updated October 13, 2026
Start with the budget, then narrow the map. South County can look completely different at one price point than it does at another, and the tradeoffs are not just about ZIP code. School district, condition, lot size and competition can all change what the same monthly budget buys. This guide is organized around that question: where should you look in South County at your price point, and what tradeoffs should you expect when you get there?
If you are deciding between South County areas before setting the budget, use the full South County Neighborhood Guide for the broader where-should-I-live comparison.
Medians below are 2026 closed single-family sales, the same figures published on each community’s page: inside the Census boundary for Affton, Concord, Lemay and Sappington; inside city limits for Crestwood, Green Park and Sunset Hills; by MLS high school area for Mehlville and Oakville. Sappington (14 sales) and Green Park (10) are small samples.
Lemay is the most accessible market in South County. The trade is obvious: older housing stock, a more utilitarian feel, and a market that demands careful inspection discipline. The upside is real — Jefferson Barracks Park is a major anchor, and buyers who underwrite their inspections carefully and buy intentionally often find more house-for-payment than anywhere else in South County. 34 of its 47 sales in 2026 closed at $250,000 or less.
What to know: Mostly the Hancock Place School District (27 of 47 sales in 2026), with 18 in Mehlville R-IX and 2 in Bayless. Unincorporated. Many homes here have cast iron drain lines, older mechanical systems, and deferred maintenance that shows up on inspection reports. Budget for that before you offer.
Full buyer guide for Lemay, MO — Jefferson Barracks, older housing profile, and what buyers actually find here. Lemay, Missouri Neighborhood Guide → →Affton runs higher than Lemay and is mostly in the separate Affton School District (41 of 53 sales in 2026). The market moves fast: 62.3% of 2026 sales closed above the original list price, with a 5-day median on market. Grant’s Trail access and a dense daily-services corridor are the location advantages.
What to know: Mostly Affton School District, with some Mehlville R-IX and Bayless addresses; verify by address. Unincorporated. Despite the accessible price point, this is not a slow market — get pre-approved before you tour.
Full buyer guide for Affton, MO — Grant’s Trail, Affton School District, and South County’s most practical entry point. Affton, Missouri Neighborhood Guide → →A small city of 1.31 square miles between I-55, Lindbergh and Tesson Ferry. Its 2026 sales split evenly between Lindbergh and Mehlville R-IX, 5 and 5. With only 10 sales, read the median as directional; buyers usually find Green Park through a specific listing, not a broad search.
Entry-tier South County homes reward buyers who understand the inspection process. What Happens at a Home Inspection in St. Louis → →Four communities cluster between $300,000 and $400,000: Mehlville, Concord, Crestwood and Oakville. They look similar on a price chart. They are not the same market.
Mehlville is the core of South County’s mid-range. In the Mehlville High area, 88 of 148 sales in 2026 (59.5%) closed above the original list price, with a 6-day median on market, so a good price point doesn’t mean patient sellers. The housing stock is practical and established, and the daily-life setup works.
What to know: Mehlville R-IX. Unincorporated. The median is for the Mehlville High area, which is how MLS groups these sales.
Full buyer guide for Mehlville, MO — 2026 prices, budgets and market time. Mehlville, Missouri Neighborhood Guide → →Concord is the overlap zone: 39 of its 56 sales in 2026 were in Lindbergh and 17 in Mehlville R-IX, and the block decides which. Homes moved fast, with a 4.5-day median on market. A strong suburban market at a practical price point, as long as you confirm the district before you offer.
Crestwood had the highest share of sales above the original list price in South County: 26 of 40 (65.0%) in 2026, with a 6.5-day median on market. Lindbergh Schools (39 of 40 sales), Whitecliff Park and an established small-city feel. Come ready to compete; this is not a market where you tour and think it over for a week.
Oakville sits at the top of the mid tier, in the Mehlville district, across a much larger search field: 15.88 square miles and 137 Oakville High-area sales in 2026. More inventory, more variability across subareas, and newer, larger houses than Mehlville’s on average. The river-edge geography (Cliff Cave Park, Bee Tree Park, Mississippi Greenway) is a genuine differentiator for buyers who want that setting.
The full comparison of South County’s three most-searched communities. Mehlville vs. Oakville vs. Concord: Which Is Right for You? → → What 137 Oakville sales in 2026 show about prices, budgets and market time. Buying a House in Oakville, Missouri → →Sappington is the compact Lindbergh-side option. Its 14 sales in 2026 had a higher median than Crestwood ($427,500 versus $365,000) because they were bigger houses, about 2,458 square feet at the median versus 1,646. Per square foot, Sappington still came in lower: about $200 versus $224. Buyers who want Lindbergh Schools and a larger house often look here. The trade is a smaller community with less inventory to choose from.
What to know: Lindbergh Schools. Unincorporated. Compact footprint means fewer homes come to market; it had no 2026 sales at $350,000 or less.
Full buyer guide for Sappington, MO — the compact Lindbergh-district option. Sappington, Missouri Neighborhood Guide → →Sunset Hills is a different market from the rest of this list — lower density, larger lots, Laumeier Sculpture Park, Lindbergh Schools, and a price point that immediately filters the buyer pool. The median 2026 sale was about 3,018 square feet. At 1,024 people per square mile (compared to over 3,000 in Concord or Affton), Sunset Hills feels genuinely more open. Buyers shopping here are typically comparing it with Kirkwood, Chesterfield and Webster Groves rather than with Mehlville or Affton.
Full buyer guide for Sunset Hills, MO — South County’s premium market. Sunset Hills, Missouri Neighborhood Guide → →Median values are a starting point. Within each community, actual prices vary based on:
Know your number? Take it to the showing. My walk-through tool flags repairs room by room and totals the 2026 expected costs, so you can see whether a house still fits your budget once you add what it needs. Save or email your results to compare houses.
What is the most affordable neighborhood in South County St. Louis?
Lemay, with a $195,000 median in 2026 closed sales, followed by Affton ($273,000) and Green Park ($286,500, a small sample of 10 sales). Even here homes moved fast: Lemay’s median was 8 days on market and Affton’s 5, so get pre-approved before you tour.
What is the most expensive neighborhood in South County?
Sunset Hills, with a $729,050 median in 2026 closed sales and a median house of about 3,018 square feet. Larger lots, lower density, Laumeier Sculpture Park and Lindbergh Schools define it. It’s a different market from the rest of South County in both price and character.
How do property taxes compare across South County?
Rates vary by city, school district and fire district, so two homes at the same price can carry different tax bills. Incorporated cities like Crestwood, Sunset Hills and Green Park add their own levies. Use the tax on a listing to compare areas, then confirm the tax for the exact address with the St. Louis County Collector of Revenue before you budget. In 2026 sales, the median annual tax by school district ran from $1,994 in Hancock Place to $4,048 in Lindbergh. South County property taxes by district →
Why is Crestwood so competitive?
Demand for a small supply. Crestwood is a small city of 3.59 square miles with Lindbergh Schools and Whitecliff Park, and in 2026 it had the highest share of sales above the original list price in South County: 26 of 40 (65.0%). Its median house sold for $365,000 in 6.5 days.
This is one piece of the St. Louis home buying process. See how it all fits together:
📚 Complete St. Louis Buyer Guide →
Grew up in South St. Louis, lived in Dogtown for 6 years, now in South County. You'll find us at Wellspring on Lindbergh on Sundays. I'm not selling you a house — I'm showing you how to think about buying or selling a house.