Last updated October 18, 2026
Two homes at the same listing price can cost $200 to $400 more per month depending on where they sit in St. Louis. Here is what that difference looks like across 79 zip codes -- and why it matters before you ever make an offer.
Area medians and tax shares are 2026 MLS sales from this site’s area pages.
Property tax rates vary significantly across St. Louis zip codes and municipalities. Two homes priced identically can carry monthly payments that differ by $300 to $400 based solely on their location, because each municipality and school district sets its own levy rate. What drives the difference ↓
By 2026 median sale price on this site’s area pages, the lowest were in North County: $80,000 in Moline Acres, $88,000 in Jennings, $94,500 in Bellefontaine Neighbors and $101,000 in Berkeley. In South County, Lemay ($195,000) and Affton ($273,000) had the lowest medians. Price isn’t the whole monthly cost: in those North County areas, the median tax ran from about 1.3% of the sale price in Berkeley to about 2.4% in Moline Acres. Area pages with 2026 sales →
Significantly. In 2026 St. Louis County sales, the median property tax ran from about 0.90% of the sale price in Kirkwood to about 1.32% on the Hancock Place side of Lemay, and higher in parts of North County, such as about 2.4% in Moline Acres. On a $200,000 home, 0.90% versus 1.32% is about $70 a month, and 0.90% versus 2.4% is about $250 a month. A home in a low-tax municipality can cost meaningfully less per month than a home at the same list price in a high-tax area. Always compare PITI -- not just purchase price -- when evaluating affordability across different St. Louis areas. Property taxes by school district → Property taxes by school district →
Lenders use estimated tax rates that are often county or state averages -- not the specific rate for the zip code you are buying in. This can make your actual monthly payment significantly higher than what the lender modeled, especially in higher-tax zip codes. Why your lender’s number isn’t the whole story ↓
Start with the tax on the listing, which is the seller’s most recent bill, to compare areas. Then confirm the exact address with the St. Louis County Collector of Revenue (or the City Collector for a City address) before you make an offer. The County and City assessors’ sites show the assessed value.
Most buyers search by price. They filter by $250,000 to $300,000, scroll through listings, and mentally calculate what they can afford based on the number they see. The problem is that number is not your monthly payment. It is a starting point that becomes a completely different figure once you add property taxes -- and in St. Louis, those taxes are not even close to uniform across zip codes.
St. Louis City and St. Louis County are separate taxing jurisdictions. Within the county there are dozens of municipalities, each with its own tax levy. There are also multiple school districts layered on top of municipal boundaries. The result is a patchwork of tax rates that can swing your monthly payment by $300 or more on an identical home at an identical purchase price.
The STL Affordability Map calculates your true monthly cost for any zip code in the metro area -- not just the mortgage payment, but property taxes at the actual local rate, estimated insurance, and HOA where applicable. It is built from 7,006 MARIS MLS residential sales across 79 zip codes and uses current local tax levy data, not county averages.
About this data: The prices and market numbers here come from 7,006 MARIS closed sales across 79 St. Louis-area ZIP codes, 2025–2026. They don’t reflect price changes since then. I’m refreshing this data at the end of 2026 and every six months after that.
You enter your price range and down payment. The map color-codes every zip code from green (most affordable total monthly cost) to red (most expensive) so you can see immediately where your budget actually goes -- not where Zillow's search filter says it goes.
79 zip codes. Real tax rates. Your actual monthly payment -- not an estimate.
Open the Map →When a lender gives you a pre-approval, they calculate your maximum loan amount based on your income, debts, and credit score. They use an estimated property tax rate -- typically a county or state average -- that may have nothing to do with the specific zip code you are buying in.
That means you can be fully pre-approved for $300,000 and still be unable to comfortably afford a $280,000 home in a high-tax zip code, because the actual monthly payment exceeds what the lender modeled. This happens constantly in St. Louis, and it is almost never caught until after a buyer is already emotionally attached to a home.
What income you actually need by price point and zip code -- not what your lender approves. How Much Income Do You Need to Buy in St. Louis? → →School district tax levies are the largest single driver of property tax variation in St. Louis. Two homes a quarter mile apart can fall into different school districts, and the levy difference between districts can be significant. District boundaries do not follow zip code lines -- they can split a single street down the middle.
St. Louis County contains dozens of incorporated municipalities, each with its own tax levy on top of the county base rate. Unincorporated areas of the county have a lower base rate than most municipalities. St. Louis City operates as its own county entirely, with a different structure from the county.
Some areas have additional levies for fire protection districts, library districts, or infrastructure improvement districts that further increase the effective tax rate. These do not always appear in a Zillow listing or a basic property search.
Before you fall in love with a neighborhood, run your target price through the affordability map for that zip code. Know your actual monthly number -- including taxes -- before you walk through a single door. That number is what determines whether a home fits your budget, not the listing price.
If you are working with me, I pull the actual tax data for every property before we tour. You should never see a payment number for the first time at the closing table.
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.
Comparing areas
It depends on the specific municipality and school district within the county. St. Louis City has its own tax structure as a combined city-county. Some county municipalities have higher effective rates than City zip codes; others are lower. The affordability map shows the actual comparison without generalizing.
School district levies are the biggest driver, then municipal levies on top of the county rate, then special districts for fire protection, libraries or infrastructure. District lines don’t follow ZIP codes and can split a street. What drives the difference ↓
Older housing stock means more inspection risk: Federal Pacific panels, cast iron drain stacks, original clay sewer laterals and deferred tuckpointing. Some areas resell more slowly, which affects your exit plan, and older homes can carry higher insurance premiums or insurer restrictions, so confirm insurability before you close. 2026 expected repair costs →
The map
It’s built from 7,006 MARIS closed sales across 79 St. Louis-area ZIP codes from 2025 and 2026, so it doesn’t reflect price changes since then. I’m refreshing it at the end of 2026 and every six months after that. What the map shows ↓
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.
Questions about what you are reading? I answer personally -- no team, no handoff.