Home prices in Clayton run 126% above the national median: $950,000 versus $420,000. Relative to the $168,000 median household income here, the price-to-income ratio comes out to 5.7x.
Clayton's 1.3% property tax rate runs above the 1.1% national average. That's $1,029/month on the median home here, not a rounding error against the mortgage payment.
Between the $6,351/month mortgage payment and Missouri's state income tax, your real housing cost calculation needs your after-tax number, not your gross salary.
Beyond housing, Clayton's cost of living index sits at 171 (national average = 100), running above the national baseline for groceries, transportation, and everyday services.
Clayton's median home price runs 273% higher than nearby Kansas City: $255,000 there versus $950,000 here.