Home prices in Saint Louis run 48% below the national median: $218,000 versus $420,000. Relative to the $45,000 median household income here, the price-to-income ratio comes out to 4.8x.
Property taxes in Saint Louis run 1.2% of assessed value, above the 1.1% national average. On the median home, that's $2,616 a year, or $218 added to the monthly payment.
Between the $1,428/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, Saint Louis's cost of living index sits at 101 (national average = 100), running above the national baseline for groceries, transportation, and everyday services.
Saint Louis's median home price runs 15% lower than nearby Kansas City: $255,000 there versus $218,000 here.