St. Louis just snagged a national housing win. On May 13, 2026, a new analysis put the metro at the top of the list of the nation's most affordable major housing markets, finding that buyers of a typical new home would need to spend roughly 26.3% of median income to cover housing costs. That share lands well below many coastal metros where homeownership devours a far larger slice of paychecks, even if the headline number still hides big contrasts between neighborhoods and suburbs.
The ranking was reported by KSDK, which summarized a MoneyLion analysis of Zillow figures for the top 50 housing markets. According to KSDK, MoneyLion pegged St. Louis' average home value at $276,557 and average rent at $1,583. The study estimated that a new renter would need about $56,640 in annual income, while a new homeowner would need roughly $75,499, and it placed St. Louis at No. 1 on MoneyLion’s top 10 affordability ranking.
How MoneyLion ran the numbers
MoneyLion's approach converted Zillow market snapshots into share-of-income measures so metros could be compared on a common scale instead of by list prices alone. The methodology looks at typical home values and average rents and then models what portion of median income those costs represent under standard mortgage assumptions. This is the same basic framework MoneyLion has described in its other housing pieces and analyses.
What the numbers mean in St. Louis
Local market reporting and data generally back up the idea that St. Louis remains relatively inexpensive compared with most large metros, even as some neighborhoods have tightened. Homes.com notes that Saint Louis remains one of the more affordable major housing markets, while neighborhood-level MLS snapshots and local market trackers still show plenty of places where medians sit well under the metro average. That split, with low overall prices but neighborhood pockets of distress, helps explain how a metro can top an affordability chart while many residents still feel stretched.
Affordability is relative
Measured affordability can be a blunt instrument. National researchers warn that low prices alone do not erase wider strains such as stagnant wages, rising insurance and property taxes, or elevated mortgage costs. The Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies' recent State of the Nation's Housing report emphasizes that affordability remains a national challenge and that many households across metros remain cost-burdened. In other words, a No. 1 ranking on a price-oriented list does not by itself solve deeper income and supply problems.
For prospective buyers, the MoneyLion figures suggest St. Louis may offer more buying power than many bigger coastal markets this spring. For policymakers and advocates, the same numbers highlight where targeted help, from wage growth to housing rehabilitation and preservation, is still needed. Local brokers and market trackers say inventory, wage trends and mortgage rates will determine whether the metro can turn that statistical advantage into real opportunities for more residents, according to reporting by the St. Louis Business Journal.
