Detroit - MI vs St. Louis - MO: 2026 Housing Comparison

What this means for buyers

St. Louis - MO is roughly 3% more expensive than Detroit - MI in typical home value.

Detroit vs St. Louis: what the numbers say

At today's 7.40% average 30-year rate with 20% down, the typical home would cost about $1,464 a month in principal and interest in Detroit and $1,513 in St. Louis, a gap of $49 a month.

Typical rent runs $1,514 in Detroit and $1,427 in St. Louis, so the mortgage payment alone is 1.0 times rent in Detroit and 1.1 times rent in St. Louis, before taxes and insurance.

Home prices are 14.5 years of rent in Detroit and 16.0 in St. Louis; the lower ratio in Detroit means buying there is cheaper relative to renting.

Over the last 23 months typical values moved +5.2% in Detroit and +5.4% in St. Louis; over just the last three months the change was +0.3% in Detroit and +0.9% in St. Louis.

Homes sell for 99.5% of list price in Detroit and 100.1% in St. Louis, after 15 and 11 days on the market, with price cuts on 29% and 29% of listings. All three signs point the same way: buyers have more room to negotiate in Detroit.

The number of homes for sale is up 10% on a year ago in Detroit and up 9% on a year ago in St. Louis.

Payments assume a 30-year fixed loan at the Freddie Mac weekly average rate (2026-10-15), 20% down, principal and interest only. Home values, rents and market figures are Zillow Research metro data.