Philadelphia - PA vs St. Louis - MO: 2026 Housing Comparison

What this means for buyers

Philadelphia - PA is roughly 41% more expensive than St. Louis - MO in typical home value.

Philadelphia vs St. Louis: what the numbers say

At today's 7.24% average 30-year rate with 20% down, the typical home would cost about $2,105 a month in principal and interest in Philadelphia and $1,489 in St. Louis, a gap of $615 a month.

Typical rent runs $1,903 in Philadelphia and $1,427 in St. Louis, so the mortgage payment alone is 1.1 times rent in Philadelphia and 1.0 times rent in St. Louis, before taxes and insurance.

Home prices are 16.9 years of rent in Philadelphia and 16.0 in St. Louis; the lower ratio in St. Louis means buying there is cheaper relative to renting.

Over the last 23 months typical values moved +5.4% in Philadelphia and +5.4% in St. Louis; over just the last three months the change was +0.7% in Philadelphia and +0.9% in St. Louis.

Homes sell for 100.1% of list price in Philadelphia and 100.1% in St. Louis, after 15 and 11 days on the market, with price cuts on 26% and 29% of listings. The signs are mixed: Philadelphia has longer time on the market, while St. Louis has more price cuts.

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

Payments assume a 30-year fixed loan at the Freddie Mac weekly average rate (2026-10-29), 20% down, principal and interest only. Home values, rents and market figures are Zillow Research metro data.