St. Louis - MO vs Austin - TX: 2026 Housing Comparison

What this means for buyers

Austin - TX is roughly 52% more expensive than St. Louis - MO in typical home value. Homes sit on market longer in Austin - TX (60 days vs 11), suggesting more buyer leverage there.

St. Louis vs Austin: what the numbers say

At today's 7.24% average 30-year rate with 20% down, the typical home would cost about $1,489 a month in principal and interest in St. Louis and $2,259 in Austin, a gap of $769 a month.

Typical rent runs $1,427 in St. Louis and $1,603 in Austin, so the mortgage payment alone is 1.0 times rent in St. Louis and 1.4 times rent in Austin, before taxes and insurance.

Home prices are 16.0 years of rent in St. Louis and 21.5 in Austin; 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 St. Louis and -9.8% in Austin; over just the last three months the change was +0.9% in St. Louis and -0.1% in Austin.

Homes sell for 100.1% of list price in St. Louis and 97.3% in Austin, after 11 and 60 days on the market, with price cuts on 29% and 30% of listings. All three signs point the same way: buyers have more room to negotiate in Austin.

The number of homes for sale is up 9% on a year ago in St. Louis and down 3% on a year ago in Austin.

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.