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City · 8,285 residents · Jefferson County, Missouri

Murphy , Missouri

In Murphy, a typical home is worth $184,700 and typical rent is $1,056 a month. Compared with all of Jefferson County, the typical home value is 22% lower and typical household income is 13% lower.

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  • Typical home value

    $184,700

    22% below the county

    20% below Missouri

    • Murphy
    • Jefferson
    • Missouri

  • Typical rent

    $1,056a month

    8% above the county

    2% above Missouri

    • Murphy
    • Jefferson
    • Missouri

  • Typical household income

    $72,233a year

    13% below the county

    2% above Missouri

    • Murphy
    • Jefferson
    • Missouri

  • Households that own their home

    80%

    2 points below the county

    12 points above Missouri

    • Murphy
    • Jefferson
    • Missouri

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024

Murphy is in Jefferson County. The FHA loan limit ($541,287 for a one-unit home), the fair market rents and the help on this page are those of all of Jefferson County. See the county

Data updated: October 1, 2026 11 official sources

Only here

What sets Murphy apart

What this place has that others do not, from public data, most unusual first.

  1. The typical home in Murphy is worth $184,700, 22% less than in Jefferson County as a whole ($237,200).

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (Average 2020–2024).

The homes here

Housing in Murphy

What homes there are in Murphy, what they cost, how that changed and how people live, from Census figures (2020–2024).

What homes there are

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

Kind of home

Detached houses are the majority in Murphy (70%), but less so than in Jefferson County (80%).

There are more mobile homes here than in Jefferson County: 19% of homes, against 9%.

Year built

The typical home in Murphy was built in 1977, 10 years before the typical one in Jefferson County.

All homes, occupied or empty. A figure the Census cannot measure precisely enough here is not shown.

Census tables: B25024, B25034, B25035, B25041

What it costs here

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

Value of owner-occupied homes

At least 99% of owner-occupied homes in Murphy are worth less than $500,000, below the FHA loan limit for Jefferson County ($541,287).

Monthly rent with utilities

With a mortgage

$1,276 a month

Jefferson County: $1,545 a month

Without a mortgage

$485 a month

Jefferson County: $523 a month

Owners with a mortgage

59%

Jefferson County: 66%

The typical cost for an owner with a mortgage in Murphy is $1,276 a month, less than in Jefferson County ($1,545); without one, $485.

Value: what owners think their home is worth. Rent: rent plus utilities, for homes of every size. The FHA limit is the most an FHA loan (Federal Housing Administration) lends for a one-unit home; the fair market rent (FMR) is the one HUD uses for housing vouchers.

Census tables: B25075, B25063, B25088, B25081

How it changed

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2015–2019 and 2020–2024

Change since 2015–2019

From 2015–2019 to 2020–2024, the typical home value in Murphy rose 40%; in Jefferson County, it rose 47%.

Rent in Murphy moved so little since 2015–2019 that the Census cannot say whether it rose or fell.

Change between two 5-year periods that do not overlap, in each period's dollars, not adjusted for inflation.

Census tables: B25077, B25064, B19013

How people live

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

MeasureMurphyJefferson CountyMissouriUnited States
Rental vacancy Unreliable estimateUnreliable estimate5.0%5.5%
Homeowner vacancy Unreliable estimate1.0%0.9%0.9%
More than one person per room Unreliable estimate1.1%1.7%3.4%
People per household 2.382.582.402.53
Drive alone 72%80%75%69%
Carpool 13%7%8%9%
Public transit Unreliable estimateUnreliable estimate1%3%
Walk or bike Unreliable estimate1%2%3%
Work from home 13%12%13%15%
Other means Unreliable estimate1%1%2%
Typical commute 20 to 29 minutes30 to 39 minutes20 to 29 minutes20 to 29 minutes

Households in Murphy are smaller: 2.38 people on average; in Jefferson County, 2.58.

More people carpool to work in Murphy than in Jefferson County: 13% against 7%.

Vacancy: empty homes offered for rent or for sale. Rooms: every room in the home, not only bedrooms. Commute: the minute range of the typical worker.

Census tables: B25004, B25003, B25014, B25010, B08301, B08303

Do the math

What would you pay each month for a home in Murphy?

A typical home is within reach of the typical income

We start with a typical home in Murphy, worth $184,700, an FHA loan with 3.5% down and the latest average rate (7.18%). That payment would take 25% of the typical household income in Murphy, which is $72,233 a year.

The calculator's FHA and conventional loan limits are those of all of Jefferson County.

Your numbers

Local data
$

Starts at the typical home value in Murphy. Change it to the price you have in mind.

Loan type
Your credit score

Your score changes which loans apply and FHA's minimum down payment. Your real rate also depends on your credit.

Down payment
%

That is $6,465 (3.5% of the price). The usual minimum for this loan is 3.5%.

This week's average ± a quarter or half point.

Term

National average as of November 5, 2026 (Freddie Mac); your rate may be different.

Adjust advanced details

Estimated monthly payment

Local data

$1,512

at 7.18% · 30 years

Loan amount
$181,354
Total interest
$260,926
Paid off in
November 2056

Includes $3,119 FHA upfront mortgage insurance premium.

Does it fit the income?

  • Comfortable

    up to $1,685 a month

    Your payment · 25%

  • Tight

    $1,685 to $2,167 a month

  • Hard

    more than $2,167 a month

Compared with the typical household income in Murphy ($72,233 a year). Reference: HUD calls paying more than 30% of income for housing a cost burden.

Show the result as
per month$1,512
Principal & interest$1,229
Property tax$125
Home insurance$77
FHA mortgage insurance (MIP)$82

You need at least $6,465 for the down payment, plus closing costs.

Next step

This is an estimate to give you an idea, not a loan offer. Your real payment depends on your rate, your credit, and the insurance and taxes on the home you buy.

The city and its county

Murphy and Jefferson County

Murphy is in Jefferson County, Missouri. The U.S. Census Bureau publishes its own numbers for the city: home values, rent, household income, how many households own their home and the property tax. They are American Community Survey estimates (average 2020–2024).

Murphy's own numbers

Typical home value
$184,700
Typical monthly rent
$1,056
Typical yearly household income
$72,233
Households that own their home
80%
Effective property tax rate
0.81%

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (average 2020–2024).

Numbers for all of Jefferson County

FHA limit, one-unit home
$541,287
Conventional limit, one unit
$832,750
HUD fair market rent, 2 bedrooms
$1,349
Price change over 5 years (FHFA)
+48%
Homes in a high flood-risk zone
2.7%

HUD, FHFA and FEMA don't publish these numbers by city.

Other numbers are not published by city, only for the whole county: FHA and conventional loan limits, HUD’s fair market rents, FHFA’s price index and FEMA’s flood data. On this page, those numbers always say they are for all of Jefferson County.

Everything about Jefferson County

Buying

Buying a home in Murphy

A typical home in Murphy is worth $184,700: 22% below the county and 20% below Missouri. With the typical household income in Murphy ($72,233 a year), a typical home costs 2.6 times what the household earns in a year.

Years of income to pay for a typical home

The typical home value divided by the typical household income for one year. The lower it is, the less buying weighs.

  • Murphy 2.6 years
  • Jefferson 2.9 years
  • Missouri 3.3 years
  • United States 4.1 years
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024

How prices have changed in Jefferson County

According to FHFA’s house price index, home prices in Jefferson County rose 82% in the 10 years through 2025.

FHFA does not publish this index by city: these are the numbers for all of Jefferson County.

Period County Missouri U.S.
Last year (2025) +4.0% +3.7% +2.9%
5 years (2020–2025) +48% +51% +47%
10 years (2015–2025) +82% +88% +85%

The index follows the price of the same homes over time (sales and appraisals with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans). It is not the average price of a home. FHFA considers its annual county indexes experimental. Source: FHFA, 2025 data

Murphy next to Jefferson County, Missouri and the U.S.

Three numbers side by side. “Typical” means the median: half are above it and half below.

Typical home value
  • Murphy $184,700
  • Jefferson $237,200
  • Missouri $230,300
  • United States $332,700
Typical monthly rent
  • Murphy $1,056
  • Jefferson $979
  • Missouri $1,033
  • United States $1,413
Typical yearly household income
  • Murphy $72,233
  • Jefferson $82,851
  • Missouri $70,702
  • United States $80,734
See the full table
Murphy next to Jefferson County and Missouri
Measure Murphy Jefferson County Missouri U.S.
Typical home value $184,700 $237,200 $230,300 $332,700
Typical monthly rent $1,056 $979 $1,033 $1,413
Typical yearly household income $72,233 $82,851 $70,702 $80,734
Households that own their home 80% 82% 68% 65%
Typical yearly property tax $1,503 $1,906 $1,948 $3,119
Effective property tax rate 0.81% 0.8% 0.85% 0.94%
Renters with high rent for their income 37% 39% 46% 51%

“Typical” means the median: half are above and half are below. ▲ and ▼ say whether the city is above or below Jefferson County. “High rent” is the Census measure: renter households that pay 30% or more of their income in rent.

Four ways to pay for a typical home in Murphy

For a typical $184,700 home in Murphy, at Freddie Mac's average rate (7.18% as of November 5, 2026) over 30 years. The monthly payment adds principal and interest, Murphy's typical property tax, an example home insurance and mortgage insurance when it applies.

  • FHA, 3.5% down $1,512a month

    Least cash to close
    Down payment
    $6,465
    Cash to close
    $12,006
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    FHA MIP · $82

  • Conventional, 5% down $1,478a month

    Down payment
    $9,235
    Cash to close
    $14,776
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    PMI · $88

  • Conventional, 20% down, no PMI $1,203a month

    Down payment
    $36,940
    Cash to close
    $42,481
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    None

  • ITIN, 15% down (example) $1,373a month

    Down payment
    $27,705
    Cash to close
    $33,246
    Rate
    8.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    None

The option that asks for the least cash to close is FHA, 3.5% down.

  • Cash to close = down payment plus 3% of the price in closing costs (example).
  • Minimum score: FHA requires 580 or higher for the minimum down payment (HUD Handbook 4000.1). * Fannie Mae requires 620 when a loan is underwritten by hand; its automated system has no fixed minimum.
  • The ITIN row is an example with a rate 1 percentage point higher: ITIN loans follow no federal rule and each lender sets its own down payment and rate. Nothing in this table promises an approval.

How much house can I afford? Estimate closing costs

Taxes and floods

Two costs that change from place to place

Property tax and flood insurance raise or lower what you pay each month. Here are the numbers for Murphy and for Jefferson County.

Property tax

Effective rate in Murphy

0.81%of the home’s value each year

$1,503 a year for the typical owner in Murphy.

  • Murphy 0.81%
  • Jefferson 0.8%
  • Missouri 0.85%

What Missouri publishes Deadline to appeal the assessment to the county board of equalization (Missouri Revisor of Statutes (Revised Statutes of Missouri))

Exemptions and deadlines in Missouri

Flood risk in Jefferson County

FEMA does not publish these numbers by city: they are for all of Jefferson County.

Homes in the high-risk zone
2.7%
2,395
Of those, with NFIP insurance
19%
County Missouri U.S.
Homes in the high-risk zone 2.7% 1.6% 3.5%
Of those, with NFIP insurance 19% 19% 48%

Most homeowners insurance policies do not cover flood damage.

Look up your address on FEMA’s map

Renting

Renting in Murphy

Typical rent in Murphy is $1,056 a month: 8% above the county. In Murphy, 37% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income in rent.

HUD publishes a fair market rent for all of Jefferson County, by unit size. To pay the 2-bedroom one ($1,349 a month) without spending more than 30% of your income, you would need to earn $25.94 an hour working full time.

HUD fair market rent for all of Jefferson County

What you need to earn to pay it without spending more than 30% of income, working full time.

Size Fair rent a month Hourly wage Yearly income
Studio $1,064 $20.46 $42,560
1 bedroom $1,104 $21.23 $44,160
2 bedrooms $1,349 $25.94 $53,960
3 bedrooms $1,731 $33.29 $69,240
4 bedrooms $1,997 $38.40 $79,880

Includes basic utilities. It isn't the lowest or highest rent: it's a reference point. Source: HUD, Fiscal year 2027

By ZIP code

Fair market rent by ZIP code in Murphy

HUD also publishes a fair market rent for each ZIP code (Small Area FMR, fiscal year 2027). Murphy has 2 ZIP codes with their own.

For 2 bedrooms it runs from $1,160 in 63049 to $1,380 in 63026.

1 of the 2 is above the fair market rent for Jefferson County ($1,349).

  • 63026 $1,380$1,770
  • 63049 $1,160$1,490

2 of these ZIP codes cross the city line: HUD sets the rent by ZIP code, not by city. A ZIP code counts for Murphy when at least 50% of its land is inside the city or it covers at least 15% of the city (Census 2020 boundaries). Source: Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) Fiscal year 2027 Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) Source: Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file Data from 2020 data Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file

Is your rent high for your ZIP?

Free help

Help to buy or rent in Murphy

You do not have to do this alone. A HUD-approved housing counseling agency helps for free or at low cost: getting ready to buy, understanding your credit, or solving a problem with your rent.

We found no HUD-approved agencies with an office in Jefferson County. The nearest ones are below; many serve by phone or online.

A man leans over the armchair where a girl is reading a book.

HUD counseling is free or low-cost

Assistance programs in Murphy

No down payment, repair or rent-help program on our list is for Murphy or Jefferson County. The ones below are statewide in Missouri: they work in Murphy the same as in the rest of the state.

Which programs do I qualify for? All programs in Missouri

  • First Place Loan Program

    Statewide in Missouri

    Missouri state commission mortgage for first-time buyers and veterans, with the option of cash assistance for the down payment and closing costs. Offered by Missouri Housing Development Commission (MHDC).

    Type not stated

    See the program Official page

  • Next Step Program

    Statewide in Missouri

    Missouri state commission mortgage for buyers who earn more than First Place allows, with a second loan of 4% of the mortgage for the down payment and closing costs that is forgiven after ten years. Offered by Missouri Housing Development Commission (MHDC).

    Forgivable

    See the program Official page

Housing counselors near Murphy

The HUD-approved agencies closest to the center of Murphy, in a straight line, nearest first. If one says it serves in Spanish, its card says so.

  • The Housing Partnership, Inc.

    729 Lemay Ferry Rd, Saint Louis · 12 miles away

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Budget and financial counseling
    • and 3 more
    (314) 631-9905

  • NSC (naca Counseling Subsidiary) - ST. Louis, MO

    1300 Hampton Avenue suite 101, Saint Louis · 14 miles away · Spanish

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Budget and financial counseling
    • and 5 more
    (314) 645-8333

  • Community Action Agency of ST. Louis County, Inc. (CAASTLC)

    2709 Woodson Rd, Saint Louis · 16 miles away

    • Budget and financial counseling
    • Budget and credit workshops
    • and 5 more
    (314) 863-0015

All counseling agencies in Missouri

Help in Spanish near Murphy

1 of the 3 agencies on this list says it serves in Spanish.

Ask for service in Spanish

When you call, say “Spanish, please” or ask if someone speaks Spanish. If not, ask whether they offer an interpreter.

Housing authorities of Murphy

In HUD’s record, no housing authority with an office in Jefferson County is named for Murphy or Jefferson County.

2 other authorities have an office in Jefferson County: see the list Source: HUD

Cities

Other cities in Jefferson County

These cities are also in Jefferson County. They share its loan limits and fair market rents, but home values and rent change from one to the next.

Everything about Jefferson County Housing in Missouri

Nearby cities

The cities closest to Murphy, with the typical home value.

Neighboring counties

If Jefferson County is out of reach, look next door. Each number is that county's own.

Keep going

Guides for your next step

Short explanations, in plain language and with official sources, for buying or renting in Murphy.

All guides
A father and mother walk their son by the hand down the sidewalk.

Questions

Housing questions about Murphy

Short answers with the numbers for Murphy and all of Jefferson County. If your case is different, a HUD-approved counseling agency can guide you for free or at low cost.

How much does a typical home cost in Murphy?

The typical home value in Murphy is $184,700, according to the U.S. Census Bureau (average 2020–2024). For comparison, in Jefferson County it is $237,200.

How much does it cost to rent in Murphy?

Typical rent in Murphy is $1,056 a month, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. HUD’s fair market rent for 2 bedrooms in Jefferson County is $1,349.

What is the FHA loan limit in Murphy?

Murphy uses the FHA limit for all of Jefferson County (2026): $541,287 for a one-unit home and $1,041,125 for a four-unit home.

How much property tax do owners pay in Murphy?

The typical homeowner in Murphy pays $1,503 a year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That is 0.81% of the home’s value; in Jefferson County, the rate is 0.8%.

Where can I find free help to buy or rent in Murphy?

We found no HUD-approved counseling agencies with an office in Jefferson County; the nearest ones are on this page. They can help you get ready to buy, with your credit, or with rent.

Sources: American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates (Average 2020–2024); FHA mortgage limits (HUD) (2026 data); Conforming loan limits (FHFA) (2026 data); Fair Market Rents (HUD) (Fiscal year 2027); Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) (Fiscal year 2027); Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file (2020 data); HUD-approved housing counseling agencies (Retrieved November 6, 2026); Public Housing Agencies (HUD) (Retrieved November 6, 2026); Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS) (As of November 5, 2026); FHFA House Price Index (HPI) (2025 data); Homes with flood insurance (NFIP, FEMA) (As of August 3, 2026).