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City · 71,236 residents · Buchanan County, Missouri

St. Joseph , Missouri

In St. Joseph, a typical home is worth $154,200 and typical rent is $898 a month. Compared with all of Buchanan County, the typical home value is 7% lower and typical household income is 7% lower.

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  • Typical home value

    $154,200

    7% below the county

    33% below Missouri

    • St. Joseph
    • Buchanan
    • Missouri

  • Typical rent

    $898a month

    About the same as the county

    13% below Missouri

    • St. Joseph
    • Buchanan
    • Missouri

  • Typical household income

    $57,956a year

    7% below the county

    18% below Missouri

    • St. Joseph
    • Buchanan
    • Missouri

  • Households that own their home

    63%

    4 points below the county

    5 points below Missouri

    • St. Joseph
    • Buchanan
    • Missouri

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

Market now, with Zillow data

Zillow data
Typical home value
$180,960
3.8% more than 12 months ago
Typical rent
$990 a month
3.1% more than 12 months ago

From Zillow (ZHVI/ZORI), September 2026. The Census figures above are 5-year averages (2020–2024).

St. Joseph is in Buchanan 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 Buchanan County. See the county

Data updated: October 1, 2026 11 official sources

The homes here

Housing in St. Joseph

What homes there are in St. Joseph, 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

In St. Joseph, 7 in 10 homes are single-family detached houses, about the same as in Buchanan County.

Year built

By age, homes in St. Joseph look like those in Buchanan County: the typical year built is 1962.

By size, homes in St. Joseph look like those in Buchanan County: 54% have 3 bedrooms or more.

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

By price, most homes in St. Joseph sit under the FHA limit for Buchanan County ($541,287): about 98%.

Monthly rent with utilities

About 72% of rented homes in St. Joseph cost less than HUD's 2-bedroom fair market rent for Buchanan County ($1,101).

With a mortgage

$1,260 a month

Buchanan County: $1,324 a month

Without a mortgage

$477 a month

Buchanan County: $493 a month

Owners with a mortgage

57%

Buchanan County: 56%

In St. Joseph, 57% of owners have a mortgage; their typical cost is $1,260 a month, about the same as in Buchanan County.

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, home values in St. Joseph rose at about the same pace as in Buchanan County: 35% against 36%.

The typical rent in St. Joseph rose 15% since 2015–2019, about the same as in Buchanan County (16%).

To compare: typical income in St. Joseph rose 20%; the home, +35%; the rent, +15%.

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

MeasureSt. JosephBuchanan CountyMissouriUnited States
Rental vacancy 6.5%6.2%5.0%5.5%
Homeowner vacancy Unreliable estimateUnreliable estimate0.9%0.9%
More than one person per room 2.2%2.1%1.7%3.4%
People per household 2.362.402.402.53
Drive alone 79%80%75%69%
Carpool 11%10%8%9%
Public transit Unreliable estimate0%1%3%
Walk or bike 1%1%2%3%
Work from home 7%7%13%15%
Other means 1%1%1%2%
Typical commute 10 to 19 minutes10 to 19 minutes20 to 29 minutes20 to 29 minutes

Much as in Buchanan County, the rental vacancy rate in St. Joseph is 6.5%.

In St. Joseph, 2.2% of households live with more than one person per room, about the same as in Buchanan County.

A household in St. Joseph has 2.36 people on average, about the same as in Buchanan County (2.40).

The car rules in St. Joseph: 79% of workers drive to work alone, and the typical trip takes 10 to 19 minutes.

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 St. Joseph?

A typical home is within reach of the typical income

We start with a typical home in St. Joseph, worth $154,200, an FHA loan with 3.5% down and the latest average rate (7.18%). That payment would take 26% of the typical household income in St. Joseph, which is $57,956 a year.

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

Your numbers

Local data
$

Starts at the typical home value in St. Joseph. 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 $5,397 (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

$1,260

at 7.18% · 30 years

Loan amount
$151,407
Total interest
$217,839
Paid off in
November 2056

Includes $2,604 FHA upfront mortgage insurance premium.

Does it fit the income?

  • Comfortable

    up to $1,352 a month

    Your payment · 26%

  • Tight

    $1,352 to $1,739 a month

  • Hard

    more than $1,739 a month

Compared with the typical household income in St. Joseph ($57,956 a year). Reference: HUD calls paying more than 30% of income for housing a cost burden.

Show the result as
per month$1,260
Principal & interest$1,026
Property tax$102
Home insurance$64
FHA mortgage insurance (MIP)$68

You need at least $5,397 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

St. Joseph and Buchanan County

St. Joseph is in Buchanan 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).

St. Joseph's own numbers

Typical home value
$154,200
Typical monthly rent
$898
Typical yearly household income
$57,956
Households that own their home
63%
Effective property tax rate
0.79%

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

Numbers for all of Buchanan County

FHA limit, one-unit home
$541,287
Conventional limit, one unit
$832,750
HUD fair market rent, 2 bedrooms
$1,101
Price change over 5 years (FHFA)
+53%

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 Buchanan County.

Everything about Buchanan County

Buying

Buying a home in St. Joseph

A typical home in St. Joseph is worth $154,200: 7% below the county and 33% below Missouri. With the typical household income in St. Joseph ($57,956 a year), a typical home costs 2.7 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.

  • St. Joseph 2.7 years
  • Buchanan 2.7 years
  • Missouri 3.3 years
  • United States 4.1 years
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024

How prices have changed in Buchanan County

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

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

Period County Missouri U.S.
Last year (2025) +6.1% +3.7% +2.9%
5 years (2020–2025) +53% +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

St. Joseph next to Buchanan 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
  • St. Joseph $154,200
  • Buchanan $166,300
  • Missouri $230,300
  • United States $332,700
Typical monthly rent
  • St. Joseph $898
  • Buchanan $902
  • Missouri $1,033
  • United States $1,413
Typical yearly household income
  • St. Joseph $57,956
  • Buchanan $62,158
  • Missouri $70,702
  • United States $80,734
See the full table
St. Joseph next to Buchanan County and Missouri
Measure St. Joseph Buchanan County Missouri U.S.
Typical home value $154,200 $166,300 $230,300 $332,700
Typical monthly rent $898 $902 $1,033 $1,413
Typical yearly household income $57,956 $62,158 $70,702 $80,734
Households that own their home 63% 66% 68% 65%
Typical yearly property tax $1,225 $1,281 $1,948 $3,119
Effective property tax rate 0.79% 0.77% 0.85% 0.94%
Renters with high rent for their income 52% 50% 46% 51%

“Typical” means the median: half are above and half are below. ▲ and ▼ say whether the city is above or below Buchanan 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 St. Joseph

For a typical $154,200 home in St. Joseph, at Freddie Mac's average rate (7.18% as of November 5, 2026) over 30 years. The monthly payment adds principal and interest, St. Joseph's typical property tax, an example home insurance and mortgage insurance when it applies.

  • FHA, 3.5% down $1,260a month

    Least cash to close
    Down payment
    $5,397
    Cash to close
    $10,023
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    FHA MIP · $68

  • Conventional, 5% down $1,231a month

    Down payment
    $7,710
    Cash to close
    $12,336
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    PMI · $73

  • Conventional, 20% down, no PMI $1,001a month

    Down payment
    $30,840
    Cash to close
    $35,466
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    None

  • ITIN, 15% down (example) $1,144a month

    Down payment
    $23,130
    Cash to close
    $27,756
    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 St. Joseph and for Buchanan County.

Property tax

Effective rate in St. Joseph

0.79%of the home’s value each year

$1,225 a year for the typical owner in St. Joseph.

  • St. Joseph 0.79%
  • Buchanan 0.77%
  • 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 Buchanan County

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

FEMA’s maps count no homes in the high-risk zone in Buchanan County. That does not mean it cannot flood: check your address.

Most homeowners insurance policies do not cover flood damage.

Look up your address on FEMA’s map

Renting

Renting in St. Joseph

Typical rent in St. Joseph is $898 a month: about the same as the county. In St. Joseph, 52% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income in rent.

HUD publishes a fair market rent for all of Buchanan County, by unit size. To pay the 2-bedroom one ($1,101 a month) without spending more than 30% of your income, you would need to earn $21.17 an hour working full time.

HUD fair market rent for all of Buchanan 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 $850 $16.35 $34,000
1 bedroom $857 $16.48 $34,280
2 bedrooms $1,101 $21.17 $44,040
3 bedrooms $1,406 $27.04 $56,240
4 bedrooms $1,629 $31.33 $65,160

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 St. Joseph

HUD also publishes a fair market rent for each ZIP code (Small Area FMR, fiscal year 2027). St. Joseph has 6 ZIP codes with their own.

For 2 bedrooms it runs from $1,080 in 64501 to $1,200 in 64505.

4 of the 6 are above the fair market rent for Buchanan County ($1,101).

  • 64501 $1,080$1,380
  • 64503 $1,150$1,470
  • 64504 $1,130$1,440
  • 64505 $1,200$1,530
  • 64506 $1,100$1,410
  • 64507 $1,110$1,420

4 of these ZIP codes cross the city line: HUD sets the rent by ZIP code, not by city. A ZIP code counts for St. Joseph 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 St. Joseph

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 Buchanan County. The nearest ones are below; many serve by phone or online.

A grandmother pushes her grandson on a playground swing.

HUD counseling is free or low-cost

Assistance programs in St. Joseph

No down payment, repair or rent-help program on our list is for St. Joseph or Buchanan County. The ones below are statewide in Missouri: they work in St. Joseph 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 St. Joseph

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

  • Credit & Homeownership Empowerment Services, Inc.

    3115 Gillham Plz, Kansas City · 49 miles away · Spanish

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Mortgage delinquency workshops
    • and 9 more
    (816) 533-7417

  • Habitat for Humanity of Kansas City

    1423 E Linwood Blvd, Kansas City · 50 miles away

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Home improvement and repairs
    • and 3 more
    (816) 924-1096

  • NSC (naca Counseling Subsidiary) - Kansas City, MO

    100 E 43rd St, Kansas City · 51 miles away · Spanish

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Budget and financial counseling
    • and 5 more
    (816) 531-6222

All counseling agencies in Missouri

Help in Spanish near St. Joseph

2 of the 3 agencies on this list say they serve 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 St. Joseph

HUD’s record names them for St. Joseph or Buchanan County. They run public housing or Section 8 vouchers. Ask whether their waiting list is open.

  • St. Joseph Housing Authority Public housing and Section 8 vouchers (816) 236-8200

All housing agencies in Missouri Source: HUD

Cities

Nearby cities

The cities closest to St. Joseph, with the typical home value.

Everything about Buchanan County Housing in Missouri

Neighboring counties

If Buchanan 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 St. Joseph.

All guides
A mother holding her baby watches her daughter blow bubbles outdoors.

Questions

Housing questions about St. Joseph

Short answers with the numbers for St. Joseph and all of Buchanan 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 St. Joseph?

The typical home value in St. Joseph is $154,200, according to the U.S. Census Bureau (average 2020–2024). For comparison, in Buchanan County it is $166,300.

How much does it cost to rent in St. Joseph?

Typical rent in St. Joseph is $898 a month, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. HUD’s fair market rent for 2 bedrooms in Buchanan County is $1,101.

What is the FHA loan limit in St. Joseph?

St. Joseph uses the FHA limit for all of Buchanan 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 St. Joseph?

The typical homeowner in St. Joseph pays $1,225 a year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That is 0.79% of the home’s value; in Buchanan County, the rate is 0.77%.

Where can I find free help to buy or rent in St. Joseph?

We found no HUD-approved counseling agencies with an office in Buchanan 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).