Kirkwood, MO — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

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St. Louis County · St. Louis · population 29,348

Kirkwood, MO
Image: Wikipedia · Kirkwood, Missouri
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69
Rising
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Kirkwood stands

At or near all-time high. rents up 6.6% in the last year.

Median home $466,968
1-year +3.4%
5-yr CAGR +5.0%
vs 5-yr peak +0.0%
Population -0.1%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2026-04$467k$269k$341k$413k$486k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
32/100
Very car-dependent
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
15/100
Transit limited
Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.
💻
Remote work fit
72/100
Strong remote-work fit
Composite of city size, housing cost, state tax structure, and region's remote-work track record.

Scores are heuristic estimates from population density, state, and known transit/walkable cities. Not based on a paid Walk Score / Transit Score API — see methodology for the formula.

Rent trajectory · last 5 years

Zillow ZORI · monthly
$1,742/mo$1,217$1,532$1,846202220242026

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)
Home valueRent123135100120202220242026

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 22.3
Lean rent

At a 22.3 price-to-rent ratio, the math is starting to lean toward renting in Kirkwood. Owner-occupier ROI requires longer holds and the assumption that prices keep appreciating roughly at the rate of rent.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →
Home YoY
67 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
65 · w22%
Distance from peak
90 · w18%
Population growth
44 · w16%
Rent YoY
85 · w12%
Home 10-yr CAGR
60 · w10%
Long thesis

Kirkwood has held up across the cycle: home values at $466,968 with +5.0% 5-year CAGR. The bull case is structural — population, location, employer base — and holds even if next year's print is soft.

Short thesis

Kirkwood's bear case is the boring one: the cycle is real and any market that's run hard can stall. Watch for slowing population growth, rising days-on-market, or builder discounts as the early warning signals.

About Kirkwood

Kirkwood is a city in St. Louis County, Missouri, with an estimated population of 29,348. It anchors the St. Louis metro area. The median home value in Kirkwood is $466,968 as of 2026-04, up 3.4% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +5.0% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Kirkwood average $1,742 per month, up 6.6% year-over-year. The composite momentum score is 69 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

Bull case

Healthy 5-year run: +5.0% annualized over 5 years, outpacing US inflation.
Quiet strength: +3.4% over the trailing year — not a melt-up, but the market is bid.
Held the highs: currently +0.0% from the 5-year peak — this market refused to give back gains.
Hot rental market: rents up 6.6% YoY — landlords have pricing power, supports new investment math.

Bear case

Local nuance: city-level data smooths over neighborhood differences. School zones, HOA rules, and street-level character matter — visit before deciding.

About Kirkwood (Wikipedia)

Kirkwood is an inner-ring suburb of St. Louis located in western St. Louis County, Missouri. As of the 2020 census, the city's population was 29,461. Founded in 1853, the city is named after James P. Kirkwood, chief engineer of the Pacific Railroad. It was the first planned suburb located west of the Mississippi River.

Source: Wikipedia · this summary is contributed and licensed under CC-BY-SA.

Playbook

Buyer

You're not in a frenzy but you're not getting bargains either. Make a competitive offer with normal inspection terms. Don't lowball — the listing will move with or without you.

Seller

Price at fair market value; expect movement in 30-45 days. Don't get clever with terms (rent-back, contingencies) — buyers in a Rising market have options.

Investor

Appreciation tailwind exists but cash flow requires discipline on price. Run the numbers conservatively and confirm rent comps before committing.

Local safety & alerts

No active National Weather Service alerts for St. Louis County right now.

Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. St. Louis County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.

Cities like Kirkwood

Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.

Climate & natural-disaster risk

Winter (Jan)
39° / 22°
avg high / low
Summer (Jul)
88° / 67°
avg high / low
Sunny days/yr
211
~58% of year
Annual precip
42″ rain
16″ snow
Disaster risk (1=very low, 5=very high)
Hurricane
Very low
Tornado
Very high
Wildfire
Very low
Earthquake
High
Flood
High

State-level averages from NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020) and FEMA National Risk Index. City-level conditions can vary significantly within a state.

Local sports teams

Major professional teams the St. Louis area cheers for. Detailed stats, schedules, and player pages on intherafters.com.

Current weather

Loading current conditions…

7-day forecast on weather.gov →

Find rentals & listings

Open current Kirkwood listings on the major real-estate sites.

Links open the live search on the destination site — results are always current.

Local news & community

Updated 2026-05-21 from Google News + Reddit RSS. Headlines link to original sources.

Local economy & environment

Humidity
70%
Humid climate
Median household income
$65,900
Missouri state median
Top industries (state-level)
HealthcareManufacturingFinance

Humidity is annual average relative humidity (NOAA). Income is Census ACS 5-year estimate. Industries are largest employment sectors statewide (BLS); the local mix in a given city may vary.

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