St. Charles, MO — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

All states·Missouri·St. Charles

St. Charles County · St. Louis · population 72,458

St. Charles, MO
Image: Wikipedia · St. Charles, Missouri
OverviewCost of livingMoving guide
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67
Rising
Momentum score · 0–100

Where St. Charles stands

At or near all-time high.

Median home $347,683
1-year +1.6%
5-yr CAGR +5.0%
vs 5-yr peak +0.0%
Population +0.7%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2026-04$348k$184k$243k$302k$362k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
40/100
Car-dependent
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
22/100
Transit limited
Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.
💻
Remote work fit
85/100
Excellent for remote work
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
$1,473/mo$1,035$1,298$1,562202220242026

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)
Home valueRent128134100120202220242026

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 19.7
Lean buy

At a 19.7 price-to-rent ratio, St. Charles is in the 'depends on horizon' zone. Buy if you'll be there 5+ years and value flexibility on the home; rent if you might move, want zero maintenance friction, or expect rates to drop.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →
Home YoY
58 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
65 · w22%
Distance from peak
90 · w18%
Population growth
59 · w16%
Rent YoY
61 · w12%
Home 10-yr CAGR
66 · w10%
Long thesis

St. Charles has held up across the cycle: home values at $347,683 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

St. Charles'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 St. Charles

St. Charles is a city in St. Charles County, Missouri, with an estimated population of 72,458. It anchors the St. Louis metro area. The population grew 0.7% annually from 2020 to 2024, a moderate gain. The median home value in St. Charles is $347,683 as of 2026-04, up 1.6% 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 St. Charles average $1,473 per month, roughly flat year-over-year (+2.4%). The composite momentum score is 67 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.
●Held the highs: currently +0.0% from the 5-year peak — this market refused to give back gains.

▼ Bear case

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

About St. Charles (Wikipedia)

Saint Charles is a city in and the county seat of St. Charles County, Missouri, United States. The population was 70,493 at the 2020 census, making St. Charles the eighth-most populous city in Missouri. Situated on the Missouri River near its mouth at the Mississippi, St. Charles is a northwestern suburb of St. Louis.

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

City facts

MayorDan Borgmeyer
Area25.67 sq mi
Density2800.79/sq mi
Named forCharles Borromeo

Extracted from the Wikipedia infobox. Values may be slightly out of date relative to the latest sources.

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. Charles County right now.

NWS active alerts (MO)Missouri Emergency ManagementHow to prepare (NWS)

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

Cities like St. Charles

Blue Springs, MO69 · RisingLiberty, MO70 · RisingBallwin, MO65 · RisingSt. Peters, MO71 · Rising

Run the numbers for St. Charles

ToolCan I afford St. Charles?Income → city shortlistToolROI on a St. Charles rentalCap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCRToolCompare St. Charles to anywhereSide-by-side up to 3 citiesToolSt. Charles cost-of-livingEquivalent income elsewhere

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 St. Charles 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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