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

All states·Missouri·St. Joseph

Buchanan County · St. Joseph · population 71,098

Affordability
St. Joseph, MO
Image: Wikipedia · St. Joseph, Missouri
OverviewCost of livingMoving guide
View watchlist →
72
Rising
Momentum score · 0–100

Where St. Joseph stands

At or near all-time high. home values up 7.3% in the last year.

Median home $183,715
1-year +7.3%
5-yr CAGR +6.2%
vs 5-yr peak +0.0%
Population -0.5%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2026-04$184k$99k$130k$160k$191k201620182020202220242026

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
82/100
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
$915/mo$648$809$970202220242026

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)
Home valueRent124133100120202220242026

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 16.7
Lean buy

At a 16.7 price-to-rent ratio, St. Joseph 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
83 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
71 · w22%
Distance from peak
90 · w18%
Population growth
38 · w16%
Rent YoY
76 · w12%
Home 10-yr CAGR
64 · w10%
Long thesis

St. Joseph offers a $183,715 median home with +6.2% annualized 5-year appreciation. Affordability + positive trend is one of the better risk/reward setups in US residential — small downside, room to compound.

Short thesis

St. Joseph'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. Joseph

St. Joseph is a city in Buchanan County, Missouri, with an estimated population of 71,098. The median home value in St. Joseph is $183,715 as of 2026-04, up 7.3% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +6.2% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in St. Joseph average $915 per month, up 4.6% year-over-year. The composite momentum score is 72 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

▲ Bull case

●Trend still working: prices up 7.3% in the last 12 months — buyers are still chasing inventory.
●Affordable AND rising: median home $183,715 with positive recent direction — rare combination most of the country can’t offer.
●Healthy 5-year run: +6.2% 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

●Flat or shrinking population: -0.5% per year. Housing demand has to come from somewhere — verify the source.
○Local nuance: city-level data smooths over neighborhood differences. School zones, HOA rules, and street-level character matter — visit before deciding.

About St. Joseph (Wikipedia)

St. Joseph is a city in and the county seat of Buchanan County, Missouri, United States. Located on the Missouri River, it is the principal city of the St. Joseph Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes Buchanan, Andrew, and DeKalb counties in Missouri and Doniphan County, Kansas. As of the 2020 census, St. Joseph had a population of 72,473, making it the 8th most populous city in the state, and the 3rd most populous in Northwest Missouri. St. Joseph is located roughly 30 miles (48 km) north of the Kansas City, Missouri city limits and approximately 125 miles (201 km) south of Omaha, Nebraska.

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

City facts

MayorLarry Miller unit_pref = Imperial
Area44.82 sq mi
Elevation889 ft
Motto"Where the Pony Express started and Jesse James ended."
Density1645.77/sq mi
Named forJoseph Robidoux IV and Saint Joseph

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 Buchanan County right now.

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

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

Cities like St. Joseph

Jefferson City, MO76 · RisingPoplar Bluff, MO73 · RisingMoberly, MO72 · RisingChillicothe, MO73 · Rising

Run the numbers for St. Joseph

ToolCan I afford St. Joseph?Income → city shortlistToolROI on a St. Joseph rentalCap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCRToolCompare St. Joseph to anywhereSide-by-side up to 3 citiesToolSt. Joseph 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.

Current weather

Loading current conditions…

7-day forecast on weather.gov →

Find rentals & listings

Open current St. Joseph 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 sports teams

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

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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