Homes in Berkeley cost about a year of local pay, but renters are stretched more than prices suggest
More affordable than 74% of U.S. towns, #101 of 247 in Missouri. Up 3.2% in a year, 65% below the Missouri typical home.
Census 2020–24 home values, rents, tax bills and cost burden, measured against the median household income of the St. Louis, MO-IL metro area ($80K). How TownRatings grades cost of living
In dollars, Berkeley is one of the least expensive places in Missouri. But the grade compares costs with what households in the area earn, and St. Louis-area incomes are lower too ($80K, against $74K for the typical U.S. town). Property tax takes 1.54% of a home’s value a year (Missouri: 0.85%), and 59% of renters pay 30% or more of income for housing.
In dollars
- $93Ktypical home, 65% below the Missouri typical homeZillow, September 2026
- $1,270a month for a two-bedroom, utilities includedHUD Fair Market Rent, 2026
- 95prices across the St. Louis metro, where the U.S. is 100 (housing 79)BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
In paychecks the grade
- 1.0 yrsof area income buys the typical home; the typical U.S. town: 3.3$80K, St. Louis-area income
- 16%of area income goes to the median rent; the typical U.S. town: 18%Census 2020–24
- 59%of renters pay 30%+ of income for housing; across Missouri: 46%Census 2020–24
- 27%of owners do; the typical U.S. town: 20%Census 2020–24
Housing in Berkeley, in brief
Owning can cost less than renting
With 20% down at the calculator’s rate, the typical Berkeley home runs about $610 a month with tax and insurance. A two-bedroom rents for about $1,270. Can I afford it? ↓
Low tax bills, but a high tax rate
The median tax bill is $1,264, under the Missouri median of $1,948, because homes cost less. As a share of value, though, it’s 1.54% a year, against 0.85% statewide. On the typical home, that’s about $120 a month. Property taxes ↓
About half of renters are stretched
59% of renter households spend 30% or more of their income on rent, against 46% across Missouri. A standard two-bedroom would take 34% of the median household income. Renting ↓
Fewer people, more homes
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses, Berkeley lost 750 residents while 35 new homes were permitted. New homes ↓
Written from the data on this page. Home values are the Zillow Home Value Index, through September 2026; sales and supply are Redfin’s for September 2026; permits are Census figures through 2025 (2025 partly estimated); incomes, rents paid, taxes and ownership come from the Census American Community Survey.
What’s behind Berkeley’s grade
Measured against what households in the area earn, Berkeley is more affordable than 74% of U.S. towns, #101 of 247 in Missouri. The share of households paying 30%+ for housing pulls the grade down most; home prices hold it up.
Prices here have kept pace with Missouri: up 28.9% in five years, against 26.3% statewide (Zillow).
Up 28.9% in five years
About the same pace as Missouri (26.3%).
Show as a table
| January | Berkeley | Missouri |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $32,000 | $147,000 |
| 2018 | $41,000 | $155,000 |
| 2019 | $45,000 | $163,000 |
| 2020 | $51,000 | $171,000 |
| 2021 | $59,000 | $191,000 |
| 2022 | $75,000 | $217,000 |
| 2023 | $79,000 | $234,000 |
| 2024 | $79,000 | $245,000 |
| 2025 | $93,000 | $255,000 |
| 2026 | $96,000 | $260,000 |
| September 2026 | $93,000 | $265,000 |
A typical Berkeley home worth $33K in October 2016 is worth about $93K today.
Zillow Home Value Index: the typical value of all homes (middle third), smoothed and seasonally adjusted, through September 2026.
Too few sales to read the market
Only 8 homes sold in September 2026, the latest month in Redfin’s figures: too few to describe the market or quote a median sale price.
A typical home costs about a year of area income
The calculator starts from the area income the grade uses. Switch to Berkeley’s own median, or type yours.
That covers a typical Berkeley home, with $193K to spare.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,270 a month here, $660 more than owning.
An estimate, not a loan offer: payments of up to 28% of income, a 30-year fixed loan, Berkeley’s typical property tax (1.54% of value a year, from the Census) and insurance of about 0.35%. Mortgage insurance, HOA fees and other debts aren’t included.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,270
Renters already here pay a median of $1,074, so moving in tends to cost more than staying put.
Fair Market Rent a month, utilities included
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rents by ZIP code (St. Louis, MO-IL HUD Metro FMR Area): the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent and renters: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
No new homes permitted in 2025
No permits for new homes were issued in Berkeley in 2025. The last year with any was 2019 (33 new homes).
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses, Berkeley's population fell by 750 even though 35 new homes were permitted. Homes are holding fewer people: households are getting smaller, or more homes are used part of the year. Across Missouri: 1.1 new residents per new home.
Every year as a table
| Year | New homes | Single-family | 2+ per building | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (Jan–Aug) | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2025 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2024 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2023 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2022 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2021 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2020 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2019 | 33 | 33 | 0 | $3.7 million |
| 2018 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2017 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2016 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2015 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2014 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2013 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2012 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2011 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $176,000 |
| 2010 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2009 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2008 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2007 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2006 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2005 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2004 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2003 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2002 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2001 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2000 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $75,000 |
Berkeley's permit office didn't report to the Census in 2025, so the 2025 figures are Census estimates.
Homes authorized by building permits, counted in the year the permit was issued. U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey.
Low tax bills, but a high tax rate
The median bill is $1,264, under the Missouri median of $1,948, because homes cost less. As a share of value it’s 1.54% a year, against 0.85% statewide.
Census American Community Survey 2020–24: the median real-estate tax bill homeowners report, and that bill ÷ the median home value. Bills include town, school and county taxes. The Census reports bills over $10,000 only as “$10,000+”.
The rest of a budget near Berkeley
Only figures published free for the whole country, each labeled with the area it covers: the St. Louis, MO-IL metro area, or Missouri. Groceries follow the goods price level; nobody publishes them town by town.
| Cost | Here | Compared with | Area | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prices overall U.S. = 100 | 95 | MO 91 | metro | BEA, 2024 |
| Goods (groceries, clothing, cars…) U.S. = 100 | 100 | MO 96 | metro | BEA, 2024 |
| Utilities U.S. = 100 | 70 | MO 79 | metro | BEA, 2024 |
| Other services U.S. = 100 | 99 | MO 95 | metro | BEA, 2024 |
Price levels: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities 2024 (metro area and state). Electricity: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly, table 5.6.A.
Berkeley vs. its neighbors
Of the 7 towns here with a Zillow value, Berkeley has the 2nd-lowest.
Cost next door · one source per column
| Town | Cost | Typical home Zillow, September 2026 | Median value Census 2020–24 | Tax rate bill ÷ value | 2-bed rent HUD 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Berkeley | B+ | $93K | $82K | 1.54% | $1,270 |
| Kinloch | – | — | $85K | 0.83% | $1,070 |
| Hazelwood | B | $163K | $167K | 1.48% | $1,190 |
| Woodson Terrace | B | $140K | $104K | 1.45% | $1,270 |
| St. John | B | $137K | $106K | 1.65% | $1,260 |
| Ferguson | B+ | $115K | $110K | 1.51% | $1,260 |
| Bel-Ridge | A− | $75K | $91K | 1.65% | $1,150 |
| Cool Valley | A− | $105K | $103K | 1.62% | $1,110 |
“—” under Cost: not graded (too little Census data, or under 1,000 residents). “—” under Zillow: Zillow publishes no value for that town, so it’s left blank rather than mixed with Census figures.
Questions about the cost of living in Berkeley
Is Berkeley expensive to live in?
Measured against what households in the area earn, Berkeley costs less than 74% of U.S. towns: a B+ for cost of living, #101 of 247 in Missouri. The typical home costs 1.0 years of the median household income of the St. Louis, MO-IL metro area ($80K).
How much does a house cost in Berkeley?
About $93K, Zillow’s typical value for September 2026, up 3.2% in a year. The Missouri typical home is $265K.
What salary do you need to live in Berkeley?
To buy the typical home with 20% down at 6.3%, about $26,000 a year, keeping the payment (about $610 a month with tax and insurance) at 28% of income. To rent a two-bedroom at 30% of income, about $51,000.
How much is rent in Berkeley?
HUD puts a two-bedroom at about $1,270 a month with utilities, the going rate for someone moving in. Renters already here pay a median of $1,074 (Census 2020–24).
What are property taxes in Berkeley?
The median bill is $1,264 a year, 1.54% of the median home value (Missouri: $1,948, 0.85%), from the Census 2020–24.
Are home prices in Berkeley going up?
Yes: up 3.2% in the past year and 28.9% in five years, against 26.3% across Missouri (Zillow).
Neighbors talk housing
What Berkeley buyers, sellers and renters are saying.
Home values: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research, September 2026. Sales, days on market and supply: Redfin Data Center, September 2026. Income, ownership, taxes and rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. New homes: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey. Fair Market Rents: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The calculator is an estimate, not a loan offer. Regional price levels: BEA; electricity: EIA. How TownRatings grades cost of living.