Photo: Kbh3rd · CC BY 4.0Measured against area pay, Clinton costs less to live in than 68% of U.S. towns
It ranks #117 of 247 in Missouri for affordability. About the same as a year ago, 34% below the Missouri typical home.
Census 2020–24 home values, rents, tax bills and cost burden, measured against the median household income of Henry County, MO ($58K). How TownRatings grades cost of living
The grade compares costs with what households across Henry County earn ($58K, Census 2020–24). The typical home costs 2.7 years of area income, and 66% of renters pay 30% or more of income for housing.
In dollars
- $174Ktypical home, 34% below the Missouri typical homeZillow, September 2026
- $890a month for a two-bedroom, utilities includedHUD Fair Market Rent, 2026
In paychecks the grade
- 2.7 yrsof area income buys the typical home; the typical U.S. town: 3.3$58K, Henry County income
- 15%of area income goes to the median rent; the typical U.S. town: 18%Census 2020–24
- 66%of renters pay 30%+ of income for housing; across Missouri: 46%Census 2020–24
- 15%of owners do; the typical U.S. town: 20%Census 2020–24
What stands out about housing in Clinton
What’s behind Clinton’s grade
Measured against what households in the area earn, Clinton is more affordable than 68% of U.S. towns, #117 of 247 in Missouri. The share of households paying 30%+ for housing pulls the grade down most; rent holds it up.
Prices here have kept pace with Missouri: up 27.5% in five years, against 26.3% statewide (Zillow).
Up 27.5% in five years
About the same pace as Missouri (26.3%).
Show as a table
| January | Clinton | Missouri |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $73,000 | $147,000 |
| 2018 | $76,000 | $155,000 |
| 2019 | $92,000 | $163,000 |
| 2020 | $99,000 | $171,000 |
| 2021 | $120,000 | $191,000 |
| 2022 | $148,000 | $217,000 |
| 2023 | $159,000 | $234,000 |
| 2024 | $161,000 | $245,000 |
| 2025 | $171,000 | $255,000 |
| 2026 | $174,000 | $260,000 |
| September 2026 | $174,000 | $265,000 |
A typical Clinton home worth $74K in October 2016 is worth about $174K 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 15 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 2.7 years of area income
The calculator starts from the area income the grade uses. Switch to Clinton’s own median, or type yours.
That covers a typical Clinton home, with $54K to spare.
A two-bedroom rents for about $890 a month here, $140 less than owning.
An estimate, not a loan offer: payments of up to 28% of income, a 30-year fixed loan, Clinton’s typical property tax (0.85% 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 $890
Renters already here pay a median of $702, 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 (Benton County, MO): the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent and renters: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
13 new homes permitted in 2025
Builders were permitted 13 new homes in Clinton in 2025: 9 single-family houses and 4 in buildings with two or more homes, worth about $2.2 million to build. That's 1.4 per 1,000 residents, slower than across Missouri (3.7). Over the past 10 years, Clinton has permitted 122 homes in all.
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses, Clinton gained 166 residents while 163 new homes were permitted: about 1 new resident per new home. Building outpaced population growth, which usually means smaller households or homes 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) | 10 | 10 | 0 | $2.2 million |
| 2025 | 13 | 9 | 4 | $2.2 million |
| 2024 | 10 | 6 | 4 | $2.2 million |
| 2023 | 6 | 6 | 0 | $2 million |
| 2022 | 9 | 9 | 0 | $4.9 million |
| 2021 | 16 | 12 | 4 | $3.3 million |
| 2020 | 5 | 5 | 0 | $1.5 million |
| 2019 | 6 | 6 | 0 | $2.6 million |
| 2018 | 11 | 6 | 5 | $1.1 million |
| 2017 | 9 | 7 | 2 | $1.5 million |
| 2016 | 37 | 7 | 30 | $4 million |
| 2015 | 9 | 7 | 2 | $1.2 million |
| 2014 | 6 | 4 | 2 | $755,000 |
| 2013 | 7 | 7 | 0 | $1.1 million |
| 2012 | 9 | 5 | 4 | $1.2 million |
| 2011 | 15 | 5 | 10 | $1.2 million |
| 2010 | 54 | 46 | 8 | $4.5 million |
| 2009 | 34 | 8 | 26 | $2.8 million |
| 2008 | 22 | 17 | 5 | $2.6 million |
| 2007 | 37 | 19 | 18 | $3.9 million |
| 2006 | 44 | 20 | 24 | $4.5 million |
| 2005 | 36 | 31 | 5 | $4.6 million |
| 2004 | 33 | 21 | 12 | $4.6 million |
| 2003 | 22 | 22 | 0 | $3.1 million |
| 2002 | 32 | 32 | 0 | $4.1 million |
| 2001 | 17 | 17 | 0 | $2.3 million |
| 2000 | 13 | 13 | 0 | $1.5 million |
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 $1,316, under the Missouri median of $1,948, because homes cost less. As a share of value it’s 0.85% 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+”.
Clinton vs. its neighbors
Of the 1 towns here with a Zillow value, Clinton has the lowest. Fields Creek Township and Clinton Township have no Zillow value, so they are in the table only.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clinton | B+ | $174K | $155K | 0.85% | $890 |
| Clinton Township | – | — | $163K | 0.86% | $890 |
| Fields Creek Township | B | — | $213K | 0.82% | $890 |
“—” 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 Clinton
Is Clinton expensive to live in?
Measured against what households in the area earn, Clinton costs less than 68% of U.S. towns: a B+ for cost of living, #117 of 247 in Missouri. The typical home costs 2.7 years of the median household income of Henry County, MO ($58K).
How much does a house cost in Clinton?
About $174K, Zillow’s typical value for September 2026, down 0.1% in a year. The Missouri typical home is $265K.
What salary do you need to live in Clinton?
To buy the typical home with 20% down at 6.3%, about $44,000 a year, keeping the payment (about $1,030 a month with tax and insurance) at 28% of income. To rent a two-bedroom at 30% of income, about $36,000.
How much is rent in Clinton?
HUD puts a two-bedroom at about $890 a month with utilities, the going rate for someone moving in. Renters already here pay a median of $702 (Census 2020–24).
What are property taxes in Clinton?
The median bill is $1,316 a year, 0.85% of the median home value (Missouri: $1,948, 0.85%), from the Census 2020–24.
Are home prices in Clinton going up?
No: down 0.1% in the past year and 27.5% in five years, against 26.3% across Missouri (Zillow).
Neighbors talk housing
What Clinton 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.