Bethel Church · Photo: Jon Roanhaus · CC BY-SA 3.0Measured against area pay, Gray Summit costs less to live in than 81% of U.S. towns
It ranks #74 of 247 in Missouri for affordability. Up 4.8% in a year, 7% 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
Only 2 sales in September 2026: in a market this size, monthly medians swing a lot, so the typical value is the steadier guide.
The grade compares costs with what households across the St. Louis metro earn ($80K, Census 2020–24). The typical home costs 2.1 years of metro income, and 40% of renters pay 30% or more of income for housing.
In dollars
- $246Ktypical home, 7% below the Missouri typical homeZillow, September 2026
- $1,100a 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
- 2.1 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
- 40%of renters pay 30%+ of income for housing; across Missouri: 46%Census 2020–24
- 22%of owners do; the typical U.S. town: 20%Census 2020–24
What’s behind Gray Summit’s grade
Measured against what households in the area earn, Gray Summit is more affordable than 81% of U.S. towns, #74 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 30.1% in five years, against 26.3% statewide (Zillow).
Up 30.1% in five years
Faster than Missouri (26.3%).
Show as a table
| January | Gray Summit | Missouri |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $144,000 | $147,000 |
| 2018 | $148,000 | $155,000 |
| 2019 | $157,000 | $163,000 |
| 2020 | $161,000 | $171,000 |
| 2021 | $177,000 | $191,000 |
| 2022 | $192,000 | $217,000 |
| 2023 | $206,000 | $234,000 |
| 2024 | $215,000 | $245,000 |
| 2025 | $225,000 | $255,000 |
| 2026 | $245,000 | $260,000 |
| September 2026 | $246,000 | $265,000 |
A typical Gray Summit home worth $143K in October 2016 is worth about $246K today.
Zillow Home Value Index: the typical value of all homes (middle third), smoothed and seasonally adjusted, through September 2026.
A typical home costs 2.1 years of area income
The calculator starts from the area income the grade uses. Switch to Gray Summit’s own median, or type yours.
That covers a typical Gray Summit home, with $65K to spare.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,100 a month here, $380 less than owning.
An estimate, not a loan offer: payments of up to 28% of income, a 30-year fixed loan, Gray Summit’s typical property tax (0.91% 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 $1,100
Renters already here pay a median of $1,043.
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.
Low tax bills, but a high tax rate
The median bill is $1,545, under the Missouri median of $1,948, because homes cost less. As a share of value it’s 0.91% 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 Gray Summit
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.
Gray Summit vs. its neighbors
Of the 2 towns here with a Zillow value, Gray Summit has the 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gray Summit | A− | $246K | $171K | 0.91% | $1,100 |
| Pacific | B | $247K | $249K | 0.93% | $1,010 |
Questions about the cost of living in Gray Summit
Is Gray Summit expensive to live in?
Measured against what households in the area earn, Gray Summit costs less than 81% of U.S. towns: an A− for cost of living, #74 of 247 in Missouri. The typical home costs 2.1 years of the median household income of the St. Louis, MO-IL metro area ($80K).
How much does a house cost in Gray Summit?
About $246K, Zillow’s typical value for September 2026, up 4.8% in a year. The Missouri typical home is $265K.
What salary do you need to live in Gray Summit?
To buy the typical home with 20% down at 6.3%, about $63,000 a year, keeping the payment (about $1,480 a month with tax and insurance) at 28% of income. To rent a two-bedroom at 30% of income, about $44,000.
How much is rent in Gray Summit?
HUD puts a two-bedroom at about $1,100 a month with utilities, the going rate for someone moving in. Renters already here pay a median of $1,043 (Census 2020–24).
What are property taxes in Gray Summit?
The median bill is $1,545 a year, 0.91% of the median home value (Missouri: $1,948, 0.85%), from the Census 2020–24.
Are home prices in Gray Summit going up?
Yes: up 4.8% in the past year and 30.1% in five years, against 26.3% across Missouri (Zillow).
Neighbors talk housing
What Gray Summit 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. 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.