Measured against area pay, Murphy costs less to live in than 90% of U.S. towns
It ranks #32 of 247 in Missouri for affordability.
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
The grade compares costs with what households across the St. Louis metro earn ($80K, Census 2020–24). The typical home costs 2.3 years of metro income, and 37% of renters pay 30% or more of income for housing.
In dollars
- $1,180a 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
- 2.3 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
- 37%of renters pay 30%+ of income for housing; across Missouri: 46%Census 2020–24
- 13%of owners do; the typical U.S. town: 20%Census 2020–24
What stands out about housing in Murphy
What’s behind Murphy’s grade
Measured against what households in the area earn, Murphy is more affordable than 90% of U.S. towns, #32 of 247 in Missouri. Rent pulls the grade down most; property tax holds it up.
Home prices up 44% in 5 years
The federal house price index for the ZIP codes around Murphy rose 44% over the past 5 years, slower than across Missouri (51%). Last year prices rose 1%. Carrying the Census median home value forward with that index puts the typical Murphy home at roughly $212,000 today.
Carrying the Census median forward with the index puts a typical home at about $212K.
Federal Housing Finance Agency House Price Index (annual) for the ZIP codes around Murphy, weighted by land area. It tracks repeat sales of the same homes, so it shows how prices changed, not what homes cost.
Too few sales to read the market
Only 7 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 2.3 years of area income
The calculator starts from the area income the grade uses. Switch to Murphy’s own median, or type yours.
That covers a typical Murphy home, with $103K to spare.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,180 a month here, $80 less than owning.
An estimate, not a loan offer: payments of up to 28% of income, a 30-year fixed loan, Murphy’s typical property tax (0.81% 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 $1,180
Renters already here pay a median of $1,056, 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.
Property tax runs below the Missouri norm
The median bill is $1,503 (Missouri: $1,948), 0.81% of a home’s value 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 Murphy
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.
Murphy vs. its neighbors
Zillow publishes no value for Murphy.
Cost next door · one source per column
Questions about the cost of living in Murphy
Is Murphy expensive to live in?
Measured against what households in the area earn, Murphy costs less than 90% of U.S. towns: an A for cost of living, #32 of 247 in Missouri. The typical home costs 2.3 years of the median household income of the St. Louis, MO-IL metro area ($80K).
How much is rent in Murphy?
HUD puts a two-bedroom at about $1,180 a month with utilities, the going rate for someone moving in. Renters already here pay a median of $1,056 (Census 2020–24).
What are property taxes in Murphy?
The median bill is $1,503 a year, 0.81% of the median home value (Missouri: $1,948, 0.85%), from the Census 2020–24.
Neighbors talk housing
What Murphy buyers, sellers and renters are saying.
Home values: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research. Sales, days on market and supply: Redfin Data Center, September 2026. Income, ownership, taxes and rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. Price trend: Federal Housing Finance Agency House Price Index. 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.