St. Louis rent is up 31% since 2021
Typical rent in St. Louis was $1,334 a month in August 2026, a record in RentDataNow data going back to 2015. That's $319, or 31.4%, more than the $1,015 typical rent in 2021, and up 3.6% from a year ago. The national typical rent is $1,948, so St. Louis is still about $600 a month cheaper.
The fast rise has eaten most of the slack. Keeping $1,334 at 30% of gross income takes $53,360 a year, and the city's median household earned $53,374 in 2024, according to the US Census Bureau. That's $14 of room. Renters, who make up 54% of St. Louis households, earned a median of $39,799, so a year of typical rent equals about 40% of their income.
Long-time tenants are paying less than newcomers. The Census median gross rent in St. Louis, which includes utilities and counts older leases, was $1,044 in 2024, about $290 below today's typical asking rent.
We estimate a studio at $967 and a one-bedroom at $1,005, so the extra room costs under $40. A two-bedroom runs about $1,241, a three-bedroom about $1,605, and four or more bedrooms about $1,851.
The biggest gain is in 63104, which covers Soulard, Lafayette Square, and Benton Park, where typical rent is up 7.8%, to $1,462. Next are 63103, west of downtown, up 5.5% to $1,502, and 63110, which includes Shaw and the Grove, up 5.1% to $1,486.
Downtown's 63102 is the priciest zip at $1,778, and the only one with a full year of data where rent fell, by 0.9%. In the Central West End's 63108 it's $1,566. The cheapest zip with a full year of data is 63111, on the far south side around Carondelet, at $986, up 4.2%.
St. Louis rent has usually bottomed out in December and peaked in June over the past 11 years, by about 1% each way. For how it compares with other cities where rent is still low, see the cheapest US cities to rent, and to see how its five-year jump stacks up, how much rent has risen in five years.
Sources
RentDataNow St. Louis rent data, anchored to the Zillow Observed Rent Index, August 2026, with bedroom estimates based on HUD fair market rents
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 1-year estimates, 2024, for household income, renter income, tenure, and median gross rent
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is rent in St. Louis?
Typical rent in St. Louis was $1,334 a month in August 2026, a record high and up 3.6% from a year earlier, according to RentDataNow. A one-bedroom runs about $1,005 and a two-bedroom about $1,241.
What salary do you need to live in St. Louis?
To keep the typical $1,334 rent at 30% of gross income, you'd need about $53,360 a year. The city's median household earned $53,374 in 2024, while the median renter household earned $39,799.
Is St. Louis rent going up?
Yes. Typical rent rose 3.6% over the past year and 31.4% since 2021, from $1,015 to $1,334. The fastest gains are around Soulard and Lafayette Square, where the 63104 zip is up 7.8%.
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Henry Jo is a housing analyst covering rent data, affordability, city comparisons, and much more. He started following rental data while apartment hunting in two cities at once, and he lives in the Pacific Northwest.
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