Rent report · Q3 2026
St. Louis rent prices 2026: what renting in STL costs
The latest St. Louis rent figures from three independent sources — by apartment size, neighborhood and ZIP code — and why they don’t all agree. Updated every quarter.
Why the numbers don’t match
- RentCafe reports the average rent in apartment buildings with 50 or more units (Yardi Matrix data). Big, newer buildings pull it up.
- Zumper reports the median of everything listed on its site in the past 30 days, including houses and small buildings — so it runs lower.
- HUD Fair Market Rents are the government benchmark for housing vouchers: rent plus utilities, set at the 40th percentile of standard-quality rentals (24 CFR 888.113).
None is “right” — together they show the range. Small-owner flats and houses often land between them.
The trend
Show the numbers
| Month | St. Louis | U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| Nov 2023 | $1,351 | $1,733 |
| Mar 2024 | $1,374 | $1,736 |
| Jul 2024 | $1,391 | $1,756 |
| Nov 2024 | $1,386 | $1,748 |
| Mar 2025 | $1,388 | $1,755 |
| Jul 2025 | $1,405 | $1,768 |
| Nov 2025 | $1,398 | $1,754 |
| Mar 2026 | $1,423 | $1,750 |
| Jul 2026 | $1,444 | $1,771 |
| Aug 2026 | $1,448 | $1,773 |
Source: RentCafe / Yardi Matrix, updated September 21, 2026. Averages for apartment buildings with 50+ units.
By apartment size
| Size | Avg. rent | Avg. size |
|---|---|---|
| Studio | $1,077 | 476 sq ft |
| 1 bedroom | $1,358 | 713 sq ft |
| 2 bedrooms | $1,626 | 1,029 sq ft |
| 3 bedrooms | $1,775 | 1,246 sq ft |
RentCafe, August 2026. Zumper’s medians: houses $1,595, apartments $1,250.
Nearby cities
| City | Avg. rent |
|---|---|
| Clayton | $2,451 |
| University City | $1,647 |
| Kirkwood | $1,596 |
| St. Charles | $1,491 |
| Florissant | $1,070 |
| Jennings | $896 |
RentCafe, August 2026.
By St. Louis neighborhood
| Neighborhood | Rent | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Lafayette Square | $1,769 | RentCafe |
| Forest Park Southeast | $1,701 | RentCafe |
| Midtown | $1,640 | RentCafe |
| Downtown | $1,616 | RentCafe |
| Central West End | $1,586 | RentCafe |
| Compton Heights | $1,584 | RentCafe |
| Soulard | $1,516 | RentCafe |
| DeBaliviere Place | $1,469 | RentCafe |
| Fox Park | $1,415 | RentCafe |
| Grand Center | $1,400 | RentCafe |
| Tower Grove South | $1,247 | Zumper (median) |
| Gravois Park | $995 | Zumper (median) |
| Dutchtown South | $975 | Zumper (median) |
RentCafe averages (August 2026) and Zumper medians (September 2026) aren’t directly comparable. Neighborhoods not shown weren’t reported by either source.
By ZIP code: HUD Fair Market Rents FY2026
HUD sets these for the St. Louis metro by ZIP code. They include utilities and sit at the 40th percentile, so they’re a floor for a decent unit, not an average — and a ZIP can mix very different blocks (63112, for example, spans DeBaliviere Place and areas north of Delmar).
| ZIP | Includes | 1 bedroom | 2 bedrooms | 3 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 63104 | Soulard, Lafayette Square, Benton Park | $1,090 | $1,330 | $1,710 |
| 63108 | Central West End | $1,480 | $1,810 | $2,330 |
| 63110 | Shaw, The Grove, Forest Park Southeast | $1,180 | $1,440 | $1,850 |
| 63116 | Tower Grove South, Bevo Mill | $960 | $1,170 | $1,510 |
| 63118 | Tower Grove East, Benton Park West | $950 | $1,160 | $1,490 |
| 63112 | DeBaliviere Place, Skinker-DeBaliviere | $930 | $1,140 | $1,470 |
| 63103 | Downtown West, Midtown | $1,070 | $1,310 | $1,690 |
| 63101 | Downtown | $1,190 | $1,460 | $1,880 |
| 63139 | The Hill, Dogtown, Southwest Garden | $1,090 | $1,340 | $1,720 |
| 63130 | University City | $1,110 | $1,360 | $1,750 |
| 63105 | Clayton | $1,410 | $1,730 | $2,230 |
| 63143 | Maplewood | $820 | $1,010 | $1,300 |
| 63119 | Webster Groves | $1,050 | $1,280 | $1,650 |
| 63122 | Kirkwood | $1,160 | $1,420 | $1,830 |
| 63017 | Chesterfield | $1,400 | $1,710 | $2,200 |
| 63039 | Gray Summit | $950 | $1,160 | $1,500 |
Source: HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents, FY2026. Neighborhood names are approximate; ZIP boundaries don’t follow them exactly.
How our rents compare
We’re a St. Louis landlord, so here are our own current asking rents for context:
- 3808 Flad Ave — Upper Unit: 1 bed, 1,100 sq ft, $1,300/month
- 5630 Pershing Ave — Unit 10: 2 bed, 875 sq ft, $2,000/month
The Shaw one-bedroom is larger than the average St. Louis one-bedroom (713 sq ft) and below its average rent ($1,358); the renovated DeBaliviere Place condo is above the neighborhood average ($1,469).
Questions renters ask
What is the average rent in St. Louis in 2026?
It depends on the source. RentCafe puts the average apartment rent at $1,448 a month (August 2026, large buildings); Zumper puts the median at $1,295 (September 2026, all listed rentals including houses). Either way, St. Louis is well below the U.S. average.
Is rent going down in St. Louis in 2026?
No — it’s rising slowly. RentCafe shows St. Louis apartment rent up 1.7% over the past year, and Zumper describes rents as flat to up about 2%. Nationally, RentCafe’s average was roughly flat (+0.2% from July 2025 to July 2026).
How much do you need to earn to afford rent in St. Louis?
Using the common 30%-of-income guideline: about $58,000 a year at RentCafe’s average ($1,448), or about $52,000 at Zumper’s median ($1,295).
When is the cheapest time to rent in St. Louis?
Winter. Zumper’s data shows January rents about 6.9% below the July peak, and December has the least competition.
Which St. Louis neighborhoods are most expensive to rent?
Among neighborhoods RentCafe tracks, Lafayette Square, Forest Park Southeast, Midtown and Downtown average the highest apartment rents. In the suburbs, Clayton is far above the rest.
Sources, method and use
Figures come from RentCafe (Yardi Matrix; average rent, buildings of 50+ units, August 2026), Zumper (median of listings in the past 30 days, September 2026) and HUD (FY2026 Small Area Fair Market Rents). We don’t adjust them. This report is by EJ Properties LLC, a St. Louis landlord that runs lease314.com; we’re not affiliated with any source. Journalists and researchers are welcome to cite it with a link. Next update: January 2027.