What your paycheck buys · Updated every Friday

What a paycheck buys in Missouri this week

A stretch · #6 of 50 on affordability · rate for the week of October 22, 2026

A median Missouri household earning $84,700 a year can afford a home of about $267,000 at this week’s 7.32% average 30-year rate. The median Missouri listing is $300,000, which would take 31.4% of that household’s gross income, against the usual 28% ceiling.

$267,000

Affordable home price

+$1,763 vs. last week · −$2,110 vs. a year ago

$300,000

Median list price (September 2026)

+$50 vs. a year earlier

Affordability index (100 = within reach)

U.S. 66 · Missouri 90 a year ago

31.4%

Share of income the median listing takes

$2,217/mo incl. taxes & insurance · U.S. 42.5%

$85,000

Median household income (2025)

U.S. $87,000

Rank of 50 (1 = most affordable)

See the full ranking

Compared with a year ago

A year ago, with the 30-year rate at 6.19%, a median list price of $299,950 and median income of $77,560 (2024 figure), the same household could afford about $270,000 and the median listing took 31.2% of income. Affordability in Missouri has worsened since then.

Nearby in the ranking

#4 Iowa: can afford $259,000, median listing $285,000
#5 Illinois: can afford $294,000, median listing $325,000
#7 Pennsylvania: can afford $271,000, median listing $309,000
#8 Maryland: can afford $367,000, median listing $425,000

Run your own numbers →

How this is calculated: 28% of gross monthly income for housing, 10% down, a 30-year fixed loan at Freddie Mac’s weekly average, and 1.45% of the price a year for taxes and insurance. Full method, caveats, and sources on the main index page. An educational gauge, not a mortgage quote.