St. Joseph, MO-KS
The numbers that matter most
What an investor checks first when sizing up a new metro — affordability ratio, rent vs income, cap rate proxy, and where the market is moving. Each metric shown vs. state and national medians for instant context.
affordable
Price to income
2.58×
The single most-cited 'is this market still cheap' check. Below 3× and you're in an affordability tailwind.
- vs Missouri
- 2.93×-0.36
- vs U.S.
- 3.43×-0.85
Benchmark
ACS median home value ÷ median HHI
comfortable
Rent to income
20.5%
What share of a typical household's income goes to rent. Below 30% means tenants can absorb modest rent increases.
- vs Missouri
- 19.4%
- vs U.S.
- 23.3%-2.7
Benchmark
(HUD FMR 2BR × 12) ÷ median HHI
deal-by-deal
Cap rate proxy
5.18%
Rough first-pass yield assuming a 35% expense ratio. Not an underwriting number — a 'is this even worth modeling' filter.
- vs Missouri
- 4.00%+1.19
- vs U.S.
- 4.35%+0.84
Benchmark
(FMR 2BR × 12 × 0.65) ÷ ACS median home value
shrinking
Net migration
-0.11%
Forward-looking demand signal. Positive net migration drives rent growth and absorbs new supply.
- vs Missouri
- -0.02%
- vs U.S.
- 0.03%
Benchmark
IRS net migration ÷ population
tight
Permit pipeline
0.54
permits per 1,000 residents
Forward-supply indicator. Above ~5 means the metro is building meaningfully relative to its size; below 2 means supply is tight.
- vs Missouri
- 2.99
- vs U.S.
- 3.52
Benchmark
Census BPS permits TTM ÷ population × 1,000
healthy
Unemployment
3.1%
Tighter unemployment means higher wages, more rental demand, lower vacancy.
- vs Missouri
- 3.0%
- vs U.S.
- 3.9%-0.8
Benchmark
BLS LAUS, latest month
Where prices are and where they've been
5-year price appreciation
+53.8%
homeValues.yearOverYear
+2.0%
Median home value
$162,100
The rent ladder
| Bedroom | Monthly | Annual | % of median HHI |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 BR | $832 | $9,984 | 15.9% |
| 2 BR | $1,077 | $12,924 | 20.5% |
| 3 BR | $1,363 | $16,356 | 26.0% |
Labor market direction
Unemployment
3.1%
Median household income
$62,900
What's being built
Total TTM
66
+7.7% YoY
Single-family
66
2–4 unit
0
5+ unit
0
All 4 counties, ranked by population
| County | Population | Home value | Median HHI | Permits TTM | YoY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buchanan County | 84,544 | $156,600 | $59,423 | 57 | +7.5% |
| Andrew County | 18,069 | $196,200 | $74,007 | 3 | |
| DeKalb County | 11,838 | $167,500 | $69,093 | 3 | 0.0% |
| Doniphan County | 7,501 | $121,200 | $72,833 | 3 | +50.0% |
Similar metros nationally
| Metro | Pop | Med HHI | P/I | Cap proxy | HPI 5y | Permits/1k | Unemp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ★St. Joseph | 121,952 | $62,900 | 2.58× | 5.18% | +53.8% | 0.54 | 3.1% |
| New Bern, NC | 122,678 | $63,380 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Cleveland, TN | 126,479 | $63,490 | — | — | +67.3% | — | 3.5% |
| Altoona, PA | 122,640 | $60,594 | — | — | +42.1% | — | 3.7% |
| Owensboro, KY | 121,147 | $65,656 | — | — | +44.8% | — | 3.3% |
| San Angelo, TX | 122,229 | $66,037 | — | — | +46.1% | — | 2.9% |
Where people are moving in from
Net migration
-133
-0.11% of population
| Origin county | Tax returns |
|---|---|
| Buchanan County, MO | 408 |
| Andrew County, MO | 231 |
| Clinton County, MO | 142 |
| Platte County, MO | 118 |
| Jackson County, MO | 108 |
| Clay County, MO | 103 |
Who lives in St. Joseph
- Median age
- 40
- Bachelor's+
- 22.9%
- Owner-occupancy
- 68.2%
- Vacancy rate
- 12.7%
- Rent burdened (30%+)
- 42.8%
- Median household income
- $62,900
This page shows federally sourced data. A full editorial analysis with charts and investment commentary is in progress.