County brief·Updated June 1, 2026

St. Louis County, Missouri Eviction Risk: Moderate

79 incorporated cities and unincorporated areas. The county Eviction Risk Score is held aloft by the city of Florissant (5.2) and a small number of dense urban cores. Rent-control coverage varies by city.

County Risk Score4.2/ 10 · Moderate

Cities tracked79municipalities

Census tracts236scored

Population832kLiving in 79 cities

Income spent on rent29.1%avg renter household

Average rent$1,347/ month

St. Louis County's average eviction risk of 4.2/10 spans a wide range from 3 to 5.2, with Jennings and Pagedale representing the highest-risk end of the county. Ranked 4th of 115 Missouri counties by eviction risk, St. Louis County sits in the state's higher-risk tier.

How St. Louis County ranks in Missouri

Lower number means more extreme, where #1 is the most

Eviction Risk Score

Very High

#4 of 115 MO counties 4.2 / 10

#4 of 115 counties in Missouri for landlord eviction risk.

Cost of living

Low

#39 of 51 states (statewide) 90.8 index

Missouri ranks #39 of 51 states on overall cost of living (9.2% cheaper than the U.S. avg).

Housing services cost

Very Low

#42 of 51 states (statewide) 69.9 index

Missouri ranks #42 of 51 states on housing services (30.1% cheaper than the U.S. avg).

Income spent on rent

High

#19 of 115 MO counties 30.4% of income

#19 of 115 counties in Missouri on % of income spent on rent.

Cities in St. Louis County

Sorted by Eviction Risk Score · highest first

Map view

	City↕	Population↕	Risk↕	% income on rent↕	Average rent↕	Lean↕
001	Florissant Pop 51,773 · 28.3% income · $1,288 rent · Dem	51,773	4.7	28.3%	$1,288	Dem
002	Chesterfield Pop 49,574 · 23.8% income · $1,644 rent · Dem	49,574	3.8	23.8%	$1,644	Dem
003	Oakville Pop 35,333 · 30.5% income · $1,091 rent · Dem	35,333	4.0	30.5%	$1,091	Dem
004	Wildwood Pop 35,133 · 25.4% income · $1,661 rent · Dem	35,133	3.6	25.4%	$1,661	Dem
005	University City Pop 34,685 · 27.2% income · $1,319 rent · Dem	34,685	4.2	27.2%	$1,319	Dem
006	Ballwin Pop 31,279 · 27.1% income · $1,418 rent · Dem	31,279	3.8	27.1%	$1,418	Dem
007	Mehlville Pop 29,805 · 27.4% income · $1,066 rent · Dem	29,805	4.2	27.4%	$1,066	Dem
008	Kirkwood Pop 29,363 · 30.3% income · $1,348 rent · Dem	29,363	3.6	30.3%	$1,348	Dem
009	Maryland Heights Pop 27,880 · 21.0% income · $1,312 rent · Dem	27,880	4.3	21.0%	$1,312	Dem
010	Hazelwood Pop 25,114 · 32.3% income · $996 rent · Dem	25,114	5.0	32.3%	$996	Dem
011	Webster Groves Pop 23,712 · 41.3% income · $1,650 rent · Dem	23,712	3.7	41.3%	$1,650	Dem
012	Old Jamestown Pop 20,651 · 29.8% income · $1,835 rent · Dem	20,651	4.5	29.8%	$1,835	Dem
013	Affton Pop 19,052 · 23.2% income · $1,015 rent · Dem	19,052	4.0	23.2%	$1,015	Dem
014	Creve Coeur Pop 18,643 · 27.2% income · $1,622 rent · Dem	18,643	4.2	27.2%	$1,622	Dem
015	Concord Pop 18,368 · 23.9% income · $1,215 rent · Dem	18,368	3.4	23.9%	$1,215	Dem
016	Ferguson Pop 18,213 · 36.8% income · $1,119 rent · Dem	18,213	5.1	36.8%	$1,119	Dem
017	Manchester Pop 18,160 · 24.9% income · $1,322 rent · Dem	18,160	4.5	24.9%	$1,322	Dem
018	Spanish Lake Pop 17,873 · 33.5% income · $1,160 rent · Dem	17,873	5.1	33.5%	$1,160	Dem
019	Clayton Pop 17,380 · 24.3% income · $1,692 rent · Dem	17,380	3.3	24.3%	$1,692	Dem
020	Lemay Pop 16,228 · 24.9% income · $881 rent · Dem	16,228	4.2	24.9%	$881	Dem
021	Overland Pop 15,695 · 29.6% income · $1,112 rent · Dem	15,695	4.7	29.6%	$1,112	Dem
022	Eureka Pop 13,081 · 26.9% income · $1,252 rent · Dem	13,081	3.7	26.9%	$1,252	Dem
023	Jennings Pop 12,918 · 38.0% income · $961 rent · Dem	12,918	5.2	38.0%	$961	Dem
024	St. Ann Pop 12,811 · 27.3% income · $976 rent · Dem	12,811	3.9	27.3%	$976	Dem
025	Crestwood Pop 12,295 · 29.6% income · $1,007 rent · Dem	12,295	3.7	29.6%	$1,007	Dem
026	Town and Country Pop 11,607 · 25.8% income · $1,955 rent · Dem	11,607	3.7	25.8%	$1,955	Dem
027	Bridgeton Pop 11,369 · 29.3% income · $1,172 rent · Dem	11,369	4.8	29.3%	$1,172	Dem
028	Bellefontaine Neighbors Pop 10,498 · 39.2% income · $1,151 rent · Dem	10,498	5.0	39.2%	$1,151	Dem
029	Ellisville Pop 10,002 · 32.8% income · $1,538 rent · Dem	10,002	3.9	32.8%	$1,538	Dem
030	Des Peres Pop 9,170 · 26.9% income · $1,750 rent · Dem	9,170	3.6	26.9%	$1,750	Dem
031	Richmond Heights Pop 9,153 · 22.7% income · $1,559 rent · Dem	9,153	3.8	22.7%	$1,559	Dem
032	Sunset Hills Pop 9,112 · 51.0% income · $2,099 rent · Dem	9,112	3.0	51.0%	$2,099	Dem
033	Ladue Pop 8,940 · 18.2% income · $1,815 rent · Dem	8,940	3.8	18.2%	$1,815	Dem
034	Olivette Pop 8,645 · 24.7% income · $1,513 rent · Dem	8,645	4.6	24.7%	$1,513	Dem
035	Maplewood Pop 8,156 · 22.3% income · $970 rent · Dem	8,156	4.5	22.3%	$970	Dem
036	Brentwood Pop 8,144 · 20.1% income · $1,439 rent · Dem	8,144	3.5	20.1%	$1,439	Dem
037	Berkeley Pop 8,123 · 39.6% income · $1,074 rent · Dem	8,123	5.1	39.6%	$1,074	Dem
038	Sappington Pop 7,367 · 29.2% income · $1,241 rent · Dem	7,367	3.9	29.2%	$1,241	Dem
039	Valley Park Pop 6,795 · 33.0% income · $1,443 rent · Dem	6,795	4.6	33.0%	$1,443	Dem
040	Black Jack Pop 6,589 · 29.8% income · $1,166 rent · Dem	6,589	4.9	29.8%	$1,166	Dem
041	St. John Pop 6,527 · 34.6% income · $1,159 rent · Dem	6,527	3.6	34.6%	$1,159	Dem
042	Shrewsbury Pop 6,316 · 29.9% income · $1,215 rent · Dem	6,316	4.9	29.9%	$1,215	Dem
043	Glendale Pop 6,114 · 27.7% income · $1,855 rent · Dem	6,114	4.0	27.7%	$1,855	Dem
044	Glasgow Village Pop 5,504 · 51.0% income · $1,229 rent · Dem	5,504	3.6	51.0%	$1,229	Dem
045	Dellwood Pop 4,847 · 22.9% income · $1,161 rent · Dem	4,847	5.1	22.9%	$1,161	Dem
046	Rock Hill Pop 4,693 · 19.4% income · $1,473 rent · Dem	4,693	4.3	19.4%	$1,473	Dem
047	Breckenridge Hills Pop 4,402 · 51.0% income · $1,112 rent · Dem	4,402	4.9	51.0%	$1,112	Dem
048	Normandy Pop 4,239 · 41.6% income · $1,002 rent · Dem	4,239	5.0	41.6%	$1,002	Dem
049	Fenton Pop 4,088 · 24.4% income · $1,622 rent · Dem	4,088	4.0	24.4%	$1,622	Dem
050	Woodson Terrace Pop 3,908 · 33.1% income · $1,179 rent · Dem	3,908	4.8	33.1%	$1,179	Dem
051	Frontenac Pop 3,701 · 27.7% income · $3,250 rent · Dem	3,701	3.7	27.7%	$3,250	Dem
052	Northwoods Pop 3,623 · 28.0% income · $1,167 rent · Dem	3,623	4.5	28.0%	$1,167	Dem
053	Riverview Pop 2,731 · 35.1% income · $803 rent · Dem	2,731	5.1	35.1%	$803	Dem
054	Pine Lawn Pop 2,716 · 51.0% income · $1,003 rent · Dem	2,716	4.9	51.0%	$1,003	Dem
055	Clarkson Valley Pop 2,584 · 27.7% income · $1,393 rent · Dem	2,584	3.4	27.7%	$1,393	Dem
056	Pagedale Pop 2,531 · 47.3% income · $965 rent · Dem	2,531	5.2	47.3%	$965	Dem
057	Bel-Ridge Pop 2,432 · 40.0% income · $969 rent · Dem	2,432	5.0	40.0%	$969	Dem
058	Warson Woods Pop 2,393 · 27.7% income · $1,393 rent · Dem	2,393	3.8	27.7%	$1,393	Dem
059	Castle Point Pop 2,340 · 51.0% income · $1,094 rent · Dem	2,340	5.1	51.0%	$1,094	Dem
060	Vinita Park Pop 2,042 · 26.9% income · $1,154 rent · Dem	2,042	5.1	26.9%	$1,154	Dem
061	Winchester Pop 1,939 · 24.4% income · $1,557 rent · Dem	1,939	3.6	24.4%	$1,557	Dem
062	Wellston Pop 1,628 · 31.9% income · $1,005 rent · Dem	1,628	5.0	31.9%	$1,005	Dem
063	Oakland Pop 1,562 · 51.0% income · $2,781 rent · Dem	1,562	3.8	51.0%	$2,781	Dem
064	Bel-Nor Pop 1,556 · 42.3% income · $1,011 rent · Dem	1,556	4.4	42.3%	$1,011	Dem
065	Cool Valley Pop 1,411 · 24.6% income · $992 rent · Dem	1,411	4.6	24.6%	$992	Dem
066	Velda City Pop 1,158 · 40.9% income · $1,218 rent · Dem	1,158	4.1	40.9%	$1,218	Dem
067	Grantwood Village Pop 1,058 · 27.7% income · $1,393 rent · Dem	1,058	3.4	27.7%	$1,393	Dem
068	Edmundson Pop 975 · 28.2% income · $1,243 rent · Dem	975	4.9	28.2%	$1,243	Dem
069	Twin Oaks Pop 734 · 19.1% income · $1,778 rent · Dem	734	4.8	19.1%	$1,778	Dem
070	Sycamore Hills Pop 672 · 18.2% income · $1,119 rent · Dem	672	4.3	18.2%	$1,119	Dem
071	Crystal Lake Park Pop 553 · 27.8% income · $3,111 rent · Dem	553	4.1	27.8%	$3,111	Dem
072	Wilbur Park Pop 491 · 19.8% income · $1,300 rent · Dem	491	4.1	19.8%	$1,300	Dem
073	Huntleigh Pop 366 · 27.7% income · $1,393 rent · Dem	366	3.4	27.7%	$1,393	Dem
074	Portage Des Sioux Pop 340 · 24.1% income · $800 rent · Dem	340	4.3	24.1%	$800	Dem
075	Westwood Pop 338 · 32.5% income · $2,250 rent · Dem	338	3.9	32.5%	$2,250	Dem
076	Parkdale Pop 204 · 27.7% income · $1,393 rent · Dem	204	3.5	27.7%	$1,393	Dem
077	Peaceful Village Pop 117 · 18.3% income · $865 rent · Dem	117	3.8	18.3%	$865	Dem
078	Country Life Acres Pop 73 · 27.7% income · $1,393 rent · Dem	73	3.4	27.7%	$1,393	Dem
079	Champ Pop 6 · 27.7% income · $1,393 rent · Dem	6	4.6	27.7%	$1,393	Dem

County heatmap

Geographic distribution

Neighborhoods in St. Louis County

Top 13 neighborhoods by population. Click for a pop-weighted risk score and the constituent census tracts.

4.6 Old Town Florissant 9 tracts · pop 44,911 3.8 Varsity neighborhood 9 tracts · pop 25,163 5.1 Berdell Hills 5 tracts · pop 14,501 4.3 Arbor Terrace 3 tracts · pop 11,993 4.1 Riverview 2 tracts · pop 10,168 3.8 Summit View 2 tracts · pop 10,154 3.3 Wydown Skinker 2 tracts · pop 9,770 3.7 Patch 2 tracts · pop 9,020 3.7 Lakeside 2 tracts · pop 8,842 4.5 Ellendale 3 tracts · pop 8,166 4.8 Saint Louis Hills 2 tracts · pop 7,996 5 North Pointe 2 tracts · pop 6,312 3.6 Spanish Village 2 tracts · pop 3,087

Local landlord context

One county, multiple regulatory regimes.

St. Louis County carries an average eviction-risk score of 4.2/10 (Moderate) across 79 incorporated cities and communities, placing it 4th of 115 Missouri counties, meaning only 3 counties in the state carry higher risk. For landlords evaluating this market, that aggregate number masks a wide intra-county spread: individual city scores run from 3 to 5.2, a two-point gap that makes the county's headline figure nearly meaningless without a city-level view. At an average rent of $1,348 and an average rent burden of 29.1%, the county sits in territory where tenant financial stress is present but not extreme, and renter share of households is 29.6%.

Within Missouri's broader landscape, St. Louis County is a study in contrasts. The same county that contains some of the state's safest suburban rental markets also contains several cities with scores that rival the most challenging markets anywhere in the state. Investors who treat St. Louis County as a uniform buy or avoid call are leaving real information on the table.

The cities inside St. Louis County

The highest-risk concentration is in the county's north and inner-ring communities. Jennings and Pagedale each score 5.2/10, the top of the county's range. Ferguson, Spanish Lake, Berkeley, Dellwood, Riverview, and Castle Point each score 5.1/10. These communities are geographically compact but represent meaningfully elevated risk of contested evictions, slower court timelines, and higher tenant advocacy activity compared to county averages.

On the other end, the county's western suburbs offer substantially lower risk. Chesterfield (population 49,574) scores 3.8/10, and Wildwood and Kirkwood both score 3.6/10. Florissant, the county's largest city at 51,773 residents, comes in at 4.7/10, well above the county average and a signal worth noting for landlords with or considering holdings in the north county. Risk in St. Louis County is genuinely hyper-local: two cities separated by a single ZIP code boundary can sit more than two full score points apart.

State-level laws that apply here

Missouri's landlord-tenant framework, codified under RSMo § 441 (Landlord and Tenant), applies uniformly across St. Louis County. For nonpayment of rent, Missouri requires no advance written notice before filing a rent-and-possession action (RSMo § 535.010). A material lease violation triggers a 10-day notice requirement under RSMo § 441.060, and ending a month-to-month tenancy requires 30 days notice under the same section. Understanding the Missouri eviction process is therefore the first step for any out-of-state investor acquiring here, since these notice mechanics differ from most other states.

Court filing fees range from $70 to $180, sheriff lockout fees from $40 to $150, and attorney fees from $500 to $3,000 depending on case complexity. Uncontested cases typically resolve in 21 to 45 days; contested matters can run 45 to 120 days. Missouri eviction costs are relatively modest at the low end but can climb quickly when a tenant disputes the action. Missouri has no just-cause eviction requirement and state law preempts any local attempt to impose rent control, which gives landlords operating here a cleaner regulatory floor than many comparable metros.

With an average poverty rate of 9.3% and a renter share of 29.6% of households, St. Louis County's risk is concentrated in specific pockets rather than spread uniformly, making the city-level grid above the most actionable starting point for acquisition and underwriting decisions.

Reviewed by NextGen Properties Research Team · Last updated June 1, 2026

Reviewed by the NextGen Properties Research Team. Missouri statute information (RSMo § 441) is current as of 2026-05-29. Eviction-risk scores are derived from ACS 2023 5-year estimates, county court filing timelines, and 2024 county presidential election margins.

Eviction filings in St. Louis County

Eviction Lab Tracking System · live through 2026-05-01

The Princeton Eviction Lab Tracking System covers Missouri statewide (no county-level tracker available). In the past month, 3,285 filings were recorded, 0.88× the historical baseline (below baseline). YTD filings: 14,263; pandemic-era total: 244,075.

3,285Past month
44,239Past 12 months
0.93×vs baseline (12 mo)
18.2%Serial filings
$1,019Average rent

Last 36 months of filings 2023-05-01 - 2026-04-01

Filings dropped 10% over the past 12 months.

Notice requirement: at least ten days notice (for nonpayment of rent cases, though in other cases more). Filing fee: minimum filing fee of $33.

How St. Louis County compares

St. Louis County's average eviction-risk score of 4.2/10 ranks it 4th of 115 Missouri counties by risk, placing it in the higher-risk tier of the state. Among its closest peer counties, Jackson County (4.92/10) and Clay County (4.46/10) post higher risk scores, while Cass County (3.81/10) and St. Charles County (3.4/10) offer meaningfully lower-risk landlord environments within the same metro region.

Jasper County (4.04/10) comes closest to St. Louis County's profile. The intra-county spread from 3/10 to 5.2/10 across 79 cities is wide enough that careful city selection within St. Louis County can produce risk outcomes comparable to peer counties with lower county averages.

Peer counties in Missouri

Same state, closest by population and Eviction Risk Score

Where eviction risk concentrates in St. Louis County

Top cities + top neighborhoods · click any card for the full breakdown

Top cities by population

Top neighborhoods by risk

Frequently asked

Frequently asked questions about St. Louis County

How many renters live in St. Louis County?

Renter share is 29.6%, so approximately 245,897 of St. Louis County's 831,601 residents are renters.

What is the lowest-risk city in St. Louis County?

The lowest score in St. Louis County is 3/10. See the city grid above for the specific municipality.

What is the highest-risk city in St. Louis County?

The highest score in St. Louis County is 5.2/10. See the city grid above for the specific municipality.