The median home in St. Louis was built in 1938, the oldest of the Missouri cities listed, and in 2008 in Wentzville, the newest, per the Census Bureau’s 2020-2024 estimates.
Source: Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, read October 30, 2026. Survey estimates carry margins of error, which we did not print; small cities carry larger ones. Rows are cities, towns and census-designated places of 20,000 or more people within their own limits; they are not metro areas. Median year built is the Census table B25035 value for all housing units. Vacant units are every unit marked vacant, including for-sale, for-rent and seasonal ones, divided by all housing units (derived).
Cities Ranked by Median Year Built, Oldest First
| Rank | City | Median year built | Vacant homes (derived) | Median home value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | St. Louis | 1938 | 16.8% | $197,500 |
| 2 | University City | 1949 | 11.5% | $306,700 |
| 3 | Webster Groves | 1952 | 4.8% | $387,600 |
| 4 | St. Joseph | 1962 | 13.5% | $154,200 |
| 5 | Raytown | 1962 | 7.1% | $182,900 |
| 6 | Kirkwood | 1962 | 7.6% | $451,400 |
| 7 | Florissant | 1963 | 8.0% | $148,800 |
| 8 | Sedalia | 1964 | 8.2% | $143,000 |
| 9 | Independence | 1967 | 8.2% | $172,900 |
| 10 | Kansas City | 1969 | 9.5% | $242,900 |
| 11 | Mehlville CDP | 1969 | 3.5% | $218,400 |
| 12 | Hazelwood | 1970 | 8.4% | $167,400 |
| 13 | Gladstone | 1973 | 5.7% | $231,500 |
| 14 | Grandview | 1973 | 6.1% | $188,500 |
| 15 | Springfield | 1975 | 7.0% | $177,700 |
| 16 | Cape Girardeau | 1975 | 12.7% | $196,300 |
| 17 | Maryland Heights | 1975 | 3.9% | $227,000 |
| 18 | Ballwin | 1976 | 3.9% | $377,100 |
| 19 | Arnold | 1977 | 6.5% | $220,000 |
| 20 | Jefferson City | 1978 | 9.4% | $218,700 |
| 21 | Chesterfield | 1982 | 3.7% | $472,500 |
| 22 | Oakville CDP | 1982 | 2.3% | $318,600 |
| 23 | Joplin | 1985 | 10.6% | $168,300 |
| 24 | Old Jamestown CDP | 1985 | 1.7% | $236,100 |
| 25 | Rolla | 1985 | 13.3% | $187,000 |
| 26 | St. Charles | 1986 | 6.0% | $298,700 |
| 27 | Blue Springs | 1986 | 2.8% | $263,100 |
| 28 | Liberty | 1986 | 4.3% | $283,300 |
| 29 | Belton | 1987 | 5.5% | $203,200 |
| 30 | St. Peters | 1988 | 3.8% | $269,900 |
| 31 | Wildwood | 1992 | 4.0% | $495,800 |
| 32 | Columbia | 1993 | 6.2% | $284,600 |
| 33 | Lee’s Summit | 1994 | 4.1% | $340,900 |
| 34 | O’Fallon | 2000 | 2.0% | $326,200 |
| 35 | Nixa | 2000 | 2.0% | $258,700 |
| 36 | Raymore | 2002 | 3.4% | $339,100 |
| 37 | Ozark | 2002 | 3.8% | $254,800 |
| 38 | Wentzville | 2008 | 1.8% | $331,300 |
Highest Vacancy
St. Louis has the highest vacancy rate of the cities listed (16.8%).
Notes
- Vacant includes units for rent, for sale, rented or sold but not occupied, seasonal homes and other vacant units; the table does not separate them here.
What We Could Not Verify
- Condition of homes, lead paint or other safety facts: not collected, no health content is published here.
- Margins of error for each estimate.
More Missouri Guides
Questions People Ask
Which Missouri city has the oldest housing?
St. Louis: its median home was built in 1938, among cities of 20,000 or more in the Census Bureau’s 2020-2024 estimates.
Sources
Checked October 30, 2026 by It’s Missouri. Cite this page: It’s Missouri (https://itsmissouri.com/living/housing-age-and-vacancy/), checked October 30, 2026. Free to quote with a link.