In Hazelwood, 55.0% of renter households pay 30 percent or more of their income on gross rent, the highest share of the Missouri cities listed; in Maryland Heights it is 25.6%, the lowest, 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. Thirty percent is the common federal yardstick for a cost burden; we use it only because the Census table (B25070) is built on it. Poverty is the share of people for whom poverty status is determined who fall below the federal poverty level (table B17001).
Cities Ranked by Share of Renters Paying 30 Percent or More
| Rank | City | Renters paying 30 percent or more (derived) | Below the poverty level (derived) | Median gross rent per month | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hazelwood | 55.0% | 15.9% | $996 | $55,908 |
| 2 | Raymore | 52.6% | 5.0% | $1,303 | $104,447 |
| 3 | Webster Groves | 51.9% | 4.2% | $1,650 | $115,227 |
| 4 | Lee’s Summit | 50.4% | 5.7% | $1,422 | $102,531 |
| 5 | Oakville CDP | 49.7% | 6.4% | $1,091 | $106,362 |
| 6 | Grandview | 49.7% | 17.9% | $1,035 | $53,447 |
| 7 | Independence | 49.6% | 15.8% | $1,109 | $60,339 |
| 8 | Rolla | 49.6% | 23.6% | $789 | $46,204 |
| 9 | Kirkwood | 49.3% | 5.3% | $1,348 | $121,270 |
| 10 | Columbia | 48.7% | 19.3% | $1,097 | $66,498 |
| 11 | St. Joseph | 48.1% | 17.7% | $898 | $57,956 |
| 12 | Wentzville | 48.0% | 5.4% | $1,345 | $112,394 |
| 13 | Belton | 47.4% | 9.7% | $1,290 | $69,226 |
| 14 | Kansas City | 47.3% | 14.6% | $1,238 | $69,166 |
| 15 | Springfield | 46.5% | 18.4% | $964 | $49,311 |
| 16 | Joplin | 45.7% | 16.9% | $962 | $52,097 |
| 17 | St. Peters | 45.2% | 5.6% | $1,321 | $91,637 |
| 18 | Florissant | 44.3% | 10.1% | $1,288 | $65,318 |
| 19 | Cape Girardeau | 44.2% | 20.8% | $876 | $55,658 |
| 20 | Sedalia | 44.2% | 19.4% | $877 | $50,990 |
| 21 | Old Jamestown CDP | 44.0% | 7.4% | $1,835 | $99,521 |
| 22 | Liberty | 43.8% | 7.0% | $1,160 | $88,542 |
| 23 | St. Louis | 43.1% | 20.6% | $997 | $56,160 |
| 24 | Raytown | 43.1% | 12.5% | $1,218 | $68,840 |
| 25 | Wildwood | 42.7% | 2.2% | $1,661 | $161,060 |
| 26 | University City | 41.6% | 14.5% | $1,319 | $80,694 |
| 27 | Gladstone | 41.0% | 11.0% | $1,088 | $79,271 |
| 28 | Nixa | 40.1% | 7.1% | $1,083 | $83,385 |
| 29 | O’Fallon | 39.8% | 5.4% | $1,443 | $110,443 |
| 30 | Mehlville CDP | 39.5% | 7.8% | $1,066 | $67,071 |
| 31 | Jefferson City | 38.4% | 12.0% | $802 | $66,371 |
| 32 | Ballwin | 38.2% | 4.8% | $1,418 | $124,626 |
| 33 | Blue Springs | 37.3% | 7.0% | $1,277 | $88,920 |
| 34 | Ozark | 37.3% | 12.6% | $1,097 | $74,182 |
| 35 | St. Charles | 36.7% | 7.3% | $1,251 | $85,937 |
| 36 | Chesterfield | 33.2% | 3.9% | $1,644 | $133,037 |
| 37 | Arnold | 32.4% | 8.2% | $1,112 | $78,370 |
| 38 | Maryland Heights | 25.6% | 4.7% | $1,312 | $86,436 |
Highest Poverty Rate
Rolla has the highest poverty rate of the cities listed (23.6%).
Notes
- Renters paying 30 percent or more adds Census rent-burden bands 30 to 34.9, 35 to 39.9, 40 to 49.9 and 50 or more, divided by renter households whose burden could be computed (derived).
- Poverty rates in cities with large student populations are often high because off-campus students are counted; this page does not adjust for that.
What We Could Not Verify
- Why a city ranks where it does: not collected.
- Housing assistance, evictions and waiting lists: not collected.
- Margins of error for each estimate.
More Missouri Guides
Questions People Ask
Where in Missouri are renters most cost-burdened?
By the Census yardstick of 30 percent of income or more on rent, Hazelwood ranks highest among cities of 20,000 or more, at 55.0% of renter households.
Sources
Checked October 30, 2026 by It’s Missouri. Cite this page: It’s Missouri (https://itsmissouri.com/living/rent-burden-and-poverty/), checked October 30, 2026. Free to quote with a link.