60.6% of occupied homes in Rolla are rented, the highest share among the 38 Missouri cities listed, and 8.2% in Wildwood, 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. Shares are renter-occupied or owner-occupied units divided by occupied units (derived).
Cities Ranked by Renter Share
| Rank | City | Rented homes (derived) | Owner-occupied homes (derived) | Average household size | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rolla | 60.6% | 39.4% | 2.2 | $46,204 |
| 2 | Springfield | 56.1% | 43.9% | 2.04 | $49,311 |
| 3 | St. Louis | 54.7% | 45.3% | 1.92 | $56,160 |
| 4 | Columbia | 51.3% | 48.7% | 2.26 | $66,498 |
| 5 | Grandview | 50.9% | 49.1% | 2.28 | $53,447 |
| 6 | Joplin | 46.6% | 53.4% | 2.24 | $52,097 |
| 7 | Cape Girardeau | 46.0% | 54.0% | 2.27 | $55,658 |
| 8 | Kansas City | 44.6% | 55.4% | 2.26 | $69,166 |
| 9 | University City | 43.8% | 56.2% | 2.1 | $80,694 |
| 10 | Sedalia | 43.4% | 56.6% | 2.29 | $50,990 |
| 11 | Maryland Heights | 43.2% | 56.8% | 2.17 | $86,436 |
| 12 | Belton | 41.0% | 59.0% | 2.38 | $69,226 |
| 13 | Hazelwood | 40.9% | 59.1% | 2.2 | $55,908 |
| 14 | Jefferson City | 40.8% | 59.2% | 2.19 | $66,371 |
| 15 | Independence | 39.1% | 60.9% | 2.34 | $60,339 |
| 16 | Ozark | 37.4% | 62.6% | 2.62 | $74,182 |
| 17 | St. Joseph | 37.2% | 62.8% | 2.36 | $57,956 |
| 18 | Raytown | 34.9% | 65.1% | 2.32 | $68,840 |
| 19 | Mehlville CDP | 34.0% | 66.0% | 2.19 | $67,071 |
| 20 | Florissant | 32.9% | 67.1% | 2.4 | $65,318 |
| 21 | Nixa | 32.9% | 67.1% | 2.67 | $83,385 |
| 22 | St. Charles | 32.0% | 68.0% | 2.2 | $85,937 |
| 23 | Gladstone | 31.6% | 68.4% | 2.3 | $79,271 |
| 24 | Blue Springs | 31.1% | 68.9% | 2.61 | $88,920 |
| 25 | Liberty | 27.0% | 73.0% | 2.56 | $88,542 |
| 26 | Lee’s Summit | 26.6% | 73.4% | 2.54 | $102,531 |
| 27 | Webster Groves | 23.9% | 76.1% | 2.41 | $115,227 |
| 28 | Kirkwood | 22.8% | 77.2% | 2.43 | $121,270 |
| 29 | Chesterfield | 22.4% | 77.6% | 2.35 | $133,037 |
| 30 | Raymore | 21.8% | 78.2% | 2.6 | $104,447 |
| 31 | St. Peters | 21.0% | 79.0% | 2.39 | $91,637 |
| 32 | Arnold | 20.2% | 79.8% | 2.49 | $78,370 |
| 33 | O’Fallon | 19.0% | 81.0% | 2.63 | $110,443 |
| 34 | Wentzville | 17.5% | 82.5% | 2.86 | $112,394 |
| 35 | Ballwin | 15.8% | 84.2% | 2.59 | $124,626 |
| 36 | Oakville CDP | 14.0% | 86.0% | 2.53 | $106,362 |
| 37 | Old Jamestown CDP | 12.7% | 87.3% | 2.84 | $99,521 |
| 38 | Wildwood | 8.2% | 91.8% | 2.73 | $161,060 |
Notes
- University towns tend to have more renters; the Census counts students who live off campus as renters and those in dorms in a separate group-quarters count not used here.
- Average household size is the Census table B25010 value for all occupied homes.
What We Could Not Verify
- Reasons for the shares: not collected, and we do not guess them.
- Margins of error for each estimate.
More Missouri Guides
Questions People Ask
Which Missouri city has the most renters?
Rolla, where 60.6% of occupied homes are rented, in the Census Bureau’s 2020-2024 estimates (cities of 20,000 or more).
Sources
Checked October 30, 2026 by It’s Missouri. Cite this page: It’s Missouri (https://itsmissouri.com/living/renters-and-owners/), checked October 30, 2026. Free to quote with a link.