Before you read the numbers: these estimates assume every home is rent-ready. ApriFind doesn't have condition data yet, so repairs needed to reach these rents are not included, and the cheapest homes are the most likely to need them. Property tax uses the City of St. Louis's published residential rate (1.56% of market value); rates in St. Louis County municipalities differ. See What these numbers assume.
We ran every active for-sale listing with a St. Louis, MO mailing address through ApriFind on October 9, 2026 and analyzed 2,128 properties, each with a rent estimate built from nearby comparable rentals. In our ranking of the 50 largest US metros, St. Louis had the fourth-highest share of listings with positive cash flow. Note that "St. Louis" mailing addresses include parts of St. Louis County as well as the city itself, and the strongest ZIPs below are in North County.
Key takeaways
- 31% of listings show positive cash flow at 20% down and 7% interest. The median listing is negative (−$343 per month) with a 4.4% median cap rate.
- North County leads: in 63137, 63135, and 63136, 84–92% of listings cash-flow on paper at median prices of $85,000–$105,000. These ZIPs are in St. Louis County, outside the city limits.
- Inside the city, south St. Louis ZIPs are mixed: 63111 (36%) and 63118 (29%) come closest to breaking even; 63104, 63109, and 63110 are well below.
- 93% of listings under $100,000 cash-flow on paper, against 8% at $200,000–$300,000. The cheapest homes are also the most likely to need repairs.
- Cash flow concentrates in weaker neighborhoods, but not entirely: 68% of listings with an Apri Score of 8–10 cash-flow, and so do 147 listings (21%) in middle-scoring 4–7 areas.
Returns by ZIP code
ZIP codes with at least 40 analyzed listings, ranked by the share with positive cash flow.
| ZIP | Listings | Median price | Median est. rent | Median cap rate | Median monthly cash flow | Listings that cash-flow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 63137 | 93 | $90,000 | $1,262 | 10.2% | $289 | 92% |
| 63135 | 54 | $104,900 | $1,346 | 9.4% | $253 | 91% |
| 63136 | 168 | $85,000 | $1,315 | 11.1% | $331 | 84% |
| 63121 | 73 | $94,900 | $1,174 | 9.4% | $199 | 73% |
| 63115 | 43 | $85,000 | $1,025 | 9.5% | $181 | 63% |
| 63138 | 49 | $129,900 | $1,425 | 7.6% | $119 | 59% |
| 63111 | 86 | $191,500 | $1,455 | 5.3% | −$135 | 36% |
| 63118 | 162 | $249,950 | $1,944 | 5.0% | −$239 | 29% |
| 63125 | 50 | $174,995 | $1,561 | 4.1% | −$312 | 22% |
| 63116 | 163 | $219,900 | $1,472 | 4.5% | −$338 | 19% |
| 63123 | 76 | $249,900 | $1,879 | 4.0% | −$511 | 11% |
| 63139 | 77 | $299,900 | $1,995 | 3.8% | −$646 | 10% |
| 63103 | 49 | $165,000 | $1,692 | 3.0% | −$435 | 10% |
| 63112 | 81 | $239,900 | $1,582 | 3.0% | −$495 | 9% |
| 63110 | 63 | $425,000 | $2,395 | 3.2% | −$1,047 | 8% |
| 63108 | 85 | $355,000 | $2,013 | 0.9% | −$1,799 | 5% |
| 63104 | 92 | $387,450 | $2,448 | 3.2% | −$825 | 4% |
| 63129 | 71 | $365,000 | $2,122 | 1.9% | −$949 | 3% |
| 63128 | 48 | $399,750 | $2,195 | 2.2% | −$1,123 | 2% |
| 63109 | 95 | $299,999 | $1,800 | 3.6% | −$702 | 1% |
| 63146 | 62 | $299,900 | $1,910 | 3.6% | −$604 | 0% |
Returns by property type and price
| Property type | Listings | Median price | Median est. rent | Median cap rate | Listings that cash-flow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single family | 1,431 | $194,900 | $1,545 | 5.3% | 40% |
| Condo | 338 | $175,000 | $1,453 | 2.1% | 3% |
| Multi-family (whole building) | 320 | $286,000 | $1,684 | 4.0% | 23% |
| Townhouse | 39 | $288,000 | $2,048 | 4.0% | 13% |
| Price range | Listings | Median est. rent | Median cap rate | Listings that cash-flow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under $100,000 | 384 | $1,182 | 11.9% | 93% |
| $100,000–$200,000 | 670 | $1,362 | 5.7% | 40% |
| $200,000–$300,000 | 425 | $1,775 | 4.1% | 8% |
| $300,000 and up | 649 | $2,344 | 2.4% | 1% |
Returns by Apri Score (neighborhood rating)
The Apri Score is ApriFind's proprietary 1-to-10 neighborhood rating, built from census-level socioeconomic data including income, education, employment, and housing quality. It compares each neighborhood with others in the same state: 1 is among the strongest, 10 among the weakest. ApriFind shows it on every listing and as a map layer. It's built to show, before you make an offer, whether a high return comes with a weaker location. See the Apri Score for every listing in any city.
| Apri Score | Share of listings | Median price | Median est. rent | Median cap rate | Median monthly cash flow | Listings that cash-flow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1–3 (strongest) | 36% | $329,000 | $1,995 | 2.9% | −$894 | 5% |
| 4–7 | 35% | $219,900 | $1,582 | 4.3% | −$377 | 21% |
| 8–10 (weakest) | 29% | $110,000 | $1,286 | 8.6% | $206 | 68% |
Based on the 1,973 listings with an Apri Score.
St. Louis listings split roughly into thirds by Apri Score, but cash flow doesn't. 68% of listings in Apri Score 8–10 areas cash-flow on paper, at an 8.6% median cap rate, against 5% in 1–3 areas. The middle band offers a real pool of middle-ground candidates: 21% of Apri Score 4–7 listings, 147 properties, showed positive cash flow. Of all the listings that cash-flow, 14% are in areas scoring 1–5.
Weaker areas can mean more tenant turnover, longer vacancies, more collection problems, older housing, and slower appreciation, while these figures assume the same 5% vacancy everywhere.
St. Louis asking rents by bedrooms
Median asking rent for single-family and townhouse rentals on the market:
| Bedrooms | Median asking rent | Rentals |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $1,050 | 54 |
| 2 | $1,200 | 347 |
| 3 | $1,458 | 436 |
| 4 | $1,800 | 107 |
| 5+ | $2,020 | 18 |
What these numbers assume
1. Every home is rent-ready. Rent estimates come from comparable rentals currently on the market, which are homes in rentable condition. ApriFind doesn't have condition data yet. Many low-priced St. Louis homes are older and may need significant work before a tenant can move in; that cost is not included here. The 93% cash-flow rate under $100,000 describes those homes after they're rent-ready. Get an inspection and a repair estimate before relying on any of these numbers.
2. Property tax uses the City of St. Louis's published rate. The City of St. Louis Assessor's 2025 residential tax rate is $8.1867 per $100 of assessed value (source), and Missouri assesses residential property at 19% of market value, so a home pays about 1.56% of market value a year. We apply that rate to every listing with a St. Louis address. Rates in St. Louis County municipalities differ, and are often higher in North County, so the North County figures may be optimistic. Check the parcel's actual bill. If taxes were half a point higher, 29% of listings would still cash-flow; a full point higher, 26%.
3. Rent estimates are estimates. Rent estimates are based on asking rents from comparable rental listings nearby, which can run above what tenants ultimately sign for. Check them against local leasing evidence before relying on them.
4. Financing and expenses. 20% down, 7.0% 30-year fixed mortgage, 5% vacancy, 10% property management, 10% maintenance reserve, insurance, and HOA dues where listed.
5. Some listings are excluded. We left out 203 listings priced far below comparable homes nearby, or whose estimated rent was far above what similar listings nearby earn, along with vacant land. This "Verify condition" flag is a rough filter: it can't detect a property's actual condition, so homes needing major work remain in these figures.
Methodology
All active for-sale listings with a St. Louis, MO address on October 9, 2026 (data from RentCast), analyzed with ApriFind. "St. Louis" addresses include parts of St. Louis County. Each property's rent comes from ApriFind's proprietary rent model, which considers comparable rentals nearby and how closely they match on factors including location, property type, size, bedrooms, bathrooms, and age. Multi-family rent is the estimated rent for the whole building. Cap rate is net operating income divided by price; cash flow is rent minus all costs including the mortgage.
Listings change daily. Search St. Louis on ApriFind to see today's listings with your own down payment, rate, tax rate, and expense assumptions.
FAQ
Is St. Louis good for rental property investing? In our October 2026 analysis, 31% of active listings with a St. Louis address showed positive cash flow at 20% down and 7% interest, the fourth-highest share among the main cities of the 50 largest US metros, concentrated in North County ZIP codes. Those figures assume rent-ready homes.
What is the property tax rate on a St. Louis rental property? In the City of St. Louis, about 1.56% of market value a year: the 2025 residential rate of $8.1867 per $100 of assessed value, on Missouri's 19% residential assessment ratio. St. Louis County municipalities set their own rates.
What is the average cap rate in St. Louis? The median cap rate across 2,128 active listings was 4.4%, from about 10–11% in 63136 and 63137 to about 1% in 63108.
Are St. Louis's cash-flowing rentals in weaker neighborhoods? Mostly. In our October 2026 data, 68% of listings in areas with an Apri Score of 8–10 (ApriFind's 1-to-10 neighborhood rating, where 10 is weakest) showed positive cash flow, against 21% in 4–7 areas and 5% in 1–3 areas.
Which St. Louis ZIP codes have the best rental returns? 63137, 63135, and 63136 in North County had the highest share of listings with positive cash flow (84–92%), with median prices between $85,000 and $105,000.
ApriFind provides informational tools only and does not provide investment, financial, legal, or tax advice. Figures are estimates from listing data on one date; actual results vary.