Housing decision brief
Douglas County, MO Housing Market
Douglas County screens as a higher purchase price, below-state rent, a manageable tax-rate signal market. Use the page as a decision brief, not just a price lookup, because local income, taxes, and data confidence change how affordable the county really is.
70th lowest home value out of 115 Missouri counties with data | 37th lowest rent out of 115
Median home value
$164,400
Purchase-price signal from Census ACS.
Median rent
$687/mo
Gross rent, including utilities where reported.
Monthly owner cost
$573/mo
Owner costs before individual loan terms.
Decision snapshot
Read this county in four signals.
Buy screen
3.3x
Median home value divided by local household income.
Rent burden
24.0%
Below 30% usually screens as less pressured.
Rent vs own
$114/mo
Median owner cost screens below median rent.
Data confidence
1 note
Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
What Works
Lower rent
$687/mo is 9% below Missouri county median
Rent burden below pressure line
24.00% of renter income goes to rent, below the 30% burden threshold.
Owning screens cheaper than renting
Median owner costs are $114/mo below median rent before individual mortgage terms.
Low disaster-risk signal
Risk score is 76.3 out of 100, a stronger cross-check for long-term ownership costs.
What to Check
Lower income base
$49,828 median income is 13% below Missouri county median
Health context
Health score is 30.2 out of 100, so affordability should be weighed against local health indicators.
Crime data coverage
Crime data coverage is partial. Treat zero or low crime rates as incomplete until you check the source coverage.
Best Fit For
- Renters trying to keep rent below the burden threshold
- Households weighing ownership against renting
- Long-term owners who care about disaster-risk exposure
Poor Fit For
- Households dependent on a deep local wage market
- Anyone treating reported crime rates as complete without source context
County vs State vs National
The county number only matters after you see the benchmark. These comparisons show where Douglas County is genuinely cheap, where it is average, and where the hidden cost may be.
| Metric | County | State | U.S. | Signal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Median home value Lower usually helps affordability. | $164,400 | $156,400 | $281,900 | 5% pressure5% above Missouri county median |
Median gross rent Lower usually helps affordability. | $687 | $754 | $1,163 | 9% favorable9% below Missouri county median |
Monthly owner cost Lower usually helps affordability. | $573 | $716 | $1,672 | 20% favorable20% below Missouri county median |
Median household income | $49,828 | $57,488 | $74,755 | 13% pressure13% below Missouri county median |
Effective property-tax rate Lower usually helps affordability. | 0.41% | 0.74% | 1.02% | 44% favorable44% below Missouri county median |
Rent burden Lower usually helps affordability. | 24.00% | 26.00% | N/A | 8% favorable24.00% of renter income goes to rent. |
Income Fit
A low price only helps if local income can carry the monthly cost. This panel compares the county income base with rent and owner-cost thresholds.
Rent cushion
+$22,348
Median income minus rent threshold.
Owner cushion
+$25,271
Median income minus owner-cost threshold.
Affordability Advisory
This turns the raw housing numbers into income and buy-versus-rent screens.
Affordability verdict
Housing in Douglas County is affordable. The median rent is $687/month against a median household income of $49,828, putting rent at 16.5% of income.
Rent vs own
The median rent in Douglas County is $687/month, while owner costs run $573/month. Owning saves approximately $114/month.
Income needed
To afford the median rent without exceeding 30% of gross income, a household needs to earn approximately $27,480/year. For owner costs at the 28% rule, the required income is roughly $24,557/year. With a median household income of $49,828, most households can comfortably afford rent here. Notably, 24.0% of renter households in Douglas County are cost-burdened, spending more than 30% of income on housing.
Regional context
Compared to Henry County where rent averages $740/month, Douglas County is approximately 7% less expensive.
Better Counties to Compare
Similar counties are matched on home value, rent, income, and state context. This is more useful than a simple nearest-price list.
| County | Home Value | Rent | Why compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Howell County, MO | $161,000 | $722/mo | Same-state comparison near $161,000 home value and $722/mo rent. |
| Dade County, MO | $157,200 | $650/mo | Same-state comparison near $157,200 home value and $650/mo rent. |
| Morgan County, MO | $180,400 | $692/mo | Same-state comparison near $180,400 home value and $692/mo rent. |
| Dallas County, MO | $151,200 | $685/mo | Same-state comparison near $151,200 home value and $685/mo rent. |
| Monroe County, MO | $147,400 | $667/mo | Same-state comparison near $147,400 home value and $667/mo rent. |
Data Confidence
- Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
Next Checks
Housing Questions for Douglas County
Is Douglas County affordable for buying a home?
Is renting or owning cheaper in Douglas County?
How much income do you need for housing in Douglas County?
What should I double-check before moving to Douglas County?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.