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Buying a home in St. Louis County, Minnesota

The typical owner-occupied home in St. Louis County is worth about $221,400, 33% below the Minnesota median of $329,300 and 33% below the national median of $332,700. Owners pay a median $2,271 a year in property taxes, about 1.03% of their home's value, close to the Minnesota rate of 1.02%. The median household earns $70,069 a year, so the median home costs 3.2 times the median income (3.7 times for Minnesota). 71% of occupied homes here are lived in by their owners, and 56% of those owners still have a mortgage.

St. Louis County at a glance

St. Louis County Minnesota U.S.
Median home value $221,400 $329,300 $332,700
Median property tax paid per year $2,271 $3,357 $3,119
Property tax as a share of value 1.03% 1.02% 0.94%
Median household income $70,069 $89,062 $80,734
Homes lived in by their owners 71% 72% 65%
Owner homes with a mortgage 56% 64% 61%
Median monthly costs, owners with a mortgage $1,558 $1,947 $1,963
Those costs as a share of the owners' income 19.4% 19.7% 21.0%
Median rent $1,013 $1,280 $1,413
Rent as a share of renters' income 31.2% 29.2% 30.6%
Median year homes were built 1962 1979 1980
Vacant homes 16.4% 9.3% 10.1%
Population 200,123 5,739,445 334,922,499

What a typical home costs per month in St. Louis County

At this week's average 30-year rate of 7.11%, buying the median St. Louis County home of $221,400 with 20% down costs about $1,474 a month, including property taxes and insurance. With an FHA loan and 3.5% down, it's about $1,843, because the loan is bigger and FHA adds mortgage insurance.

Lenders usually want housing costs under about 28% of gross income, which means an income of roughly $63,162 for the 20%-down payment. That payment is 25% of the median St. Louis County household income of $70,069; at that income and 20% down, the 28% guideline points to a home of about $246,000.

The median rent here is $1,013 a month, so owning the median home costs about $461 a month more than renting, before you count the equity you build and any tax benefits.

20% down, 30-year conventional loan
Down payment$44,280
Loan amount$177,120
Principal and interest$1,192
Property taxes (1.03% a year)$190
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$92
PMI$0
Total per month$1,474

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3.5% down, 30-year FHA loan
Down payment$7,749
Loan amount$217,390
Principal and interest$1,462
Property taxes (1.03% a year)$190
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$92
FHA mortgage insurance$98
Total per month$1,843

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Questions about home buying in St. Louis County

What is the median home value in St. Louis County?

About $221,400 for owner-occupied homes, according to the Census Bureau's 2020–2024 American Community Survey.

How much are property taxes in St. Louis County?

Homeowners pay a median $2,271 a year, which is about 1.03% of the median home value. Your bill depends on your home's assessed value and local rates.

What income do you need to buy a home in St. Louis County?

For the median home with 20% down at 7.11%, the payment is about $1,474 a month. Keeping that under 28% of gross income takes about $63,162 a year.

More about St. Louis County

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates; Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey, week of November 12, 2026. Estimates for small places have wide margins of error. About our data