Last updated October 22, 2026
Ballwin and Manchester sold at almost the same median in 2026, $419,950 and $416,500. What that money bought was different: Ballwin’s median house was about 300 square feet bigger, while Manchester’s sold faster, for more per square foot and further over asking.
These numbers count only sales inside each city’s limits. A Ballwin or Manchester mailing address doesn’t confirm the city or the school district, so check the exact address.
Short answers first, from 2026 closed single-family sales inside each city’s Census boundary: 86 in Ballwin (January 6 through September 30) and 60 in Manchester (January 8 through September 25). These are past sales, not what’s for sale today.
Not at the median, but per square foot, yes. Manchester’s 2026 median was $416,500 and Ballwin’s $419,950. But the median Ballwin house was larger (2,279 vs. 1,972 sq ft), so Manchester sold for more per square foot: $213 versus $192.
About the same share of each market, but more house in Ballwin. At $400,000 or less, a 2026 budget reached 37 of 86 Ballwin sales (43.0%) and 27 of 60 Manchester sales (45.0%). The Ballwin homes at that budget had a median of 1,700 sq ft; Manchester’s, 1,630.
Nearly identical shares again. At $450,000 or less: 53 of 86 Ballwin sales (61.6%) and 37 of 60 in Manchester (61.7%). At $500,000 or less: 61 (70.9%) and 43 (71.7%). The size gap grew: at $450,000, the median Ballwin home was 2,007 sq ft versus 1,775 in Manchester.
From about 1,800 square feet up, yes. Homes of 1,800–2,199 sq ft sold for a median $217 a square foot in Manchester and $198 in Ballwin, and the gap widened in larger homes. Under 1,800 sq ft, the two were close, and Ballwin was slightly higher.
Manchester, and further over asking. The median days on market (CDOM) was 4.5 in Manchester and 5 in Ballwin. 41 of 60 Manchester sales (68.3%) closed above the original list price, at a median 103.7% of it, versus 48 of 86 in Ballwin (55.8%) at 101.5%.
Ballwin, by a few years. Ballwin’s median 2026 sale was built in 1968, and 46 of 86 (53.5%) were built from 1950 to 1969. Manchester’s median was 1973, and 33 of 60 (55.0%) were built from 1970 to 1989.
Same median, different market. Here are the 2026 numbers for each city.
| Ballwin | Manchester | |
|---|---|---|
| Sales | 86 | 60 |
| Median price | $419,950 | $416,500 |
| Median sq ft | 2,279 | 1,972 |
| Median $/sq ft | $192 | $213 |
| Median year built | 1968 | 1973 |
| Median days on market | 5 | 4.5 |
| Closed above original list | 48 (55.8%) | 41 (68.3%) |
| Closed below original list | 31 (36.0%) | 12 (20.0%) |
Manchester was the tighter market: fewer sales, and only 1 in 5 closed below the original list price. In Ballwin more than a third did, at a median 4.6% under.
Here’s the share of 2026 sales in each city that closed at or below each price, and the median size of those homes.
| Budget | Ballwin (86) | Manchester (60) |
|---|---|---|
| $300,000 | 11 (12.8%), 1,375 sq ft | 4 (6.7%), 1,108 sq ft |
| $350,000 | 20 (23.3%), 1,560 sq ft | 17 (28.3%), 1,520 sq ft |
| $400,000 | 37 (43.0%), 1,700 sq ft | 27 (45.0%), 1,630 sq ft |
| $450,000 | 53 (61.6%), 2,007 sq ft | 37 (61.7%), 1,775 sq ft |
| $500,000 | 61 (70.9%), 2,092 sq ft | 43 (71.7%), 1,801 sq ft |
| $600,000 | 78 (90.7%), 2,222 sq ft | 50 (83.3%), 1,876 sq ft |
The share of each market a budget reached was nearly the same. The difference is size: from $450,000 up, the Ballwin homes in reach were about 230 to 350 square feet larger.
Holding size steady is a fairer test than comparing medians. These are all 2026 sales in each city, grouped by size.
| Size | Ballwin | Manchester |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1,400 sq ft | $258/sq ft (8 sales) | $244/sq ft (6 sales) |
| 1,400–1,799 sq ft | $222/sq ft (12 sales) | $216/sq ft (14 sales) |
| 1,800–2,199 sq ft | $198/sq ft (18 sales) | $217/sq ft (12 sales) |
| 2,200–2,599 sq ft | $182/sq ft (21 sales) | $202/sq ft (9 sales) |
| 2,600–2,999 sq ft | $178/sq ft (14 sales) | $210/sq ft (10 sales) |
| 3,000 sq ft and up | $175/sq ft (13 sales) | $226/sq ft (7 sales) |
On a 2,400-square-foot house, Manchester’s $20 edge is about $48,000. Larger Manchester homes were also a bit newer in the top two ranges. These groups are small, 6 to 21 sales each, so read them as a guide.
Ballwin is split: 53 of its 86 sales in 2026 were in Rockwood R-VI and 33 in Parkway. Manchester was almost all Parkway, 58 of 60, with 2 in Valley Park. Verify the district by exact address. Ballwin’s two sides compared →
Are property taxes higher in Ballwin or Manchester?
About the same. The median annual property tax on 2026 sales with a tax record was $4,443 in Ballwin (about 1.06% of the sale price) and $4,348 in Manchester (about 1.02%), according to MLS sales records. In Ballwin it depends on the school district side. Ballwin taxes by district →
What does a four-bedroom house cost in Ballwin vs. Manchester?
In 2026 sales, the median home with four or more bedrooms sold for $493,906 in Ballwin (42 sales) and $483,750 in Manchester (34 sales). The Ballwin houses were a little larger, 2,672 vs. 2,500 sq ft.
What does a three-bedroom house cost in Ballwin vs. Manchester?
In 2026 sales, the median three-bedroom home sold for $381,000 in Ballwin (41 sales) and $375,000 in Manchester (24 sales), at 1,901 and 1,753 sq ft.
This is one piece of the St. Louis home buying process. See how it all fits together:
📚 Complete St. Louis Buyer Guide →
Grew up in South St. Louis, lived in Dogtown for 6 years, now in South County. You'll find us at Wellspring on Lindbergh on Sundays. I'm not selling you a house — I'm showing you how to think about buying or selling a house.