Last updated October 30, 2026
Most guides to moving from Chicago to St. Louis compare the cost of living. This one compares houses. Find the kind of house you’re leaving, then see which St. Louis areas have the most of that same era and style, with the 2026 sales behind it.
It depends on the house you’re leaving. 1960s–70s ranches like Arlington Heights and Palatine match Mehlville, Concord and Oakville. Larger two-stories like Naperville match Chesterfield and Wildwood. Brick bungalows match Maplewood and South City, and North Shore homes match Ladue and Clayton. The match table ↓
In South County. In 2026 sales, 60.1% of Mehlville High-area homes and about half in Concord and the Oakville High area listed a ranch style, with medians built from 1954 to 1979. Arlington Heights, Palatine and Hoffman Estates run from 1974 to 1976. South County ranch areas ↓
Chesterfield and Wildwood in West County. Their 2026 sales had median sizes of 3,326 and 3,342 sq ft. Chesterfield’s median house was built in 1982 and Wildwood’s in 1992, close to Naperville’s 1989. Larger two-stories ↓
Yes. Chicago’s bungalows were built mostly from 1910 to 1940, and St. Louis built brick in the same years. In 2026 sales, the median house was built in 1929 in Maplewood and 1935 in University City, and South City is full of 1910s–40s brick bungalows and flats. Brick bungalows ↓
Ladue and Clayton at the top, with 2026 medians of $1,430,000 and $1,240,000, then Kirkwood at $566,750 and Webster Groves at $444,500. Like Winnetka, Glencoe and Highland Park, they aren’t one price band. Established suburbs ↓
Sources: St. Louis figures from 2026 MLS (MARIS) closed single-family sales on this site’s area pages; Chicago-area house ages from U.S. Census Bureau data (via Point2Homes and CMAP); the Historic Chicago Bungalow Association; Chicago-area prices from Chicago Magazine’s 2025 suburb rankings.
Start there, because the house type narrows the map faster than the city name does. Most moves from the Chicago suburbs fall into one of four patterns, and each one has a part of St. Louis where the same era and style of house is most common.
| If you’re leaving | Chicago-area examples | Where St. Louis has it |
|---|---|---|
| A 1960s–70s ranch or split-level | Arlington Heights, Palatine, Hoffman Estates, Schaumburg | Mehlville, Concord, Oakville and Affton in South County |
| A larger 1980s–2000s two-story | Naperville, Orland Park, Tinley Park, Plainfield | Chesterfield and Wildwood in West County, and the upper end of Oakville |
| A 1910s–40s brick bungalow | Chicago’s bungalow belt and older inner suburbs such as Berwyn | Maplewood, University City and South City |
| An established, higher-priced suburb | Winnetka, Glencoe, Lake Forest, Highland Park | Ladue, Clayton, Kirkwood and Webster Groves |
Similar-looking doesn’t mean the same condition, taxes or rules. Read what changes before you compare prices.
Look at South County first. The northwest suburbs are one of Chicagoland’s densest belts of postwar ranches and split-levels: the median house was built in 1974 in Arlington Heights, 1976 in Palatine and Hoffman Estates, and 1979 in Schaumburg. In St. Louis, the same era and style is concentrated in Mehlville, Concord, Oakville and Affton.
| Area | Median year built | Ranch share | Median size | Median price | Sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Affton | 1954 | 56.6% | 1,440 sq ft | $273,000 | 53 |
| Mehlville High area | 1966 | 60.1% | 1,766 sq ft | $323,500 | 148 |
| Concord | 1966 | 50.0% | 1,801 sq ft | $352,500 | 56 |
| Oakville High area | 1979 | 49.6% | 2,288 sq ft | $385,000 | 137 |
Oakville is the closest match on age: its 1979 median lines up with Schaumburg and runs a few years newer than Arlington Heights and Palatine, and its houses are larger, at 2,288 sq ft. Mehlville and Concord, with 1966 medians, are about a decade older and have the highest ranch shares, so they fit if you’re leaving a 1960s ranch. Affton is older and smaller. South County, community by community →
Look at West County, and decide whether you need newer or just larger. Naperville’s median house was built in 1989, with 52.1% built from 1980 to 1999, according to CMAP’s housing profile; Orland Park (1989) and Tinley Park (1987) are similar, and Plainfield is newer, at 2003.
| Area | Median year built | Median size | Median price | Sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oakville High area | 1979 | 2,288 sq ft | $385,000 | 137 |
| Chesterfield | 1982 | 3,326 sq ft | $685,000 | 120 |
| Wildwood | 1992 | 3,342 sq ft | $599,000 | 136 |
Chesterfield matches on size more than age: its median house is 3,326 sq ft but was built in 1982, and only 10.8% of its 2026 sales were built in 2000 or later. Wildwood is closer to newer, with a 1992 median. If you’re leaving a 2000s Plainfield subdivision, expect most St. Louis “new” to be a decade or two older. West County compared →
Look at South City and the older inner suburbs. Chicago’s bungalow belt holds more than 80,000 bungalows built mostly from 1910 to 1940, by the Historic Chicago Bungalow Association’s count, nearly a third of the city’s single-family houses. St. Louis built brick in the same years.
In 2026 sales, Maplewood’s median house was built in 1929, at 1,344 sq ft and a $295,000 median price; University City’s was built in 1935, at 1,815 sq ft and $439,200. In the City, South City neighborhoods such as Lindenwood Park, Bevo and Tower Grove South are built largely of 1910s–40s brick bungalows and flats. If you’re leaving a Chicago two-flat, the St. Louis version is the South City brick flat. South City neighborhoods →
Look at Ladue, Clayton, Kirkwood and Webster Groves, and expect tiers, not one price band. Chicago Magazine’s 2025 rankings put the median single-family sale at $1.98 million in Winnetka, $1.70 million in Glencoe, $1.38 million in Lake Forest and $855,600 in Highland Park. St. Louis has a similar spread.
| City | Median price | Median year built | Median size | Sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Webster Groves | $444,500 | 1936 | 1,936 sq ft | 82 |
| Kirkwood | $566,750 | 1951 | 2,315 sq ft | 80 |
| Clayton | $1,240,000 | 1936 | 3,636 sq ft | 28 |
| Ladue | $1,430,000 | 1955 | 4,400 sq ft | 27 |
Ladue and Clayton sit at the top; Kirkwood and Webster Groves are older, smaller and well under half the price. All four are older housing stock, with medians built from 1936 to 1955. Mid-County compared →
The rules around the house. Four things catch Chicago buyers off guard:
Whatever the age of the house, get a sewer scope. I recommend one on every St. Louis home; it runs $150 to $300. What’s different about St. Louis houses →
Before you move
Yes. Get preapproved, tour on live video, keep your inspection contingency and close remotely through the title company. Buying from out of state →
If you don’t know where you’ll work or how long you’ll stay, renting first can be the cheaper way to learn the area. If you know both, buying from the start works. Renting first vs. buying →
It depends on the area and the house. The same budget buys a move-in-ready house in one ZIP and a project in the next. What $300K, $450K and $600K buy →
This is one piece of the St. Louis home buying process. See how it all fits together:
📚 Complete St. Louis Buyer Guide →Looking at St. Louis listings before you move? I can pull any home on the MLS without a sales team calling you about it. Why it matters →
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.
One text, email, or call is all it takes to put that experience to work for you.
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