STL Home Journey
George Kindler
Buyer education for St. Louis homebuyers
Last updated October 18, 2026
West County isn’t one housing market. In 2026 closed sales, median prices ran from $304,000 in Valley Park to $1,430,000 in Ladue across 14 cities, and several cities crossed school district lines. This guide compares Chesterfield, Ballwin, Kirkwood, Wildwood, Creve Coeur and nine more by price, budget, home type, school district and property tax.
Source: 2026 MLS closed sales (January–early October) inside each city’s Census boundary. Historical sales, not current inventory.
West County isn’t a city or a ZIP code. It’s the common name for the western suburbs of St. Louis County. This guide covers 14 cities: Chesterfield, Wildwood, Ballwin, Ellisville, Manchester, Eureka, Valley Park, Clarkson Valley, Creve Coeur, Des Peres, Town and Country, Frontenac, Ladue and Kirkwood. Some people also include Webster Groves, Maryland Heights or Olivette. Compare all 14 →
It depends heavily on the city. In 2026 closed sales, medians ran from $304,000 in Valley Park to $1,430,000 in Ladue. Eight of the 14 had medians between $416,500 (Manchester) and $685,000 (Chesterfield). See the comparison table →
By 2026 median sale price: Valley Park ($304,000, 24 sales), Manchester ($416,500), Ballwin ($419,950) and Ellisville ($440,000, 24 sales). Valley Park homes were the smallest, with a median of 1,451.5 sq ft. See the full comparison →
Yes, in some cities. At $400,000 or less, a 2026 budget reached 22 of 24 in Valley Park, 27 of 60 in Manchester, 37 of 86 in Ballwin, 7 of 24 in Ellisville, 15 of 52 in Eureka, 21 of 80 in Kirkwood, 2 of 11 in Frontenac, 3 of 25 in Des Peres, 13 of 136 in Wildwood, 5 of 59 in Creve Coeur and 3 of 120 in Chesterfield. It reached none of the sales in Clarkson Valley, Town and Country or Ladue. See every budget by city →
At $600,000 or less, a 2026 budget reached every Valley Park sale and most sales in Ellisville (21 of 24), Manchester (50 of 60), Ballwin (78 of 86), Eureka (40 of 52), Wildwood (72 of 136) and Kirkwood (43 of 80). It reached fewer than half in Creve Coeur (21 of 59), Chesterfield (42 of 120) and Des Peres (7 of 25), 1 or 2 sales each in Clarkson Valley, Town and Country and Frontenac, and none in Ladue. See every budget by city →
Fast in most cities. Median days on market ran from 4.5 days in Manchester to 14 days in Ellisville and Town and Country in 2026, with Frontenac at 3 days on 11 sales. Eureka was the exception at 33.5 days. See days on market by city →
In six of the 14 cities. Measured against the original list price, more than half of 2026 sales closed above it in Manchester (41 of 60), Frontenac (8 of 11), Des Peres (16 of 25), Kirkwood (45 of 80), Ballwin (48 of 86) and Ladue (14 of 27). Clarkson Valley (4 of 13), Ellisville (8 of 24), Town and Country (11 of 31) and Eureka (19 of 51) had the lowest shares. See sales above list by city → How much should you offer? →
Five: Rockwood R-VI, Parkway, Kirkwood R-VII, Ladue and Valley Park. Several cities are split. 2026 sales in Chesterfield were 75 Parkway and 45 Rockwood, Ballwin 53 Rockwood and 33 Parkway, Creve Coeur 45 Parkway and 14 Ladue, and Des Peres 17 Kirkwood and 8 Parkway. Check the district for each address. See the district split by city →
It depends on the school district. The 2026 median annual tax on homes that sold was $3,794 in Valley Park, $4,763 in Parkway, $5,491 in Kirkwood R-VII, $5,793 in Rockwood R-VI and $10,055 in Ladue. Listing taxes are the seller’s most recent bill; confirm the exact address with the St. Louis County Collector of Revenue. See taxes by city and district →
Among cities with at least 8 ranch sales in 2026, median ranch prices ran from $249,500 in Valley Park (8 sales) to $880,000 in Town and Country (9). Ballwin had the most ranch sales (44, median $392,500), followed by Chesterfield and Wildwood (28 each, medians $565,000 and $537,500). See ranch and bedroom prices by city →
For a 3-bedroom, 2026 medians ran from $313,000 in Valley Park (15 sales) to $600,000 in Creve Coeur (17) among cities with at least 10 sales. For a 4-bedroom, they ran from $450,000 in Ellisville (10 sales) to $1,360,000 in Ladue (10). Chesterfield had the most 4-bedroom sales: 76, at a median of $655,000. See prices by bedroom count →
It varies by city. The median year built was 1951 in Kirkwood and 1955 in Ladue, 1968 in Ballwin and Creve Coeur, 1982 in Chesterfield and Town and Country, 1992 in Wildwood, 1993 in Valley Park and 1999 in Eureka. See the typical house by city →
West County medians ran higher. In 2026 closed sales, medians ran from $304,000 to $1,430,000 across these 14 West County cities, and from $195,000 in Lemay to $729,050 in Sunset Hills across South County’s nine communities. Which one fits depends on your budget, commute and the houses you want. Compare every St. Louis area →
Here’s each city by 2026 median sale price, lowest to highest. The middle-half range shows where the middle 50% of sales landed. Above list counts sales that closed above the original list price.
| City | Sales | Median | Middle half | Days | Above list | Built | Sq ft |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Valley Park | 24 | $304,000 | $249,750–$376,250 | 8 | 11 of 24 | 1993 | 1,451.5 |
| Manchester | 60 | $416,500 | $348,625–$516,250 | 4.5 | 41 of 60 | 1973 | 1,971.5 |
| Ballwin | 86 | $419,950 | $355,750–$515,750 | 5 | 48 of 86 | 1968 | 2,279 |
| Ellisville | 24 | $440,000 | $375,000–$521,168 | 14 | 8 of 24 | 1979 | 2,289 |
| Eureka | 52 | $452,000 | $388,500–$591,750 | 33.5 | 19 of 51 | 1999 | 2,802.5 |
| Kirkwood | 80 | $566,750 | $388,750–$807,500 | 6 | 45 of 80 | 1951 | 2,315 |
| Wildwood | 136 | $599,000 | $485,000–$845,875 | 10 | 54 of 136 | 1992 | 3,342 |
| Creve Coeur | 59 | $640,000 | $501,000–$912,500 | 7 | 28 of 59 | 1968 | 3,111 |
| Chesterfield | 120 | $685,000 | $544,382–$890,000 | 8 | 54 of 120 | 1982 | 3,326 |
| Des Peres | 25 | $925,000 | $585,000–$1,200,000 | 5 | 16 of 25 | 1975 | 3,275.5 |
| Clarkson Valley | 13 | $975,000 | $889,000–$1,205,000 | 5 | 4 of 13 | 1982 | 4,959 |
| Frontenac | 11 | $1,325,000 | $847,500–$2,287,000 | 3 | 8 of 11 | 1979 | 3,690 |
| Town and Country | 31 | $1,348,000 | $862,500–$1,900,000 | 14 | 11 of 31 | 1982 | 4,534.5 |
| Ladue | 27 | $1,430,000 | $1,215,000–$2,750,000 | 7 | 14 of 27 | 1955 | 4,400 |
2026 MLS closed sales inside each city’s Census boundary (2024 Census Bureau place boundaries), January 2–October 5, 2026. Days is median cumulative days on market. Built and Sq ft are medians. Frontenac (11 sales), Clarkson Valley (13), Valley Park (24), Ellisville (24) and Des Peres (25) are small samples.
A few patterns stand out. The four cities with the most sales, Wildwood (136), Chesterfield (120), Ballwin (86) and Kirkwood (80), cover very different houses: Wildwood and Chesterfield sales had a median of about 3,300 sq ft, and Ballwin and Kirkwood about 2,300. Eureka had the longest market time, at a median of 33.5 days, and fewer than half its sales (19 of 51) closed above the original list price.
Each cell is how many 2026 sales closed at or below that price, out of all sales in the city. It shows how many chances a buyer at that budget had this year, not what’s for sale today.
| City | Sales | $400K | $500K | $600K | $750K | $1M |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Valley Park | 24 | 22 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 |
| Manchester | 60 | 27 | 43 | 50 | 58 | 59 |
| Ballwin | 86 | 37 | 61 | 78 | 85 | 86 |
| Ellisville | 24 | 7 | 16 | 21 | 22 | 24 |
| Eureka | 52 | 15 | 31 | 40 | 47 | 51 |
| Kirkwood | 80 | 21 | 35 | 43 | 55 | 66 |
| Wildwood | 136 | 13 | 38 | 72 | 91 | 117 |
| Creve Coeur | 59 | 5 | 15 | 21 | 40 | 48 |
| Chesterfield | 120 | 3 | 18 | 42 | 75 | 99 |
| Des Peres | 25 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 11 | 14 |
| Clarkson Valley | 13 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 7 |
| Frontenac | 11 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
| Town and Country | 31 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 11 |
| Ladue | 27 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
At $500,000, a buyer had real choice in Valley Park, Ballwin, Manchester, Ellisville and Eureka, where most sales closed at or under that price. In Chesterfield, 18 of 120 did. Before you pick a city, run your own payment: the affordability tool shows what your budget means each month.
Median 2026 sale price by home type, with the number of sales in parentheses. A dash means fewer than 8 ranch sales or fewer than 10 sales at that bedroom count, too few for a useful median.
| City | Ranch | 3 bed | 4 bed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Valley Park | $249,500 (8) | $313,000 (15) | — |
| Manchester | $395,000 (25) | $375,000 (24) | $460,000 (29) |
| Ballwin | $392,500 (44) | $381,000 (41) | $480,000 (35) |
| Ellisville | $430,000 (13) | $418,777 (11) | $450,000 (10) |
| Eureka | $415,000 (19) | $389,000 (21) | $494,000 (25) |
| Kirkwood | $377,500 (20) | $481,250 (28) | $740,000 (23) |
| Wildwood | $537,500 (28) | $475,000 (29) | $600,000 (73) |
| Creve Coeur | $606,500 (27) | $600,000 (17) | $637,500 (28) |
| Chesterfield | $565,000 (28) | $530,000 (14) | $655,000 (76) |
| Des Peres | — | — | $775,000 (12) |
| Clarkson Valley | — | — | — |
| Frontenac | — | — | — |
| Town and Country | $880,000 (9) | — | $1,348,000 (21) |
| Ladue | — | — | $1,360,000 (10) |
Ranch counts include any listing whose style includes ranch, such as “Ranch, Traditional.” Ballwin had the most ranch sales of any West County city, 44 of 86. In Chesterfield, Wildwood, Clarkson Valley and Town and Country, most sales were listed as traditional rather than ranch style.
City limits and school district lines don’t match in West County. The district column shows how 2026 sales in each city split across districts. Property taxes follow the district and the city, so two houses at the same price in the same city can carry different bills.
| City | District (2026 sales) | Median tax | Tax / price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Valley Park | Valley Park 22, Parkway 2 | $3,750 | 1.27% |
| Manchester | Parkway 58, Valley Park 2 | $4,348 | 1.02% |
| Ballwin | Rockwood R-VI 53, Parkway 33 | $4,443 | 1.06% |
| Ellisville | Rockwood R-VI | $4,874 | 1.10% |
| Eureka | Rockwood R-VI | $5,548 | 1.18% |
| Kirkwood | Kirkwood R-VII | $4,995 | 0.90% |
| Wildwood | Rockwood R-VI | $6,522 | 1.06% |
| Creve Coeur | Parkway 45, Ladue 14 | $6,685 | 1.02% |
| Chesterfield | Parkway 75, Rockwood R-VI 45 | $6,639 | 0.96% |
| Des Peres | Kirkwood R-VII 17, Parkway 8 | $6,310 | 0.83% |
| Clarkson Valley | Rockwood R-VI | $10,162 | 1.01% |
| Frontenac | Ladue | $10,898 | 1.00% |
| Town and Country | Parkway | $9,308 | 0.80% |
| Ladue | Ladue | $13,692 | 0.93% |
Median annual property tax from the listing on each 2026 sale, which is the seller’s most recent bill. Tax / price is the median of each sale’s tax divided by its sale price.
For the whole district, see each district page: Rockwood R-VI ($5,793 median tax), Parkway ($4,763), Kirkwood R-VII ($5,491), Ladue ($10,055) and Valley Park ($3,794). Use these numbers to compare areas, then confirm the exact address with the St. Louis County Collector of Revenue. Property taxes across St. Louis County →
West County isn’t one market. Here’s each city with its 2026 numbers, grouped by the road that ties it together.
Ballwin (86 sales, median $419,950) had more ranch sales than any other West County city, 44 of 86, and homes with a median build year of 1968. 2026 sales split 53 Rockwood R-VI and 33 Parkway, so check the district for each address.
Ellisville (24 sales, median $440,000) sits west of Ballwin on Manchester Road, all in Rockwood R-VI. It’s a small sample: 7 of the 24 sales closed at $400,000 or less, and the median sale took 14 days.
Wildwood (136 sales, median $599,000) had the most sales in West County. Homes were large (median 3,342 sq ft) and newer (median build year 1992), all in Rockwood R-VI. It’s the farthest-out city on this list, so drive your real commute at rush hour before you commit to an address.
Clarkson Valley (13 sales, median $975,000) is a small city of large homes, a median of 4,959 sq ft. None of its 13 sales closed under $500,000.
Chesterfield (120 sales, median $685,000) is spread out, from older subdivisions near Highway 40 to newer ones farther west. 2026 sales split 75 Parkway and 45 Rockwood R-VI. A 63017 or 63005 mailing address doesn’t mean the house is inside the City of Chesterfield.
Eureka (52 sales, median $452,000) had the newest homes on this list, a median build year of 1999, and the longest market time, a median of 33.5 days. All 52 sales were in Rockwood R-VI.
Valley Park (24 sales, median $304,000) had the lowest median in West County and the smallest homes, a median of 1,451.5 sq ft. 22 of the 24 sales were in the Valley Park School District.
Manchester (60 sales, median $416,500) sold fast, at a median of 4.5 days, and 41 of 60 sales closed above the original list price. 58 of the 60 sales were in Parkway.
Des Peres (25 sales, median $925,000) had 17 sales in Kirkwood R-VII and 8 in Parkway. Only 3 of the 25 closed at $400,000 or less.
Kirkwood (80 sales, median $566,750) had the oldest homes, a median build year of 1951, and a walkable downtown around the train station. Prices spread widely: the middle half of sales ran from $388,750 to $807,500. All 80 sales were in Kirkwood R-VII.
Creve Coeur (59 sales, median $640,000) had 27 ranch sales, close behind Chesterfield and Wildwood (28 each), at a median of $606,500. 2026 sales split 45 Parkway and 14 Ladue.
Town and Country (31 sales, median $1,348,000) had the largest homes after Clarkson Valley, a median of 4,534.5 sq ft. All 31 sales were in Parkway, and none closed under $500,000.
Frontenac (11 sales, median $1,325,000) is a small sample. 8 of the 11 sales closed above the original list price, and the median sale took 3 days.
Ladue (27 sales, median $1,430,000) had the highest median in West County, and its homes were older than most, with a median build year of 1955. All 27 sales were in the Ladue School District, where the 2026 median property tax was $10,055.
It doesn’t. In 2026, Chesterfield, Ballwin, Creve Coeur, Des Peres, Manchester and Valley Park sales all crossed district lines. Check the district for the exact address before a school-driven decision.
In 2026, $450,000 reached 53 of 86 sales in Ballwin, 37 of 60 in Manchester and 9 of 120 in Chesterfield. Shop by the city and the house, not the West County label.
Some West County drives look easy on a map until you do them at 7:30 a.m. Drive your real commute at rush hour before you commit to an outer suburb.
Two houses at the same price can carry very different tax bills depending on the district. 2026 medians ran from $3,794 in Valley Park to $10,055 in Ladue. Put the tax into your monthly payment before you compare.
About the area
Usually. Kirkwood sits on the eastern edge of the area most people call West County, and it’s often grouped with Webster Groves and the inner-ring suburbs. This guide includes it because buyers searching West County often compare it with Des Peres and Manchester. Kirkwood guide →
It has the widest price range in St. Louis County. 2026 medians ran from $304,000 in Valley Park to $1,430,000 in Ladue. Five cities had medians over $900,000: Des Peres, Clarkson Valley, Frontenac, Town and Country and Ladue. See every city →
Highway 40 (I-64) runs east-west through Chesterfield and Town and Country. I-270 runs north-south past Creve Coeur, Des Peres and Kirkwood. I-44 runs through Valley Park and Eureka. Manchester Road (Route 100) ties together Des Peres, Manchester, Ballwin, Ellisville and Wildwood, and Route 141 runs north-south through the middle.
Homes and prices
It depends on the city. The 2026 median ran from 1,451.5 sq ft in Valley Park to 4,959 sq ft in Clarkson Valley. Ballwin, Ellisville and Kirkwood were near 2,300 sq ft, and Chesterfield and Wildwood were near 3,300. See the typical house by city →
2026 medians ran from $176 in Eureka to $387 in Ladue. Most cities fell between $179 (Valley Park) and $268 (Kirkwood), and Frontenac was $329.
Wildwood (136 sales) and Chesterfield (120) had the most in 2026, followed by Ballwin (86), Kirkwood (80) and Manchester (60). Frontenac (11) and Clarkson Valley (13) had the fewest. See the comparison table →
Before you buy
The biggest are assuming the city name tells you the school district, shopping West County like one market, skipping the rush-hour drive and comparing price without comparing taxes. See all four →
Neither is better for everyone. It depends on your budget, commute and the house you want. Where should you live in St. Louis? →
The biggest mistake I see in West County is buyers buying the name instead of the pocket. If you want to talk through which area actually fits your commute, budget, and school situation — no pitch, just a real conversation.
