Carter County, Missouri Housing Market

In Carter County, Missouri, the median home value is $159,400, with a median monthly rent of $656. This places Carter County at #2032 nationally out of 3134 counties by median home value, and #71 within Missouri.

Median Home Value $159,400
Median Rent $656/mo
Owner Occupancy 60.7%
Price/Rent Ratio 20.2

📈 Price Trend (2017 → 2024)

ℹ️ FHFA HPI data is not available for this county due to limited mortgage transaction volume.

📍 Economic Snapshot

💼

Employment & Wages

1,028
jobs (private sector)
  • Avg weekly wage: $655
  • Establishments: 234
  • BLS QCEW, 2025
🏗️

Housing Supply

5
new units authorized (2025)
  • Single-family: 5
  • Multi-family: 0
  • U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey
🚚

Migration Patterns

+58
net migration (filers, 2021-2022)
  • Inflow: 2,064 (avg $49,745)
  • Outflow: 2,006 (avg $49,418)
  • IRS Statistics of Income

How Carter County Compares

MetricCarter CountyMissouri AverageU.S. Average
Median Home Value $159,400 $175,712 $227,706
Median Gross Rent $656 $782 $968
Owner Occupancy Rate 60.7% 73.7% 73.3%
Price/Rent Ratio 20.2 18.8 18.7

Market Analysis

The median home value in Carter County is 9.3% below the Missouri state average and 30.0% below the U.S. national average. The median rent of $656/month is 16.1% below the state average.

With a price-to-rent ratio of 20.2, renting is generally more cost-effective than buying in the short to medium term. The market favors buyers only for long-term holds.

Carter County has an owner-occupancy rate of 60.7%, compared to 73.7% in Missouri and 73.3% nationally. This indicates a more renter-heavy market than the U.S. average.

Similar Counties by Home Value

CountyStateMedian Home ValueMedian Rent
Martin County Indiana $159,400 $697
Howard County Missouri $159,400 $832
Greensville County Virginia $159,400 $969
Jackson County Alabama $159,500 $780
Buena Vista County Iowa $159,500 $894

Other Counties in Missouri

CountyMedian Home ValueMedian RentOwner Occ.
Howard County $159,400 $832 78.7%
Randolph County $159,300 $760 71.4%
Madison County $159,000 $808 73.7%
Vernon County $158,800 $734 71.3%
Scotland County $158,800 $511 82.4%

Data Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 2024 5-Year Estimates (2017–2024). Variables: B25077 (Median Home Value), B25064 (Median Gross Rent), B25003 (Tenure). Data collected on 2026-10-14. The price-to-rent ratio is calculated as Median Home Value ÷ (Median Monthly Rent × 12).