Howell County, Missouri Housing Market

In Howell County, Missouri, the median home value is $173,000, with a median monthly rent of $733. This places Howell County at #1742 nationally out of 3134 counties by median home value, and #48 within Missouri.

Median Home Value $173,000
Median Rent $733/mo
Owner Occupancy 70.3%
Price/Rent Ratio 19.7

📈 Price Trend (2017 → 2024)

📊 Recent Market Momentum (FHFA HPI)

FHFA House Price Index — All-Transactions, Annual (2000 = 100) · Latest: 2025

💡 Year-over-Year Trend: Home prices in Howell County rose +5.3% year-over-year as of 2025. (Source: FHFA)

📍 Economic Snapshot

💼

Employment & Wages

13,125
jobs (private sector)
  • Avg weekly wage: $886
  • Establishments: 1,366
  • BLS QCEW, 2025
🏗️

Housing Supply

67
new units authorized (2025)
  • Single-family: 62
  • Multi-family: 5
  • U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey
🚚

Migration Patterns

+1177
net migration (filers, 2021-2022)
  • Inflow: 15,052 (avg $56,620)
  • Outflow: 13,875 (avg $56,670)
  • IRS Statistics of Income

How Howell County Compares

MetricHowell CountyMissouri AverageU.S. Average
Median Home Value $173,000 $175,712 $227,706
Median Gross Rent $733 $782 $968
Owner Occupancy Rate 70.3% 73.7% 73.3%
Price/Rent Ratio 19.7 18.8 18.7

Market Analysis

The median home value in Howell County is 1.5% below the Missouri state average and 24.0% below the U.S. national average. The median rent of $733/month is 6.3% below the state average.

With a price-to-rent ratio of 19.7, the buy-vs-rent decision in Howell County is balanced. Whether buying or renting makes more sense depends on your time horizon, down payment capacity, and local market conditions.

Howell County has an owner-occupancy rate of 70.3%, 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
Madison County Illinois $173,000 $1,024
Wadena County Minnesota $173,000 $746
Bowie County Texas $173,000 $988
O'Brien County Iowa $173,100 $868
Camp County Texas $173,100 $801

Other Counties in Missouri

CountyMedian Home ValueMedian RentOwner Occ.
Crawford County $172,600 $795 69.2%
Lawrence County $175,100 $800 73.9%
Bates County $170,800 $786 74.9%
Dade County $170,600 $683 77.0%
Hickory County $176,100 $648 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).