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Barry County, MO

Rent vs Own in Barry County, Missouri

Renting beats owning in Barry County on these numbers. HUD's 2-bedroom benchmark is $888/mo against roughly $1,087/mo to own. Here is where the gap comes from. Owner-occupied homes: 10,308.

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Renting is cheaper in Barry County

A 2-bedroom rental here runs $888/mo, below the $1,087/mo that owning works out to under the assumptions below. That is a $199/mo difference.

Based on 20% down, 6.5% rate, 30-year mortgage. Adjust below.

What This Data Tells Us About Renting vs Owning in Barry County

Primary driver

Renting compares well inside the state

Using the assumptions above, Barry County ranks 93 of 115 Missouri counties for buy-vs-rent value (rank 1 = the best relative deal for buying). It sits ahead of 22 other Missouri counties on this measure.

Decision signal 2

Price and income sit in the middle band

Median household income is $58,346, putting the home-price-to-income ratio at 3.2x. Property taxes consume 1.7% of median income; use those two burdens separately rather than treating the mortgage payment as the whole ownership cost.

Decision signal 3

HUD moved the rent benchmark up

HUD raised its 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent for Barry County from $824/mo in FY2025 to $888/mo in FY2026: it increased by $64/mo (+7.8%). A rising rent benchmark widens the gap in favour of owning over time, because the mortgage share of the ownership cost below is fixed at origination while the rent it is compared against reprices every year.

Decision signal 4

The monthly comparison favours renting

The median home value in Barry County, Missouri is $187,800 with a median annual property tax of $988, an effective rate of 0.53%. At 20% down on a 6.5% 30-year mortgage, the all-in monthly ownership cost comes to $1,087, above the $888/mo HUD prices a 2-bedroom rental at. Renting is about $199/mo cheaper before equity build-up or long-term appreciation.

Methodology & disclaimer

This calculator is for informational purposes only and is not tax, legal, or financial advice. Property tax figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates and rent figures come from HUD Fair Market Rents; both describe area medians, not individual transactions. Insurance is estimated at 0.35% of home value annually and closing costs, maintenance, HOA, and PMI are not included. Consult a licensed mortgage, tax, or real-estate professional before making a buy-or-rent decision based on these numbers.

Monthly Cost Breakdown

Estimated Monthly Ownership
$1,087
Mortgage (P&I) $950
Property Tax $82
Insurance (est.) $55
Monthly Rent (2-BR FMR)
$888
Studio$672
1-Bedroom$677
2-Bedroom$888
3-Bedroom$1,235
4-Bedroom$1,311

Adjust Your Scenario

Affordability Context

Median Household Income
$58,346
$4,862/mo
Home Price / Income
3.2x
Moderate (3-5x)
Tax-to-Income Ratio
1.7%
National benchmark: 2-4%

Who actually pays it here

Once the mortgage ends, staying put is close to free here: the largest cluster of debt-free households faces a yearly charge under $800, small enough that insurance and upkeep, not the tax office, decide what the home costs to keep.

As across most of the country, six-figure earners between $100,000 and $200,000 account for more of these write-offs than any other group.

Bill bands are Census ACS counts of owner-occupied homes without a mortgage. Income brackets are IRS Statistics of Income county data for tax year 2022, counted over FILERS reporting real-estate taxes on Schedule A, which is a smaller group than homeowners: most filers take the standard deduction.

Nearby Counties

St. Louis County
Home: $276,800 Tax: $3,335/yr
Jackson County
Home: $230,500 Tax: $2,575/yr
St. Charles County
Home: $320,800 Tax: $3,480/yr
Greene County
Home: $221,300 Tax: $1,572/yr
Jefferson County
Home: $237,200 Tax: $1,906/yr
Clay County
Home: $275,600 Tax: $2,941/yr

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Barry County, Missouri? ▼
Buying comes out ahead in Barry County under the standard 20%-down, 6.5% assumptions used on this page, by roughly $199 a month. That gap narrows or reverses with a bigger down payment, a lower rate, or a longer time horizon (owning builds equity that renting doesn't), so treat the number as a starting point, not a verdict, and rerun it with your own terms in the calculator above.
What is the average rent in Barry County? ▼
HUD prices a 2-bedroom unit at $888/mo here. Sizing up matters: going from a studio to a 4-bedroom adds about $639/mo, so the per-bedroom jump is worth checking against your actual space needs before assuming the 2-BR figure applies to your situation.
How much house can you afford in Barry County? ▼
On the common 3x-income guideline, a $58,346 household here can afford up to $175,038 -- about $12,762 short of this county's $187,800 median home. That gap is typically closed with a larger down payment, dual incomes, or a longer search outside the median price band.
What is the median home price in Barry County? ▼
$187,800, per the Census Bureau's ACS 5-Year Estimates. The property tax on that value works out to roughly 0.53% a year, in line with typical rates for the area.
How does Barry County compare to other Missouri counties for renting vs buying? ▼
Out of 115 Missouri counties ranked here on buy-vs-rent value, Barry County lands at spot 93, putting it in the more rent-favorable quarter of the state. See the <a href="/states/missouri">Missouri property tax overview</a> for how neighboring counties stack up.
Is rent going up or down in Barry County? ▼
HUD's 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent figure has risen 7.8% between the FY2025 and FY2026 publications, the two most recent years tracked here.

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Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey). See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainPropertyTax

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Government Finances State and local property tax revenue by jurisdiction · 2025

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