Cedar County

Cedar County sits at a median home price of $237,877 with a 5.03% year-over-year appreciation rate, and it scores 86 out of 100 on appreciation while posting a cash flow score of 0. That combination tells you what this market is: a price-growth story, not an income story. The data does not include a cap rate or rent estimate for Cedar County itself, which makes underwriting a yield-based hold difficult without additional rent comps sourced locally. The affordability index of 79 and median price under $240,000 keep entry costs manageable relative to many markets, and the 5% annual price gain is real enough to move the needle on equity over a hold period. What you are not getting here, based on the scores, is day-one cash flow.

This market suits the appreciation buyer or the patient equity builder more than the cash-flow-first investor. A buyer comfortable with break-even or modest negative carry in exchange for 5% annual price appreciation on a $237,877 asset, roughly $11,900 in equity per year at that pace, can build a case for Cedar County. It does not suit the investor who needs the rent check to cover the mortgage from month one. The stability score of 50 is a caution flag worth sitting with: it suggests some volatility or thin economic depth that a cash-flow buyer, who depends on consistent occupancy and rent collection, should weigh seriously. A value-add operator who can manufacture equity through renovation and then refinance into a stabilized hold could find the affordability index of 79 attractive as an entry point, but they would need to validate local rent ceilings before committing.

No economic anchors or employer data were provided for Cedar County, so any commentary on the underlying job base or rental demand drivers would be speculation. What the stability score of 50 does signal is that investors should spend time on the ground verifying employment diversity and population trend before sizing a position. A population of 14,314 is small, and small-county markets can be disproportionately exposed to the fortunes of one or two employers or industries. That is not confirmed by the data here, but it is the right question to ask before closing.

On carry costs, the combined monthly tax and insurance estimate is $280, using Missouri's state-average effective property tax rate of 0.97% and an insurance rate of 0.44%. That note from Tax Foundation 2024 is worth taking seriously: county and township rates in Missouri can deviate meaningfully from the state average, so run your own title company or assessor search before locking in your underwrite. At 0.97% the rate sits in normal territory, neither a tailwind nor a penalty, but at $2,307 annually in property tax on a $237,877 asset it is a real line item. Combined with insurance at $1,047 per year, you are carrying $280 per month before you touch mortgage, maintenance, or management. At a 6.85% interest rate on an 80% LTV loan, the debt service alone is substantial, which is precisely why the cash flow score lands at zero.

The principal risk here is concentration. A county of 14,314 people has a thin tenant pool, and any softening in local employment or outmigration would show up quickly in vacancy and days-on-market. The data does not provide vacancy rates, so that risk cannot be quantified here, but it should be stress-tested. Regulatory risk and demographic data are not provided, and no claims are made about them.

Against its neighbors, Cedar County's $237,877 median price is higher than Livingston County at $188,828 and Butler County at $160,556, yet Livingston scores a 76 overall versus Cedar's 73, and Butler has enough rent data to show a rent-to-price ratio of 0.0673. Saint Louis City, at a median of $175,441, posts a rent-to-price ratio of 0.0879, the highest in this peer group and the clearest cash-flow signal of any county listed. Andrew County at $281,483 and Clinton County at $275,256 both carry higher price tags with equal or lower overall scores. If cash flow is the mandate, Butler County or Saint Louis City belong higher on the list than Cedar. Choose Cedar over its neighbors specifically when your thesis is appreciation and affordability of entry, when you want exposure to Missouri price growth at a sub-$240,000 basis, and when you are prepared to underwrite carry costs without relying on rent income to cover them.