Clayton, MO · Updated Oct 2026

What a Clayton home costs each year

Property tax, water, trash and energy from public rates. Look up your address to make it yours, and see how to pay less.

Suggestions as you type come from Google; the lookup uses free public map services to find who serves it. Not stored unless you save your house.

Example · a Clayton house

$15,989a year · $1,332 a month

Starts at the typical market value, $157,700; your assessed value is often lower. Typical use.

A Clayton house at the typical market value ($157,700) costs about $16,000 a year: $8,960 property tax and charges, $2,230 water and sewer, $740 trash, $2,190 electricity and gas, $1,870 home insurance. Estimated from public rates, not anyone's actual bill.

Rates checked Oct 31, 2026. Insurance: what you enter, or a typical premium until you do. Sources are listed at the bottom.

Ways to pay less

Nothing here applies to every house automatically. These are worth checking:

Waste collection assistance
The City of Clayton will cover 100% of quarterly waste collection service fees for certain qualifying properties by making payment directly to the hauler.
How: Apply through the City's Waste Collection Financial Assistance Program application.
Sewer lateral repair reimbursement
The City's sewer lateral policy reimburses excavation and repair or replacement of a defective residential sanitary sewer lateral, up to a maximum of $2,500.
How: Follow the City's Residential Sewer Lateral Repair Program Policy.

Who serves this house

Water: Missouri American Water (St. Louis County); The Rate W Water & Sewer Infrastructure Replacement Surcharge (WSIRA) is effective Aug. 15, 2026.
Property tax: 5.66% of value; 2025 tax year, St. Louis County (Clayton School District)
Garbage: Republic Services; City contract for residential trash, yard waste and recyclables collection.
Sewer: Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District; MSD bills a base charge plus a volume charge.
Electricity: Ameren Missouri; Ameren UE is listed on the City of Clayton utilities page.
Gas: Spire; Spire Energy is listed on the City of Clayton utilities page.
Schools: Clayton School District; Operating Funds-Schools residential rate for 2025 is 2.9929.

Pay or manage your bills

Other MO cities

Springfield home costs Independence home costs St. Charles home costs Blue Springs home costs St. Peters home costs Liberty home costs Wildwood home costs Raytown home costs Grandview home costs Raymore home costs Belton home costs Webster Groves home costs Ozark home costs Rolla home costs Creve Coeur home costs Lake Saint Louis home costs Manchester home costs Ferguson home costs Kirksville home costs Grain Valley home costs Jackson home costs Dardenne Prairie home costs Marshall home costs Festus home costs Fulton home costs West Plains home costs Crestwood home costs Bolivar home costs Town and Country home costs Mexico home costs Excelsior Springs home costs Smithville home costs Ellisville home costs Monett home costs Kennett home costs Columbia home costs University City home costs Republic home costs Warrensburg home costs Sikeston home costs Troy home costs Maryville home costs Harrisonville home costs Warrenton home costs Oak Grove home costs Des Peres home costs Sunset Hills home costs Richmond Heights home costs Olivette home costs Brentwood home costs Park Hills home costs Nevada home costs Sullivan home costs Boonville home costs Cameron home costs Valley Park home costs Cottleville home costs Battlefield home costs Shrewsbury home costs Glendale home costs Odessa home costs Wright City home costs Trenton home costs St. Robert home costs Caruthersville home costs Parkville home costs Ladue home costs Perryville home costs Maplewood home costs Willard home costs Marshfield home costs Clinton home costs

How these numbers are made

Property tax: 2025 levies (Missouri State Auditor) for the Clayton School District area, per $100 of assessed value: City of Clayton general revenue 0.4540 + police 0.0830, State 0.03, St. Louis County, St. Louis County Library District, community college, Special School District, zoo-museum and MSD levies, and Clayton School District 2.9929. Applied to 19% of the Census median home value ($830,000).
Also on the property tax bill: Clayton's $28 yearly sewer lateral fee. The 2026 levies were not yet published at the State Auditor when checked.
Water: Missouri American Water Rate A for St. Louis County ($11.00 per month, $10.3749 per 1,000 gallons) plus the $0.75071 per 1,000 gallons surcharge effective Aug. 15, 2026, plus the $1.00 per month St. Louis County service line charge. Sewer: MSD base charge $34.85 per month plus $7.15 per CCF of winter-quarter water use.
Trash: Republic Services single-family rate $61.27 per month for contract year 4 (Oct. 2026-Sept. 2027), billed quarterly by the hauler. Electricity: Ameren Missouri Schedule 1(M) with a 4/12 summer and 8/12 winter weighted energy rate; the temporary fuel adjustment is not included. Gas: Spire Missouri rates for St. Louis County.
Clayton also taxes utilities, but no current published rate was found, so no utility tax is added.
Nothing here is legal, tax or insurance advice.

Sources

How Clayton compares

A typical Clayton house against the 43 Missouri cities we cover, using the same default numbers as the total above.

Per year	Clayton	Median	Where it falls
Property tax rate	5.66%	5.64%	higher than 22 of the other 42 Missouri cities we cover
Water	$1,043	$680	higher than 35 of the other 42 Missouri cities we cover
Sewer and utility-bill fees	$1,190	$805	higher than 34 of the other 42 Missouri cities we cover
Trash	$735	$261	higher than 31 of the other 31 Missouri cities we cover
Electricity and gas	$2,191	$2,357	lower than 31 of the other 42 Missouri cities we cover
Home insurance	$1,872	$1,872	higher than 13 of the other 26 Missouri cities we cover
Total	$15,989	$8,070	higher than 41 of the other 42 Missouri cities we cover

Cities bill differently (some put trash on the tax bill, some cover more services), so a higher number isn't necessarily worse. The property tax rate is compared instead of dollars because house values differ.

Questions to ask your candidates

Each one starts from a number above. Any candidate can answer them.

1. Water

The fact: Water here costs about $1,043 a year at typical use, higher than 35 of the other 42 Missouri cities we cover.

Ask: "Water here costs about $1,043 a year at typical use, higher than 35 of the other 42 Missouri cities we cover. What drives that cost, and would you change anything?"

2. Sewer and utility-bill fees

The fact: Sewer and flat utility-bill charges here come to about $1,190 a year, higher than 34 of the other 42 Missouri cities we cover. Some cities bill sewer on the property tax bill instead, which is not counted here.

Ask: "Sewer and flat utility-bill charges here cost about $1,190 a year, higher than 34 of the other 42 Missouri cities we cover. What drives that cost, and would you change anything?"

3. Trash

The fact: Trash pickup here costs about $735 a year for the standard cart, higher than 31 of the other 31 Missouri cities we cover. Where trash is billed through the tax bill or a separate hauler, it is not counted here.

Ask: "Trash pickup here costs about $735 a year for the standard cart, higher than 31 of the other 31 Missouri cities we cover. What drives that cost, and would you change anything about the service or the price?"

4. Electricity and gas

The fact: Electricity and gas for a typical house here cost about $2,191 a year, lower than 31 of the other 42 Missouri cities we cover. Rates are set mostly by the utility and the state.

Ask: "Electricity and gas here cost about $2,191 a year for a typical house, lower than 31 of the other 42 Missouri cities we cover. Which parts of that can the city influence, and what would you do about them?"

Common questions about Clayton house costs

What is the property tax rate in Clayton?

About 5.66% of the value before exemptions a year (2025 tax year, St. Louis County (Clayton School District)), plus flat charges on the same bill (Sewer lateral repair fee $28).

How much is property tax on a $500,000 house in Clayton?

About $28,341 a year on $500,000 of the value before exemptions, including $28 of flat charges.

How much is the water bill in Clayton?

About $186 a month for water and sewer at typical use (7,000 gallons a month) on Missouri American Water (St. Louis County).

How much does trash pickup cost in Clayton?

$61 a month for a house.

Where can I get help paying utility bills in Clayton?

Waste collection assistance: The City of Clayton will cover 100% of quarterly waste collection service fees for certain qualifying properties by making payment directly to the hauler. Apply through the City's Waste Collection Financial Assistance Program application.

How much does a house in Clayton cost to run each year?

All Missouri cities All cities