St. Louis County, MO
Real Property Tax Sale by sealed bid, opens Aug 24
St. Louis County's annual Real Property Tax Sale runs by sealed bid this year — bids open Friday, August 21, with a final deadline of 5:00 p.m. CST on Wednesday, August 26.
Missouri is a tax lien state: winning a Certificate of Purchase at this sale doesn't transfer ownership. If the owner redeems, the certificate earns up to 10% a year on the taxes and costs only — nothing on any overbid (RSMo § 140.340) — and the owner has one year to redeem before the certificate holder can apply for a collector's deed.
Missouri rules at a glance
Missouri sells a certificate of purchase at one statewide sale on the fourth Monday in August. Bidding goes up from the amount owed, interest of up to 10% runs only on the taxes and costs (§ 140.340), and the owner has one year to redeem; the deed must be recorded within 18 months of the sale (§ 140.410).
The statute, the bidding and what goes wrong for new buyers are on the Missouri page.
Property & tax profile
The median homeowner in St. Louis County pays $3,335 a year in property tax — above the Missouri median of $1,948 (U.S.: $3,119). That is roughly what a typical home here owes after one missed year — about the face value of a one-year certificate, before interest, fees and any premium. Homes with a mortgage pay a median of $3,360; homes owned outright, $3,291.
On a home with a mortgage, the lender has its own reason to pay a delinquent tax bill: the tax lien outranks the mortgage, and a tax deed can wipe out the loan. On a home owned outright, nobody but the owner — or the heirs — has that reason. In St. Louis County, 35.9% of owner-occupied homes are owned outright (Missouri: 39.8%, U.S.: 39.4%). That is less than the state as a whole: more of the delinquent bills here sit on mortgaged homes, where the lender often steps in.
7.2% of all housing units in St. Louis County are vacant. The figure that matters for a lien buyer is the Census “other vacant” category — not for rent, not for sale, not a holiday home, but a catch-all that includes foreclosures, homes held up by legal proceedings or family reasons, homes needing repairs, and abandoned ones. Here it is 3.9% of all units (Missouri: 5.4%, U.S.: 3.6%). That is below the state rate: fewer empty properties on the list than elsewhere in Missouri.
Half of the homes in St. Louis County were built in or before 1969 (Missouri: in or before 1978). The typical tax bill is 4.0% of the median household income of $82,936 (Missouri: 2.8%).
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates (tables B25077, B25103, B25081, B25002, B25004, B25035, B19013) — see the figures on data.census.gov. Survey estimates with margins of error; anything too uncertain to state is left out.
Before you bid: Sealed-bid format, submission windows, and deposit requirements can change year to year — confirm current instructions with the St. Louis County Collector of Revenue before submitting a bid.
This page reflects publicly posted county auction notices as of publication and is general information, not financial or legal advice. Sale details can change — always confirm current terms with the county directly.