Located in St. Charles County
The gateway to Missouri wine country begins in the green hills of Defiance. Not actually a city, Defiance is an unincorporated community in southwest St. Charles County, where farms, vineyards and pastoral estates are spread among the sparsely populated region of 3,200 residents. Lauderdale says Defiance is perhaps “the last stronghold” for a rural lifestyle in growing St. Charles County, but there’s still plenty bubbling up across the community.
Though residential construction is spilling into the area from other parts of the county, a defining factor of Defiance real estate remains the expansive lots that homes sit on, which Lauderdale Realty owner Dan Lauderdale says typically are 5 acres or larger, though 3-acre lots are sometimes seen. “The rural feel of the area is what everybody is migrating toward. It still has an old town feel even though we’re less rural these days.” That land provides privacy, but it’s also factored into home prices, Lauderdale says. An undeveloped 3-acre lot can cost $175,000, while an existing three-bedroom house with a 1-acre yard can be picked up in the low $400,000s. Head west from downtown Defiance into less developed parts the county, and lots get larger, homes become bigger and prices climb – all the way up to $5 million for a four-bedroom house on a 39-acre estate.
Most of the Defiance community sits within Francis Howell School District, the best school system in the county according to Niche. That means students start at Daniel Boone Elementary School, a National Blue Ribbon School. Older children attend Francis Howell Middle School, where students’ proficiency in math, science and language arts consistently outperforms the state at large. Teenagers get to take classes in a fresh campus, as Francis Howell Union High School moved to a new campus in 2022.
The community’s small collection of shops and eateries are concentrated along Highway 94, where the Defiance General Store recently debuted. Patrons can pop inside to pick up a cup of coffee, a sandwich from the deli or a scoop of ice cream and leisurely enjoy it from a front porch rocking chair. Although Defiance General Store carries an assortment of cheeses, pastries and snacks, a trip to Schnucks in Weldon Spring is necessary to stock up on groceries. Back in Defiance, many can take in a hilltop view at Defiance Ridge Vineyards while sipping locally made wines packed with flavors of cherries or peaches. This is only one of the wineries in Defiance, and a trip along Highway 94 toward the nearby city of Augusta will reveal even more vineyards to explore and sample.
For a different kind of trail, venture into Matson Hill State Park. The 475 acres of forestland are crisscrossed by 6 miles of trails that weave through timbers and cut across fields of golden flowers. Thrill-seeking mountain bikers can hit the park’s gravity-flow trails, steep paths that let cyclists cruise downhill. Keep an eye out for the Hays Home in the middle of the park, an 1830s stone house once owned by the grandson of pioneer Daniel Boone.
Interested in learning more about homes in this area? Reach out to , an experienced agent in this area.
Trudy Flynn
Fox & Riley Real Estate
(314) 648-3633
71 Total Sales
1 in Defiance
$652,000 Price
Cory Davis
RE/MAX Platinum
(636) 556-5606
113 Total Sales
1 in Defiance
$663,000 Price
Anastasia Young
Brooks & Young Realty
(636) 251-4087
88 Total Sales
1 in Defiance
$680,000 Price
Susan Brewer
Susan Brewer Service First RE
(314) 742-9382
296 Total Sales
2 in Defiance
$829K - $1.3M Price Range
Jeremy Barrett
Keller Williams Realty West
(314) 916-9260
151 Total Sales
10 in Defiance
$400K - $1.4M Price Range
Jeff Murphy
Living The Dream Inc.
(636) 466-8645
55 Total Sales
2 in Defiance
$285K - $580K Price Range
On average, homes in Defiance, MO sell after 70 days on the market compared to the national average of 53 days. The median sale price for homes in Defiance, MO over the last 12 months is $590,000, down 6% from the median home sale price over the previous 12 months.
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