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Living in
Kirkwood.
About
Life in Kirkwood
Living in Kirkwood means you're in an established, affluent suburb with strong schools and solid walkability for an inner-ring community. The median household income of $121,270 and median home price around $451,400 reflect a comfortable but not cheap area—renters should expect about $1,348 monthly. The Kirkwood R-7 School District is well-respected and serves multiple communities, which drives a lot of the area's appeal for families with kids, though note that about 30% of households have children under 18.
Kirkwood at a Glance
Population, income, housing and more
Median Age
41.8 yrs
Poverty Rate
5.3%
Foreign-Born
3.4%
Broadband Internet
95.0%
of households
Population Growth
-0.5%
recent change · Census Bureau
Median household income
Demographics3.4% foreign-born, most often from Canada
Who lives in Kirkwood: race and ethnicity, ages, households, languages and countries of origin
In Kirkwood, the largest foreign-born group is from Canada (11.6%), and 1.4% of residents speak Spanish at home.
Under 18
27.2%
of residents
65 and Older
20.7%
of residents
Households with Kids
33.1%
anyone under 18
Living Alone
31.9%
of households
Married Couples
51.9%
of households
Avg Household Size
2.43
people
Race & Ethnicity
Hispanic or Latino of any race; other groups are non-Hispanic
Top countries of origin (foreign-born)
Languages Spoken at Home
Cost of Livingrent 30% above MO average
Rent, home values, and income in Kirkwood
In Kirkwood, rent runs 30% above the MO average, and home values are 96% above the MO average.
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
Rent Burdened
49.3%
spending 30%+ of income on rent
Severely Rent Burdened
24.3%
spending 50%+
Cost of Living Index
95.1
metro area (BEA) · US avg = 100
Median Property Tax
$4,691
per year, owner-occupied homes
Homeowners
77.2%
of occupied homes are owned
Typical Home Built
1962
median year built
Vacant Homes
7.6%
of housing units
Home Value Trend
Latest: $466,230 (September 2026)
Jobs & Economyunemployment 0.5 pts below MO average
Unemployment in Kirkwood and typical pay across the metro area
Unemployment in Kirkwood is 0.5 percentage points lower than the MO average.
Unemployment rate
City-level rate · BLS annual average
Unemployment Rate — 10 Year Trend
City-level (BLS) · Annual averages
What Kirkwood Residents Do for Work · share of employed residents by industry
City residents, wherever they work
Median Salary by Occupation · metro area
St. Louis, MO-IL metro area
Commute20.4 min avg
How Kirkwood residents get to work, and the nearest airports
In Kirkwood, most residents drive alone to work (69%), and 80% get there in under 30 minutes.
How People Get to Work
Commute Time Distribution
Nearest airports · with airline service
- 12 mi
St. Louis Lambert International Airport (STL)
Medium hub7.5M passengers boarded in 2025
Straight-line distance. Size is the FAA’s hub category, based on passenger traffic: regional airports may have only a few flights a day.
Safetyviolent crime 55% below national average
Crime rates for 2025
Violent crime in Kirkwood runs 55% below the national average.
Violent Crime Rate
146.6
per 100,000 residents
Below average (329 national, 2025)
Property Crime Rate
1,313.1
per 100,000 residents
Below average (1,552 national, 2025)
Kirkwood Police Department
Natural DisastersThunderstorm Wind most common — 24 events in 2025
Natural hazard risk, storms and earthquakes
FEMA National Risk Index
Relatively High
99.3 / 100
Compares expected losses from natural hazards, social vulnerability and community resilience against every US county (higher = more risk).
St. Louis County, county-wide · FEMA NRI December 2025
In St. Louis County, which includes Kirkwood, the most common type is thunderstorm wind, with 24 recorded events in 2025.
Most common events:
Storm events by year
| Year | Events | Top Type | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 24 | Thunderstorm Wind | $7.8M |
| 2024 | 18 | Tornado | $2.0M |
| 2023 | 22 | Thunderstorm Wind | $30,000 |
| 2022 | 14 | Thunderstorm Wind | $50.6M |
| 2021 | 18 | Thunderstorm Wind | $124,000 |
| 2020 | 11 | Thunderstorm Wind | $50,000 |
| 2019 | 26 | Thunderstorm Wind | $100,000 |
| 2018 | 25 | Thunderstorm Wind | $50,000 |
Property damage is the National Weather Service's estimate filed with each event. “None reported” means the events were logged with $0 damage; “Not estimated” means no estimate was filed. Storms covering several counties aren't counted here, since NOAA doesn't split their damage by county.
1 earthquake of magnitude 2.5+ within 100 miles in the past year
St. Louis County, county-wide
Kirkwood is about 3% of St. Louis County’s population, so county-wide figures may differ from local conditions.
Air Quality55 median AQI — Moderate
Days by air quality category (2025)
Air quality in St. Louis city, MO (the nearest EPA-monitored county, about 10 miles from Kirkwood) is typically moderate — acceptable for most people, but can affect those unusually sensitive to air pollution.
Median AQI
55
Good Days
125
per year
Moderate Days
232
per year
Unhealthy Days
2
per year
Nearest EPA monitor county: St. Louis city, MO (10 mi away)
Climate88°F summers, 28°F winters
30-year climate averages (1991–2020) — monthly temperatures and precipitation
Kirkwood has warm summers (avg high 88°F) and cold winters (avg low 28°F).
Spring (Mar–May)
67°/48°F
avg high / low
Summer (Jun–Aug)
88°/70°F
avg high / low
Fall (Sep–Nov)
69°/50°F
avg high / low
Winter (Dec–Feb)
44°/28°F
avg high / low
Annual Precipitation
44.5"
Annual Snowfall
10.2"
Hot Days/Year
47
days above 90°F
Freeze Days/Year
79
days below 32°F
Rainy Days/Year
97
Average month
Show month-by-month table ↓Hide table ↑
| Month | High | Low | Precip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 41°F | 25°F | 2.71" |
| Feb | 46°F | 28°F | 2.28" |
| Mar | 56°F | 38°F | 3.61" |
| Apr | 68°F | 48°F | 4.83" |
| May | 77°F | 59°F | 4.90" |
| Jun | 86°F | 67°F | 4.74" |
| Jul | 90°F | 72°F | 4.21" |
| Aug | 89°F | 70°F | 3.75" |
| Sep | 82°F | 62°F | 3.41" |
| Oct | 70°F | 50°F | 3.20" |
| Nov | 56°F | 39°F | 3.69" |
| Dec | 45°F | 30°F | 2.58" |
Healthcare
Hospitals, ratings, and health insurance in Kirkwood
Uninsured
1.9%
of residents
No hospitals inside Kirkwood's limits — nearest hospitals · within 15 miles
Missouri Baptist Medical Center
Acute Care Hospitals · ER available · 4.1 mi away · Saint Louis
Ssm St Clare Health Center
Acute Care Hospitals · ER available · 4.7 mi away · Fenton
Mercy Hospital St Louis
Acute Care Hospitals · ER available · 4.7 mi away · Saint Louis
Adult Health · vs. the typical US place
Share of adults. Modeled estimates, not counted cases. “US” = the typical US place.
Medicare-certified hospitals only. Doesn’t include clinics, urgent care, or freestanding ERs.
Education12.9:1 student/teacher ratio
Schools and degree attainment in Kirkwood
Kirkwood's student/teacher ratio is 12.9:1 (lower than the national average of 16:1), and 67.9% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Public Schools
7
within city limits
Private Schools
5
within city limits
College Degree Rate
67.9%
adults 25+ with bachelor's or higher
Student/Teacher Ratio
12.9:1
National avg 16:1
Schools located within city limits (2023) — school-level metrics change slowly year to year
Colleges Near Kirkwood (within 15 miles)
Private nonprofit · 4-year · 7,267 students · in-state tuition $57,960 · 76% graduate · median earnings $75,998 (10 yrs after entry)
Maryville University of Saint Louis
6.5 mi awayPrivate nonprofit · 4-year · 5,658 students · in-state tuition $27,166 · 61% graduate · median earnings $67,386 (10 yrs after entry)
Private nonprofit · 4-year · 4,624 students · in-state tuition $22,794 · 56% graduate · median earnings $58,321 (10 yrs after entry)
Private nonprofit · 4-year · 2,304 students · in-state tuition $32,690 · 55% graduate · median earnings $56,096 (10 yrs after entry)
Private nonprofit · 4-year · 1,488 students · in-state tuition $36,084 · 56% graduate · median earnings $49,360 (10 yrs after entry)
Public · 4-year · 960 students · in-state tuition $7,008 · 29% graduate · median earnings $39,919 (10 yrs after entry)
Degree-granting colleges with 100+ students, placed by campus location (main campuses only — branch campuses are reported under their parent school)
Parks & Recreationclosest: Ulysses S Grant National Historic Site, 4 mi
Nearby national parks, recreation areas and public libraries for Kirkwood
Kirkwood has 6 nearby national parks or recreation areas, closest being Ulysses S Grant National Historic Site (4 mi away).
Nearby National Parks & Recreation Areas
Ulysses S Grant National Historic Site
National Historic Site
4 mi awayGateway Arch National Park
National Park
13 mi awaySte. Geneviève National Historical Park
National Historical Park
46 mi awayNew Philadelphia National Historic Site
National Historic Site
83 mi awayLincoln Home National Historic Site
National Historic Site
94 mi awaySpringfield 1908 Race Riot National Monument
National Monument
94 mi awayPublic Libraries in Kirkwood
Kirkwood Public Library
140 E Jefferson Ave, Kirkwood
Cities Near Kirkwood
The closest cities within 60 miles
Planning a move to Kirkwood?
Read our full moving guide — what it's really like to live here.
Kirkwood FAQ
Is Kirkwood, Missouri affordable?⌄
Kirkwood's median rent is $1,348/month, which is close to the national average. The median household income is $121,270/year. Median home value is $451,400.
Is Kirkwood, Missouri safe?⌄
Kirkwood's violent crime rate was 147 per 100,000 residents in 2025, which is well below the national average — one of the safer cities in the country of 329/100k that year. Property crime rate is 1313 per 100,000. As with any city, crime rates vary by neighborhood.
What is the job market like in Kirkwood, Missouri?⌄
Kirkwood has an unemployment rate of 3.5%, which is solid, slightly below the national average of 4.3%.
What is the cost of living in Kirkwood, Missouri?⌄
The cost of living in Kirkwood is primarily driven by housing. Median rent is $1,348/month and median household income is $121,270/year. The median home value is $451,400. About 49% of renters spend more than 30% of their income on housing.
How is the commute in Kirkwood, Missouri?⌄
The average commute in Kirkwood is 20 minutes, which is shorter than average compared to the national average of 26 minutes.
Data from the US Census Bureau, BLS, FBI, NOAA, EPA, Zillow Research and other public sources. Where our data comes from