What it's like to live in East St. Louis
East St. Louis is a small city in Illinois with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, and schools with smaller class sizes than the national average.
Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next. The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Above-average unemployment
- Below-average household incomes
- Crime above national average
- Low college degree attainment
- Shrinking population
- High poverty rate
How East St. Louis compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to East St. Louis
Based on East St. Louis's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$1,694
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $33,880 a year
- 58% of East St. Louis renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$10,520
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $5,260
- Homes cost 1.5× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 40% below US
$847/mo median rent
Rent here is genuinely low, with median rent around $847 a month. Money stretches further here than in most of the country. Home prices here are genuinely accessible, with a median around $52,600. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.
Median home value $52,600 · 58% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▲ 67% above US
7.2% unemployment
Unemployment here is 7.2%, well above the national average of 4.3%. Moving with a job already lined up matters more here.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▲ 168% above US
1020 violent crimes per 100k
Crime is a real factor here, with violent rates significantly above the national average. That doesn't make the whole city a write-off, but it does mean specific neighborhoods deserve real research before signing a lease.
Property crime 1606/100k · East St. Louis Police Department · 2019 data
Getting around▼ 10% below US
23 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 23.3 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 9 in 10 workers drive to work; 8% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 88°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 27°F and snow a regular occurrence. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▼ 56% below US
16% bachelor's degree or higher
This is a working-class city, and college degree rates reflect that. Trades, manufacturing, and service industries tend to dominate the local economy, which is a strength for some fields and a real constraint for others.
Schools
10 public schools inside the boundary
There are 10 public schools inside the boundary and 2 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 13:1, well below the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Gateway Arch National Park (3 miles away). There are 6 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
East St. Louis's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are unemployment above the national average and household incomes below the national average. A year of median rent ($847/mo) equals 28% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget. It may be a harder fit for anyone moving without a job lined up.
Other places near East St. Louis
All Illinois guides →Moving to Cahokia Heights →
3 mi away · pop. 17,106
Rent $981/mo · Income $33,792
Compare with East St. Louis →Moving to Fairview Heights →
7 mi away · pop. 16,745
Rent $1,174/mo · Income $80,930
Compare with East St. Louis →Moving to Granite City →
8 mi away · pop. 26,549
Rent $834/mo · Income $59,205
Compare with East St. Louis →Moving to Collinsville →
8 mi away · pop. 24,031
Rent $1,038/mo · Income $67,612
Compare with East St. Louis →Not sure East St. Louis is the one?
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