What it's like to live in Crestwood
Crestwood is a small city in Missouri with rent below the national average, household incomes running above the national average, crime rates well below the national average, and commutes that run shorter than most cities. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Crestwood deals with cold winters.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Low crime rates
- Short commutes
- Highly educated workforce
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Cold winters
How Crestwood compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Crestwood
Based on Crestwood's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,014
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $40,280 a year
- 41% of Crestwood renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$63,920
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $31,960
- Homes cost 3.0× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 29% below US
$1,007/mo median rent
Rent here is genuinely low, with median rent around $1,007 a month. Factoring in local incomes, the value gets even better. Money stretches further here than in most of the country. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $319,600. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $319,600 · 41% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
4.1% county unemployment
Unemployment in St. Louis County is 4.1%, close to the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
St. Louis County (county-wide)
Safety▼ 68% below US
107 violent crimes per 100k
Pretty safe, all things considered. Violent crime sits below the national average, nothing alarming, just ordinary city-life awareness.
Property crime 1377/100k · Crestwood Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 22% below US
20 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 20.2 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 21% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are hot and humid, with highs regularly hitting 88°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 28°F and snow a regular occurrence. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▲ 58% above US
57% bachelor's degree or higher
This is a highly educated city, with over half the adult population holding a college degree. That tends to shape the job market and the broader culture, and it's a solid indicator of a strong professional scene.
Schools
2 public schools inside the boundary
There are 2 public schools inside the boundary and 2 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 15:1, 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 Ulysses S Grant National Historic Site (1 miles away). There are 6 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Crestwood's strongest points are rent below the national average and household incomes running above the national average; the main tradeoff is cold winters. A year of median rent ($1,007/mo) equals 11% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget, anyone prioritizing low crime, and remote workers (21% of workers here already work from home).
Other places near Crestwood
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