What it's like to live in Eureka
Eureka 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 a highly educated workforce. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Eureka deals with cold winters and a car-dependent commute, with few people using transit.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Low crime rates
- Highly educated workforce
- Fast-growing population
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- Cold winters
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Eureka compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Eureka
Based on Eureka's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,504
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $50,080 a year
- 38% of Eureka renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$75,840
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $37,920
- Homes cost 3.5× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 11% below US
$1,252/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,252 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices run above average, with a median around $379,200. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.
Median home value $379,200 · 38% 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▼ 69% below US
102 violent crimes per 100k
Safety is genuinely one of the selling points here. Both violent and property crime run well below the national average, the kind of numbers that fade into the background after a week of living somewhere.
Property crime 694/100k · Eureka Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
27 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 27 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 18% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 88°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 25°F and snow a regular occurrence.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▲ 46% above US
53% 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
4 public schools inside the boundary
There are 4 public schools inside the boundary and 2 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 16:1, close to 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 (16 miles away). There are 5 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Eureka's strongest points are rent below the national average and household incomes running above the national average; the main tradeoffs are cold winters and a car-dependent commute, with few people using transit. A year of median rent ($1,252/mo) equals 14% 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 (18% of workers here already work from home).
Other places near Eureka
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