What it's like to live in St. Louis
St. Louis is a large city in Missouri with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, commutes that run shorter than most cities, and a highly educated workforce.
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
- Short commutes
- Highly educated workforce
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Below-average household incomes
- Crime above national average
- Air quality concerns
- Shrinking population
- High poverty rate
- Cold winters
How St. Louis compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to St. Louis
Based on St. Louis's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$1,994
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $39,880 a year
- 43% of St. Louis renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$39,500
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $19,750
- 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▼ 29% below US
$997/mo median rent
Rent here is genuinely low, with median rent around $997 a month. Factoring in local incomes, the value gets even better. Money stretches further here than in most of the country. Home prices here are genuinely accessible, with a median around $197,500. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.
Median home value $197,500 · 43% of renters cost-burdened
Job marketNear US average
4.6% unemployment
Unemployment here is 4.6%, close to the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▲ 273% above US
1230 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 5048/100k · St. Louis Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 15% below US
22 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 22.1 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 7 in 10 workers drive to work; 6% take public transit; 17% 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
Healthcare
8 hospitals
There are 8 Medicare-certified hospitals inside city limits. They average 3.4 out of 5 on Medicare's star rating.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▲ 14% above US
41% bachelor's degree or higher
The population is well-educated, with 41% holding college degrees. That points to a strong professional base and generally a healthy local economy.
Schools
109 public schools inside the boundary
There are 109 public schools inside the boundary and 28 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 12:1, 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
St. Louis's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are household incomes below the national average and crime rates above the national average. A year of median rent ($997/mo) equals 21% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget, remote workers (17% of workers here already work from home), and college-educated professionals.