What it's like to live in St. Peters
St. Peters is a smaller city in Missouri with home prices that remain within reach, unemployment below the national average, household incomes running above the national average, and crime rates well below the national average.
Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next. The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly.
The good
- Affordable home prices
- Low unemployment
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Low crime rates
- Short commutes
- Highly educated workforce
The not so good
- Cold winters
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How St. Peters compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to St. Peters
Based on St. Peters's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,642
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $52,840 a year
- 45% of St. Peters renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$53,980
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $26,990
- Homes cost 2.9× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of livingNear US average
$1,321/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,321 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $269,900. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $269,900 · 45% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▼ 21% below US
3.4% unemployment
Unemployment here is 3.4%, a little below the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 48% below US
172 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 762/100k · St. Peters Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 13% below US
23 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 22.7 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 17% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 87°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 24°F and snow a regular occurrence. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 3.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforceNear US average
39% bachelor's degree or higher
Education levels run about average, with 39% college-educated. It's a mix of white-collar and blue-collar work, which can be an asset or a limitation depending on the field.
Schools
11 public schools inside the boundary
There are 11 public schools inside the boundary and 5 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 Ulysses S Grant National Historic Site (21 miles away). There are 6 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
St. Peters's strongest points are home prices that remain within reach and unemployment below the national average; the main tradeoffs are cold winters and a car-dependent commute, with few people using transit. A year of median rent ($1,321/mo) equals 17% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit job seekers, anyone prioritizing low crime, and remote workers (17% of workers here already work from home). It may be a harder fit for anyone who doesn't drive.
Other places near St. Peters
All Missouri guides →Moving to St. Charles →
5 mi away · pop. 71,508
Rent $1,251/mo · Income $85,937
Compare with St. Peters →Moving to O'Fallon →
6 mi away · pop. 93,801
Rent $1,443/mo · Income $110,443
Compare with St. Peters →Moving to Dardenne Prairie →
7 mi away · pop. 13,503
Rent $1,444/mo · Income $152,500
Compare with St. Peters →Moving to Maryland Heights →
8 mi away · pop. 27,880
Rent $1,312/mo · Income $86,436
Compare with St. Peters →Not sure St. Peters is the one?
Put it side by side with another city.