Smart Movers Club

    Moving to St. Louis, MO

    Is St. Louis a good place to live?

    Watch St. Louis

    St. Louis ranks #29 of 29 Missouri cities with 25,000+ people on the Smart Movers livability score (22/100), which weighs home affordability, unemployment, education and population growth. Population fell 1.6% in the latest Census year.

    Median home value
    $185,100
    +6.3% vs prior year
    Median rent
    $978
    per month
    Household income
    $55,279
    median
    Unemployment
    5.0%
    lower is better

    Cost of living in St. Louis

    The median home value in St. Louis is $185,100 and median rent is $978 a month, against a median household income of $55,279. Homes cost about 3.3× a year of income (under 3× is considered affordable).

    St. Louis crime rate

    City-level FBI figures vary by agency; across Missouri the 2025 rate was 426 violent and 1,689 property crimes per 100,000 people — #16 highest of 50 states. The full report breaks down local trends.

    Moving to St. Louis, MO

    St. Louis has about 293,109 residents, 5.0% unemployment and 22% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher.

    Compare St. Louis with

    St. Louis vs Kansas CitySt. Louis vs SpringfieldSt. Louis vs ColumbiaSt. Louis vs IndependenceSt. Louis vs Lee's SummitSt. Louis vs O'FallonSt. Louis vs St. JosephSt. Louis vs St. Charles

    More: Where to move in Missouri · Best counties in Missouri

    Sources: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year estimates (2023, compared with 2022); FBI Crime Data Explorer.

    Home listings, local news, migration, schools, resources and the Smart Movers Grade & Verdict.

    See the full Smart Movers Club report