St. Louis, MO Relocation Guide (2026)
Cost of living, housing, and income data for St. Louis, sourced from the US Census Bureau.
Salary needed to live in St. Louis →
Source: US Census Bureau ACS 5-Year (2022). Last updated July 2026.
With a population near 298,018, St. Louis, Missouri sits below the multi-city income median: households earn a typical $52,941 per year (-27% vs. that benchmark).
Home values in St. Louis run a median $174,100, below the benchmark across cities in our dataset (-47%). Renters see a median monthly cost of $938. Mortgage rates and property taxes are worth checking before you commit either way.
With home values running about 3.3× median income, St. Louis lands on the affordable side of the housing-cost spectrum. Prices in the area have gained 1.53% year over year, a moderate pace that suggests a stable market around St. Louis. FEMA classifies St. Louis's hazard risk as Relatively High. That elevated rating is a major driver of home insurance premiums in the area.
Personal Affordability Check
Renting at $938/mo in St. Louis would take 21.3% of your income.
$386/mo under the 30% guideline.
Buying the median home ($174,100) would take 21.1% of your income toward principal & interest.
$306/mo under the 28% guideline.
Cost of housing in St. Louis
Median home value is $174,100 and median gross rent is $938/month. For buyers, monthly costs depend heavily on current mortgage rates — worth checking before you commit.
FHFA's county-level home price index for Saint Louis City rose 1.53% over the past year (as of 2025).
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom unit in the surrounding county is $1,218/month.
Climate & home insurance
FEMA rates St. Louis's overall natural-hazard risk as Relatively High. Risk level is a major driver of home insurance premiums.
Safety
St. Louis reported a violent crime rate of 1231.4 per 100,000 residents in 2025, per FBI data.
Moving to St. Louis
Planning a move to St. Louis? Compare licensed movers and get quotes based on your origin and move date.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the cost of living in St. Louis, MO?
- St. Louis's key cost-of-living figures: $174,100 median home value, $938 median monthly rent, and $52,941 median household income, per the US Census Bureau ACS 5-Year (2022).
- How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in St. Louis?
- Using the standard 30%-of-income rule of thumb, affording St. Louis's median rent of $938/month takes an income of roughly $37,520 a year. See the full salary breakdown (renting and buying) for St. Louis.
- Is it better to rent or buy in St. Louis?
- St. Louis's median rent of $938/month translates to about $37,520 a year needed to rent comfortably, versus roughly $39,833 a year for principal and interest on the $174,100 median home (20% down, 30-year fixed, today's rates). How long you'll stay is usually the deciding factor.
- Is St. Louis safe?
- St. Louis's violent crime rate, per FBI reporting for 2025, stands at 1231.4 per 100,000 residents.
See the full salary breakdown for St. Louis →
Cities with a similar cost of living
Matched on median rent and household income within 15% of St. Louis's.