Chicago vs St. Louis
Compare Chicago, IL and St. Louis, MO on cost, HUD rent, safety, climate, commute, schools, outdoor access, food, and source-labeled relocation data.
The verdict
St. Louis is the cheaper metro on paper: ACS median rent runs $1,033/mo versus $1,310/mo in Chicago — a gap of about $277/mo — and HUD 2-bedroom Fair Market Rents show $1,209/mo against $1,714/mo. Across the four public-data screens Chicago comes out ahead (276 vs 256 summed points), though St. Louis still wins specific categories below.
Their climates screen similarly — summer highs near 84°F and 90°F respectively. If lower housing cost leads your list, start with St. Louis; if walkable daily life matters more, Chicago screens stronger on the walkability proxy (44 vs 16). These are metro-level public-data screens — verify neighborhoods, school districts, commutes, and actual listings before deciding.
Category summary
Both cities are close on the cost and climate screen.
St. Louis leads 83 to 77 on the work screen.
Chicago leads 62 to 50 on the daily life screen.
Chicago leads 72 to 59 on the community screen.
$85,000 in Chicago is roughly $148,962 in St. Louis using WhereToThrive's cost index and state-tax adjustment.
Category comparison
| Metric | Chicago | St. Louis | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| ACS median gross rent | $1,310/mo | $1,033/mo | St. Louis |
| HUD 2BR FMR | $1,714/mo | $1,209/mo | St. Louis |
| Median home value | $288,000 | $219,000 | St. Louis |
| State income tax | 5.0% | 4.7% | St. Louis |
| Average commute | 33.8 min | 27.3 min | St. Louis |
| Safety score | 53/100 | 61/100 | St. Louis |
| School score | 8/10 | 7/10 | Chicago |
| Walkability estimate | 44/100 | 16/100 | Chicago |
| Outdoor score | 5/10 | 6/10 | St. Louis |
| Restaurants per 100k | 186.3 | 173.9 | Chicago |
| Mountain distance | 242 mi | 14 mi | St. Louis |
| Coast distance | 591 mi | 560 mi | St. Louis |
What stands out
Chicago stronger signals
- Major airport access
- Strong food and nightlife amenities score
- Trail access within 40 miles
- Public park/protected-area signal within 1 miles
Chicago tradeoffs
- No major generic tradeoffs identified
St. Louis stronger signals
- Major airport access
- Public park/protected-area signal within 1 miles
- Ski location within 25 miles
- Mountain access within 14 miles
St. Louis tradeoffs
- Higher natural disaster risk
Common questions
Is Chicago cheaper than St. Louis?
On public benchmarks St. Louis is the cheaper metro: ACS median rent is $1,310/mo in Chicago vs $1,033/mo in St. Louis; HUD 2-bedroom Fair Market Rents are $1,714/mo vs $1,209/mo; state income tax is 5.0% vs 4.7%.
Is Chicago or St. Louis safer?
St. Louis screens safer at the metro level: safety scores are 53/100 for Chicago and 61/100 for St. Louis (FBI-reported metro rates; neighborhood variation is larger than metro averages).
Which is better for families, Chicago or St. Louis?
School screens show 8/10 for Chicago vs 7/10 for St. Louis, alongside the safety scores above. It is a metro-level screen; verify specific school districts before weighting it heavily.
How different is the climate between Chicago and St. Louis?
Chicago: summer highs near 84°F, winter lows near 22°F, disaster-risk band 2/3. St. Louis: 90°F / 21°F, disaster-risk band 3/3 (NOAA climate normals).
Keep researching
Score this comparison with your own constraints
Public comparison pages use equal-weighted signals. The questionnaire reweights cities around your housing budget, climate preferences, work needs, family needs, and daily-life priorities.
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