Los Angeles vs St. Louis
Compare Los Angeles, CA 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 $1,892/mo in Los Angeles — a gap of about $859/mo — and HUD 2-bedroom Fair Market Rents show $1,209/mo against $2,544/mo. State income tax also separates them — St. Louis's rate is roughly 4.7% versus 13.3%. Across the four public-data screens (cost/climate, work, daily life, community) the metros land close together (251 vs 256 summed points), so the right pick depends on which tradeoffs you can live with.
Climate is a real differentiator: Los Angeles runs summer highs near 91°F and winter lows near 44°F, while St. Louis runs 90°F and 21°F. If lower housing cost leads your list, start with St. Louis; if walkable daily life matters more, Los Angeles screens stronger on the walkability proxy (37 vs 16). These are metro-level public-data screens — verify neighborhoods, school districts, commutes, and actual listings before deciding.
Category summary
St. Louis leads 64 to 48 on the cost and climate screen.
St. Louis leads 83 to 78 on the work screen.
Los Angeles leads 71 to 50 on the daily life screen.
St. Louis leads 59 to 54 on the community screen.
$85,000 in Los Angeles is roughly $219,810 in St. Louis using WhereToThrive's cost index and state-tax adjustment.
Category comparison
| Metric | Los Angeles | St. Louis | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| ACS median gross rent | $1,892/mo | $1,033/mo | St. Louis |
| HUD 2BR FMR | $2,544/mo | $1,209/mo | St. Louis |
| Median home value | $772,000 | $219,000 | St. Louis |
| State income tax | 13.3% | 4.7% | St. Louis |
| Average commute | 33 min | 27.3 min | St. Louis |
| Safety score | 36/100 | 61/100 | St. Louis |
| School score | 5/10 | 7/10 | St. Louis |
| Walkability estimate | 37/100 | 16/100 | Los Angeles |
| Outdoor score | 8/10 | 6/10 | Los Angeles |
| Restaurants per 100k | 222.4 | 173.9 | Los Angeles |
| Mountain distance | 80 mi | 14 mi | St. Louis |
| Coast distance | 10 mi | 560 mi | Los Angeles |
What stands out
Los Angeles stronger signals
- Major airport access
- Strong food and nightlife amenities score
- Strong outdoor access
- Trail access within 20 miles
Los Angeles tradeoffs
- Premium housing market
- High top marginal state income tax
- Lower safety score than stronger alternatives
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 Los Angeles cheaper than St. Louis?
On public benchmarks St. Louis is the cheaper metro: ACS median rent is $1,892/mo in Los Angeles vs $1,033/mo in St. Louis; HUD 2-bedroom Fair Market Rents are $2,544/mo vs $1,209/mo; state income tax is 13.3% vs 4.7%.
Is Los Angeles or St. Louis safer?
St. Louis screens safer at the metro level: safety scores are 36/100 for Los Angeles and 61/100 for St. Louis (FBI-reported metro rates; neighborhood variation is larger than metro averages).
Which is better for families, Los Angeles or St. Louis?
School screens show 5/10 for Los Angeles 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 Los Angeles and St. Louis?
Los Angeles: summer highs near 91°F, winter lows near 44°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.
Start City Match