Guest, Sign inJoin
Compare towns

Springfield vs St. Louis

194 miles apart. The biggest differences: work in town (+31.9 pts in Springfield) and property tax bill (+53% in St. Louis).

×
Springfield, MOA history townMissouri · 169,954 people
×
St. Louis, MOA colonial town, settled 1764Missouri · 288,512 people
Where each one shines

Two towns, two different strengths

What each town does better than most of its state (not better than each other). Tap one to see the page behind it.

The biggest differences

Where they part ways

The rows below where the towns are furthest apart, beyond the Census margin of error. The full table is further down.

★ What stands out · Report cards

St. Louis places higher on 14 of 23 MO lists

Our letter grades for safety, schools and health, then every Missouri ranking list both towns are on. A grade is one measure; read the page behind it.

Monthly cost

A typical home costs $300 more a month in Springfield

A typical home in each town, bought with 20% down at 6.3% for 30 years, plus property tax at the town’s own rate and insurance. Change the numbers to fit you.

Springfield$1,440/mo
Typical home $246K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.75% · or rent about $964/mo · Housing →
St. Louis$1,140/mo
Typical home $187K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.03% · or rent about $997/mo · Housing →

The difference: $300 a month, about $3,600 a year, between Springfield and St. Louis.

Estimates, not a quote: your price, rate, tax bill and insurance will differ. Tax rate = the Census median tax bill over the median home value.

Life in each

What daily life feels like in each

The weather, the land, the history and the people, row by row. None of it is a grade: more snow is a plus to a skier.

Seasons
SpringfieldSt. Louis
Snow a year14″14″
January low24°F22°F
July high90°F89°F
Growing season (days)199d203d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)27th78th
Outdoors & history
SpringfieldSt. Louis
Conserved land2.3%7.1%
Settled18381764
National Register places70459
Archive photos—22
Famous people born here—23
Community
SpringfieldSt. Louis
Library hours a week75 hrs64 hrs
Colleges in town78
Posts this month00
Neighbors joined00

A dot marks the most on each row. Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station. Hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, expected yearly damage vs U.S. towns.

Where they are

194 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

Springfield ↔ St. Louis194 miles apart
Everything, side by side

What matters to you?

Pick a few. Those rows jump to the top and the best fit on each is marked. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

SpringfieldSt. Louis
People
Population 169,954Lowest 288,512Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +6.1%Highest MO: +2.8% -5.5%Lowest MO: +2.8%
Median age 33.7±0.6Lowest 14% below MO 36.8±0.2Highest 6% below MO
Kids under 18 17.7%±0.7Lowest MO: 22.3% 18.3%±0.4Highest MO: 22.3%
St. Louis and Springfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 16.2%±0.6Highest MO: 17.9% 15.5%±0.5Lowest MO: 17.9%
Springfield and St. Louis are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 31.4%Lowest MO: 32.4% 41.1%Highest MO: 32.4%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 12.1%±0.7Highest MO: 5.7% 7.8%±0.4Lowest MO: 5.7%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $49,311±$1kLowest 30% below MO $56,160±$1kHighest 21% below MO
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $177,700±$7kLowest 23% below MO $197,500±$6kHighest 14% below MO
Rentmedian gross, monthly $964±$13Lowest 7% below MO $997±$15Highest 3% below MO
Property taxmedian, yearly $1,326Lowest 32% below MO $2,033Highest 4% above MO
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 48.7%±2.5Highest MO: 45.6% 45.7%±1.9Lowest MO: 45.6%
Springfield and St. Louis are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 18.4%Lowest MO: 12.6% 20.6%Highest MO: 12.6%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 43.9%Lowest MO: 68.1% 45.3%Highest MO: 68.1%
Typical home builtmedian year 1975Highest 3 yrs older than MO 1938Lowest 40 yrs older than MO
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 18 minLowest 25% below MO 22 minHighest 6% below MO
Work from home 10.4%±1Lowest MO: 13% 17%±0.8Highest MO: 13%
Work in townworking residents 71.3%Highest 39.4%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 4.3 miLowest 6.3 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 2.17Highest 1.67Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Republic (2%)Clayton (4%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in St. LouisFew work in Springfield
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 2.3%Lowest 7.1%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 35.1 miLowest 38.5 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.4 miLowest 0.6 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 52Lowest 131Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 72.0Lowest 117Highest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #161 of 226 in MO#215 of 226 in MO
School district OZARKS TECHNICAL COMM COLLEGE · DIVISION OF YOUTH SERVICEDIVISION OF YOUTH SERVICE · MO SCHOOL FOR THE BLIND
High school in town Kickapoo HighGateway High
Students per teacherat that high school 19.3Highest 9.2Lowest
Missouri average“±” Census margin of errorACS 2020–2024
Deciding?

Ask the people who live there

The numbers stop at the town line. Neighbors can tell you about the commute at 7am, the schools, the winters and the feel of the place.

Springfield neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Springfield’s Town Square.

St. Louis neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to St. Louis’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Springfield and St. Louis

One tap adds it. Up to 4 towns at once.

Bordering Springfield

Towns like Springfield

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2010 & 2020 censuses, LEHD commute flows; Zillow Home Value Index; NCES Common Core of Data; FBI crime reporting; CDC PLACES; FEMA National Risk Index; NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020; USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. “±” is the Census margin of error; differences inside it are never called. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. There is no overall score: which town is better depends on what matters to you.

Post to Springfield

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in