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St. Louis vs Independence

223 miles apart. The biggest differences: street grid (2.2× in St. Louis) and work in town (+23.3 pts in St. Louis).

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St. Louis, MOA colonial town, settled 1764Missouri · 288,512 people
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Independence, MOA history townMissouri · 121,740 people
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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.

St. LouisA colonial town, settled 1764
HistorySettled in 1764459 places on the National Register College town8 collegesSaint Louis University Outdoors#23 most conserved land in MO39 miles of trails across 131 parks and preserves All about St. Louis →
IndependenceA history town
HistorySettled in 182726 places on the National Register Famous people72 notable peopleborn in Independence Outdoors#45 most conserved land in MO46 miles of trails across 51 parks and preserves All about Independence →
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.

Street grid2.2×
St. Louis has the more walkable street grid
St. Louis 117Independence 54.1
Work in town+23.3 pts
More of St. Louis’s workers stay in town
St. Louis 39.4%Independence 16.1%
Jobs per worker2.5×
St. Louis is more of a job hub
St. Louis 1.67Independence 0.68
Growth since 2010+10.8 pts
Independence has grown faster since 2010
Independence +5.3%St. Louis -5.5%
Typical home built29 yrs
St. Louis’s homes are older
Independence 1967St. Louis 1938
Bachelor’s degree++19.2 pts
More adults in St. Louis have a degree
St. Louis 41.1%Independence 21.9%
★ What stands out · Report cards

St. Louis places higher on 15 of 22 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.

Safety
D−St. LouisSafer than 1% of U.S. towns DIndependenceSafer than 14% of U.S. towns
Schools
D−St. LouisBetter than 4% of districts in the state C+IndependenceBetter than 38% of districts in the state
Health
CSt. LouisHealthier than 33% of U.S. towns C−IndependenceHealthier than 18% of U.S. towns
15St. Louis
6Independence

Lists won, of 22 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Lowest depressionHealth · 261 towns #51#203 Most walkableOutdoors · 261 towns #31#166 Fewest uninsuredHealth · 261 towns #86#217 Fastest growingGrowth · 260 towns #209#87 Most activeHealth · 261 towns #73#171 Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 261 towns #12#108 Most educatedPeople · 261 towns #46#130 Rent easiest to affordCost of living · 85 towns #52#78

Left end = #1 in Missouri. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of St. Louis’s rankings →

Monthly cost

A typical home costs $170 more a month in Independence

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.

St. Louis$1,140/mo
Typical home $187K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.03% · or rent about $997/mo · Housing →
Independence$1,310/mo
Typical home $213K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.11% · or rent about $1,109/mo · Housing →

The difference: $170 a month, about $2,100 a year, between Independence 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
St. LouisIndependence
Snow a year14″13″
January low22°F19°F
July high89°F87°F
Growing season (days)203d198d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)78th43rd
Outdoors & history
St. LouisIndependence
Trails39 mi46 mi
Conserved land7.1%4.8%
Settled17641827
National Register places45926
Archive photos226
Famous people born here2372
Community
St. LouisIndependence
Library hours a week64 hrs69 hrs
Colleges in town8—
Posts this month00
Neighbors joined01

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

223 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

St. LouisMOIndependenceMO
St. Louis ↔ Independence223 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.

St. LouisIndependence
People
Population 288,512Highest 121,740Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -5.5%Lowest MO: +2.8% +5.3%Highest MO: +2.8%
Median age 36.8±0.2Lowest 6% below MO 39±1.1Highest about the MO average
Kids under 18 18.3%±0.4Lowest MO: 22.3% 22.8%±1.1Highest MO: 22.3%
Age 65+ 15.5%±0.5Lowest MO: 17.9% 18.7%±0.9Highest MO: 17.9%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 41.1%Highest MO: 32.4% 21.9%Lowest MO: 32.4%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 7.8%±0.4Highest MO: 5.7% 3.5%±0.6Lowest MO: 5.7%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $56,160±$1kLowest 21% below MO $60,339±$2kHighest 15% below MO
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $197,500±$6kHighest 14% below MO $172,900±$3kLowest 25% below MO
Rentmedian gross, monthly $997±$15Lowest 3% below MO $1,109±$30Highest 7% above MO
Property taxmedian, yearly $2,033Highest 4% above MO $1,914Lowest about the MO average
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 45.7%±1.9Lowest MO: 45.6% 53.1%±4.7Highest MO: 45.6%
Below poverty line 20.6%Highest MO: 12.6% 15.8%Lowest MO: 12.6%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 45.3%Lowest MO: 68.1% 60.9%Highest MO: 68.1%
Typical home builtmedian year 1938Lowest 40 yrs older than MO 1967Highest 11 yrs older than MO
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 22 minLowest 6% below MO 24 minHighest about the MO average
Work from home 17%±0.8Highest MO: 13% 12.3%±1.5Lowest MO: 13%
Work in townworking residents 39.4%Highest 16.1%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 6.3 miLowest 10.8 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.67Highest 0.68Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Clayton (4%)Kansas City (33%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in IndependenceFew work in St. Louis
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 7.1%Highest 4.8%Lowest
Trailsmapped miles 38.5 miLowest 45.6 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.6 mi 0.6 mi
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 131Highest 51Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 117Highest 54.1Lowest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #215 of 226 in MO#169 of 226 in MO
School district DIVISION OF YOUTH SERVICE · MO SCHOOL FOR THE BLINDBLUE SPRINGS R-IV · FORT OSAGE R-I
High school in town Gateway HighTruman High
Students per teacherat that high school 9.2Lowest 18.6Highest
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.

St. Louis neighborsTown Square →

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

Independence neighborsTown Square →
T Weaver · 5d

Choosing a School in Independence

1 neighbor in Independence can answer.

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Set another town beside St. Louis and Independence

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Bordering St. Louis

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Lemay16,228 people · $152K homes
V
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Venice Township, IL4,582 people · $69K homes
G
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Glasgow Village5,504 people · $69K homes
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Clayton17,380 people · $830K homes

Towns like St. Louis

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Springfield169,954 people · $178K homes
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Kansas City510,612 people · $243K homes
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Columbia128,548 people · $285K homes
Not sure which town to add? Find your place ranks Missouri towns on what matters to you.Find your place →

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.

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