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St. Louis vs Springfield

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

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St. Louis, MOA colonial town, settled 1764Missouri · 288,512 people
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Springfield, MOA history townMissouri · 169,954 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 →
SpringfieldA history town
HistorySettled in 183870 places on the National Register College town7 collegesMissouri State University-Springfield Work153,055 jobsbased in Springfield, a regional job hub All about Springfield →
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.

Work in town+31.9 pts
More of Springfield’s workers stay in town
Springfield 71.3%St. Louis 39.4%
Property tax bill+53%
Tax bills are bigger in St. Louis
St. Louis $2,033Springfield $1,326
Typical home built37 yrs
St. Louis’s homes are older
Springfield 1975St. Louis 1938
Growth since 2010+11.6 pts
Springfield has grown faster since 2010
Springfield +6.1%St. Louis -5.5%
Work from home+6.6 pts
More people work from home in St. Louis
St. Louis 17%Springfield 10.4%
Street grid+63%
St. Louis has the more walkable street grid
St. Louis 117Springfield 72.0
★ 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.

Safety
D−St. LouisSafer than 1% of U.S. towns D−SpringfieldSafer than 2% of U.S. towns
Schools
D−St. LouisBetter than 4% of districts in the state BSpringfieldBetter than 60% of districts in the state
Health
CSt. LouisHealthier than 33% of U.S. towns CSpringfieldHealthier than 30% of U.S. towns
14St. Louis
8Springfield

Lists won, of 23 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 261 towns #12#228 Highest graduation rateSchools · 216 towns #208#75 Fastest growingGrowth · 260 towns #209#79 Lowest depressionHealth · 261 towns #51#152 Shortest commuteGetting around · 261 towns #137#47 Most conserved landOutdoors · 235 towns #23#102 Lowest property taxCost of living · 259 towns #181#109 Most walkableOutdoors · 261 towns #31#98

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 $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.

St. Louis$1,140/mo
Typical home $187K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.03% · or rent about $997/mo · Housing →
Springfield$1,440/mo
Typical home $246K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.75% · or rent about $964/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
St. LouisSpringfield
Snow a year14″14″
January low22°F24°F
July high89°F90°F
Growing season (days)203d199d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)78th27th
Outdoors & history
St. LouisSpringfield
Trails39 mi35 mi
Conserved land7.1%2.3%
Settled17641838
National Register places45970
Archive photos22—
Famous people born here23—
Community
St. LouisSpringfield
Library hours a week64 hrs75 hrs
Colleges in town87
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.

St. LouisMOSpringfieldMO
St. Louis ↔ Springfield194 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. LouisSpringfield
People
Population 288,512Highest 169,954Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -5.5%Lowest MO: +2.8% +6.1%Highest MO: +2.8%
Median age 36.8±0.2Highest 6% below MO 33.7±0.6Lowest 14% below MO
Kids under 18 18.3%±0.4Highest MO: 22.3% 17.7%±0.7Lowest 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+ 15.5%±0.5Lowest MO: 17.9% 16.2%±0.6Highest 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+ 41.1%Highest MO: 32.4% 31.4%Lowest MO: 32.4%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 7.8%±0.4Lowest MO: 5.7% 12.1%±0.7Highest MO: 5.7%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $56,160±$1kHighest 21% below MO $49,311±$1kLowest 30% below MO
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $197,500±$6kHighest 14% below MO $177,700±$7kLowest 23% below MO
Rentmedian gross, monthly $997±$15Highest 3% below MO $964±$13Lowest 7% below MO
Property taxmedian, yearly $2,033Highest 4% above MO $1,326Lowest 32% below MO
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 45.7%±1.9Lowest MO: 45.6% 48.7%±2.5Highest 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 20.6%Highest MO: 12.6% 18.4%Lowest MO: 12.6%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 45.3%Highest MO: 68.1% 43.9%Lowest MO: 68.1%
Typical home builtmedian year 1938Lowest 40 yrs older than MO 1975Highest 3 yrs older than MO
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 22 minHighest 6% below MO 18 minLowest 25% below MO
Work from home 17%±0.8Highest MO: 13% 10.4%±1Lowest MO: 13%
Work in townworking residents 39.4%Lowest 71.3%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 6.3 miHighest 4.3 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.67Lowest 2.17Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Clayton (4%)Republic (2%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in SpringfieldFew work in St. Louis
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 7.1%Highest 2.3%Lowest
Trailsmapped miles 38.5 miHighest 35.1 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.6 miHighest 0.4 miLowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 131Highest 52Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 117Highest 72.0Lowest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #215 of 226 in MO#161 of 226 in MO
School district DIVISION OF YOUTH SERVICE · MO SCHOOL FOR THE BLINDOZARKS TECHNICAL COMM COLLEGE · DIVISION OF YOUTH SERVICE
High school in town Gateway HighKickapoo High
Students per teacherat that high school 9.2Lowest 19.3Highest
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.

Springfield neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Springfield’s Town Square.

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Bordering St. Louis

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Lemay16,228 people · $152K homes
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Venice Township, IL4,582 people · $69K homes
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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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Kansas City510,612 people · $243K homes
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Columbia128,548 people · $285K homes
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Independence121,740 people · $173K homes

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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