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Saint Louis
#19 of 124
North America

Saint Louis

MO, United States

Salary & Cost of Living

View purchasing power ranking

How do salaries and expenses in Saint Louis compare to San Francisco?

Purchasing Power Comparison

An engineer in Saint Louis is 19% worse off vs in San Francisco

This shows how far a software engineer's salary goes in Saint Louis compared to San Francisco, taking into account both salary differences and cost of living.

Median Salary
$118,000
-$154K (-57%) vs San Francisco
Based on 124 data points from levels.fyi
Net Salary
$83,662
-$89K (-51%) vs San Francisco
Tax Rate: 29%

Community Insights

New

St. Louis offers a compelling arbitrage opportunity for software engineers: earning a near-national-average salary ($118k) while living in one of the country's most affordable housing markets (#3 rank). The tech scene is corporate-heavy but stable, anchored by defense, agtech, and fintech giants rather than volatile VC-backed unicorns.

Daily life is characterized by easy logistics (little traffic) and high-quality leisure (food, parks), but marred by a persistent backdrop of safety concerns and urban fragmentation. It is a city of "pockets"—finding the right neighborhood is critical to the experience.

Resident Sentiment

Current residents, especially transplants, often describe a "defensive love" for the city. They admit the crime and segregation issues are real but frequently argue that the quality of life per dollar is unbeatable.

There is a strong sentiment that the city is "what you make of it"—those who actively engage with their neighborhood (e.g., Tower Grove South) and the transplant community tend to love it, while those expecting a turnkey glossy metropolis often leave frustrated.

Living Environment

Weather•Safety•Pollution•Events

A quick look at climate, safety, pollution, and tech community compared to San Francisco.

Rankings

Home Affordability

Top 1%

#1

of 124 cities

≈1.6 yrs to buy 80m²

Current value

Purchasing Power

Top 15%

#19

of 124 cities

Net Income

Top 27%

#34

of 124 cities

$83,662/yr

Current value

Housing Affordability

View affordability ranking

How affordable is housing for a software engineer in Saint Louis compared to San Francisco?

Avg. Property Price
$1,686 / m²
83% cheaper than San Francisco
View detailed property prices on Numbeo

Salary Converter

Enter your annual gross salary (before taxes) to see what you would need to earn in Saint Louis to maintain the same standard of living.

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Cost of Living
40% cheaper than San Francisco
View detailed cost breakdown on Numbeo

Top Paying Companies in Saint Louis

Bayer logo
Bayer
AT&T logo
AT&T
Centene logo
Centene

The Good

  • Extremely Low Cost of Living: Consistently cited as the biggest draw; high purchasing power allows engineers to buy historic homes or luxury apartments that would be unaffordable in coastal hubs.
  • Underrated Tech Scene: Home to major stable employers like Boeing (defense), Mastercard (fintech), Bayer (agtech), Centene, and World Wide Technology, providing stability even during broader market downturns.
  • Cortex Innovation Community: A growing mid-town tech hub that concentrates startups, accelerators, and tech offices, fostering a denser professional community than the suburban sprawl suggests.
  • Traffic & Commute: Often described as "20 minutes to anywhere," lacking the gridlock of larger tech cities.
  • World-Class Amenities: Forest Park (larger than Central Park) and top-tier free museums/zoo are frequently mentioned perks.
  • Distinct Neighborhoods: Areas like Central West End (CWE), Tower Grove South, and The Grove offer walkable, urban vibes popular with young professionals.
  • Food Scene: Residents rave about the diverse and affordable culinary scene, calling it a "hidden gem" for foodies.

The Bad

  • Crime & Safety: The #1 complaint; while residents argue stats are skewed by city borders, property crime (especially car break-ins/thefts) and violent crime in specific pockets are real daily concerns.
  • Car Dependency: Public transit (MetroLink) is useful for specific corridors (airport to CWE/downtown) but most engineers find a car essential for daily life.
  • The "Delmar Divide": Sharp socioeconomic and racial segregation remains a visible and uncomfortable reality, affecting infrastructure and investment in different parts of the city.
  • "Where did you go to high school?": A common cultural trope indicating a cliquey social scene; locals often stick to childhood friend groups, making it harder for transplants to integrate.
  • City vs. County Fragmentation: The political split between St. Louis City and St. Louis County complicates services, taxes, and school districts.
  • Weather Extremes: Very hot, humid summers and unpredictable winters.

The Verdict

You'll love it if...

Remote workers or hybrid employees looking to maximize net income; you can live like royalty here on a mid-level engineering salary.

Families seeking affordable large homes with yards (specifically in suburbs like Clayton or Kirkwood for schools).

Defense/Fintech specialists looking for stable, long-term careers at companies like Boeing or Mastercard.

Skip it if...

Those who rely on public transit or want a car-free lifestyle.

People with high anxiety regarding crime statistics or visible urban decay; the "grit" of the city is unavoidable in many areas.

Hyper-ambitious founders seeking a massive network of VC capital and early-stage startup culture (better suited for SF/NYC).

Updated 11/29/2025

Weather4.3/10-51% vs San Francisco
Safety30-24%
Pollution37-24%
Events0-100%
4.3/10TechCities weather score vs 8.7/10 in San Francisco

0–10 composite (higher is better) combining temperature comfort, sunshine hours, rainy-day count, and humid days. See methodology for weighting and data sources.

Weather snapshot

Average High
19°C(vs 19°C in San Francisco)
Average Low
9°C(vs 12°C in San Francisco)
Sunshine Hours
2,600h/yr-462h/yr(-15%)
Hottest Month High
32°C(vs 22°C in San Francisco)
Coldest Month Low
-4°C(vs 8°C in San Francisco)
Rainy Days
96/yr+47/yr(+97%)

Community & Quality

Saint Louis community pulse

Saint Louis has 0 Luma events listed.

100% fewer events than San Francisco.

Pollution Score

Top 30%

#37

of 124 cities

37.5/100

Current value (lower is better)

Tax Rate

Top 33%

#41

of 124 cities

29%

Current value (lower is better)

Comfortable Weather

Middle of the pack

#63

of 124 cities

43/100 weather score

Current value

Cost of Living

Middle of the pack

#63

of 124 cities

53/100

Current value (lower is better)

Community Events

Bottom 7%

#116

of 124 cities

0 events on luma

Current value

Safety Index

Bottom 5%

#119

of 124 cities

30/100

Current value

SWE Affordability
1.6 years
3.0 years quicker than San Francisco
Muggy Days
69/yr+69/yr(+34450%)
Cloud Cover
43%(vs 34% in San Francisco)