St. Charles County vs St. Louis County
St. Charles County, Missouri versus St. Louis County, Missouri: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US counties.
St. Charles County and St. Louis County score about the same overall (45 vs 44 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | St. Charles County | St. Louis County |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $100k | $78k |
| Cost of Living | $52k | $48k |
| Home Value | $278k | $249k |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | $1k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 1.15% | 1.24% |
| Income Tax | 4.80% | 4.80% |
| Sales Tax | 8.39% | 8.39% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 10.78% | 11.54% |
| Unemployment | 3.1% | 4.3% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 32°F | 32°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 79°F | 79°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 43.3 in | 43.6 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 12.6 in | 11.4 in |
| Sunny Days | 231 days | 231 days |
| Summer Humidity | 68°F | 68°F |
| Comfortable Days | 67 days | 69 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 92.6 | 99.3 |
| School Quality | 54.3 | 70.6 |
| Violent Crime | 905/100k | 1027/100k |
| Property Crime | 1230/100k | 2254/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 406,262 | 999,703 |
| Median Age | 39.4 | 40.2 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.25 | 0.52 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.98 | 0.92 |
| Political Leaning | R+18 | D+24 |
| White (%) | 85.0% | 63.1% |
| Black (%) | 4.9% | 24.1% |
| Hispanic (%) | 3.6% | 3.1% |
| Asian (%) | 2.7% | 4.7% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 3.8% | 5.0% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 25 min | 23 min |
| Walkability | 8.0/20 | 10.7/20 |
| Airport Distance | 9 mi | 8 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 93.7% | 91.3% |
| Amenities Nearby | 2.78 | 3.22 |
| Park & Nature Access | Good | Good |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US counties: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is St. Charles County or St. Louis County more affordable?
- St. Louis County has the lower cost of living: its index is $48k, compared with St. Charles County's $52k and St. Louis County's $48k. Median rent is $1k in St. Charles County versus $1k in St. Louis County.
- Is St. Charles County or St. Louis County safer?
- St. Charles County has the lower violent crime rate. St. Charles County reports 905/100k and St. Louis County reports 1027/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in St. Charles County or St. Louis County?
- The median home value is $278k in St. Charles County and $249k in St. Louis County, so homes are more affordable in St. Louis County.