Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington → St. Louis

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Should you move?

Moving from Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington to St. Louis is neutral, depends on priorities: BEA regional price parity goes from 104.8 to 95.1 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent falls by $793/mo.

-$12,524
BLS median salary lower in St. Louis
259 to 463
violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
13.9:1 to 12.2:1
NCES student-teacher ratio

BEA Regional Price Parity, HUD Fair Market Rent, BLS OEWS, FBI UCR, NCES, and DOL. The table below lets you override the composite with your own priorities.

Verdict
Neutral, depends on priorities
Cost Index: 104.8 → 95.1
Rent Delta: -$793/mo

Pros of Moving

  • + 10% lower cost of living
  • + $793/mo cheaper rent (2BR)
  • + Better student-teacher ratios

Cons of Moving

  • - $13K lower median salary
  • - Higher violent crime rate
  • - More environmental violations

Purchasing power opens up: BEA RPP falls from 104.8 to 95.1, so each dollar covers more in St. Louis (ratio 0.91). HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent drops $793/mo ($9,516/yr) from $1,709 in Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington to $916 in St. Louis.

The seven-dimension ledger splits (3 destination wins · 3 origin wins); priorities decide this move. St. Louis sits #182 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (middle third). Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington is #332/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Neutral, depends on priorities. Override it with the dimension table below.

BLS OEWS median salary moves $12,524 lower ($80,598 → $68,074). Labor-market size: 1,928,660 tracked jobs at origin vs 1,311,920 at destination.

State retirement friendliness favors the destination: Missouri scores 68 (C, #12/51) vs Minnesota at 49 (F, #43/51). Full state tax and healthcare sub-scores sit in the retirement desk below.

Dimension
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington
St. Louis
Winner
Cost of Living
RPP 104.8
RPP 95.1
St. Louis
Rent (2BR)
$1,709/mo
$916/mo
St. Louis
Wages
$80,598
$68,074
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington
Crime
259 per 100K
463 per 100K
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington
Schools
13.9:1
12.2:1
St. Louis
Childcare
$11,722/yr
N/A
Tie
Environment
1033 violations
6737 violations
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington

State retirement friendliness

Primary-state scores from PlainRelocate's retirement registry (tax + healthcare + climate composite). Metro pairs use each metro's primary state abbreviation.

Origin state · Minnesota
49 F #43/51
Income tax
60
Property tax
62
Estate tax
50
Healthcare
34
Destination state · Missouri
68 C #12/51
Income tax
82
Property tax
68
Estate tax
100
Healthcare
80

Full retirement ranking · Source composite documented on methodology (Tax Foundation + AARP tax guides + federal healthcare/climate inputs).

Salary Adjustment Calculator

Enter your current salary in Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington to see what you'd need to earn in St. Louis to maintain the same purchasing power.

Equivalent salary in St. Louis
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Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, HUD Fair Market Rents, BLS OES, FBI UCR, NCES, DOL, EPA; retirement desk: Tax Foundation + AARP tax guides June 2026