Racine-Mount Pleasant St. Louis

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Verdict
Neutral — Depends on Priorities
Cost Index: 96.0 → 95.1
Rent Delta: -$319/mo

Pros of Moving

  • + $319/mo cheaper rent (2BR)
  • + Better student-teacher ratios

Cons of Moving

  • - Higher violent crime rate
  • - More environmental violations

Moving from Racine-Mount Pleasant to St. Louis shifts your BEA Regional Price Parity from 96.0 to 95.1 (100 = US average), so a Racine-Mount Pleasant salary needs to be multiplied by 0.99 to hold the same purchasing power in St. Louis. On rent, HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom goes from $1,235/month in Racine-Mount Pleasant to $916/month in St. Louis - a lower monthly bill of $319, or $3,828/year. That rent delta alone is often the single biggest line item when relocating.

Wages tell the other half. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics report a median salary of $66,191 in Racine-Mount Pleasant versus $68,074 in St. Louis - a raw gap of $1,883 higher. The St. Louis labor market has 1,311,920 tracked jobs against 70,050 in Racine-Mount Pleasant, shaping how easy it is to find a comparable role. Combine that with the cost-of-living shift above and you get the real purchasing-power delta, sometimes a "higher salary" is actually a pay cut once rent and RPP are applied.

Safety, schools, and childcare round out the move. FBI UCR violent crime rates near Racine-Mount Pleasant and St. Louis are 280 and 463 per 100,000 (state-level). NCES student-teacher ratios run 14.4:1 at origin versus 12.8:1 at destination. Our composite verdict - Neutral — Depends on Priorities - weighs all seven federal sources; the dimension table below lets you override that with your personal priorities.

Dimension
Racine-Mount Pleasant
St. Louis
Winner
💰 Cost of Living
RPP 96.0
RPP 95.1
St. Louis
🏠 Rent (2BR)
$1,235/mo
$916/mo
St. Louis
💼 Wages
$66,191
$68,074
St. Louis
🔒 Crime
280 per 100K
463 per 100K
Racine-Mount Pleasant
🎓 Schools
14.4:1
12.8:1
St. Louis
👶 Childcare
$11,256/yr
N/A
Tie
🌿 Environment
2233 violations
6246 violations
Racine-Mount Pleasant

Salary Adjustment Calculator

Enter your current salary in Racine-Mount Pleasant 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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Frequently Asked Questions

Is St. Louis more expensive than Racine-Mount Pleasant?
St. Louis has an RPP of 95.1 compared to Racine-Mount Pleasant's 96.0 (100 = national average). Racine-Mount Pleasant is more expensive overall. The 2BR rent in St. Louis is $916/mo vs $1,235/mo in Racine-Mount Pleasant.
What are salaries like in St. Louis compared to Racine-Mount Pleasant?
The median salary in St. Louis is $68,074 compared to $66,191 in Racine-Mount Pleasant. That's a +$1,883 difference.
Is St. Louis safer than Racine-Mount Pleasant?
The violent crime rate near St. Louis is 463 per 100K vs 280 per 100K near Racine-Mount Pleasant (state-level data). Racine-Mount Pleasant has a lower crime rate.
How much would I need to earn in St. Louis to match my Racine-Mount Pleasant salary?
To maintain the same purchasing power, multiply your Racine-Mount Pleasant salary by 0.99. For example, a $75,000 salary in Racine-Mount Pleasant would need to be $74,318 in St. Louis. Use the salary calculator above for your exact figure.
What does the "Neutral — Depends on Priorities" verdict mean?
The verdict is computed from 7 dimensions, cost of living, rent, wages, crime, schools, childcare, and environment, using federal data. "Neutral — Depends on Priorities" means both metros are roughly equivalent across the 7 dimensions. Individual priorities may shift the balance, weigh the dimensions that matter most to you.

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Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, HUD Fair Market Rents, BLS OES, FBI UCR, NCES, DOL, EPA June 2026

Data Sources

  • Cost of Living: Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) Regional Price Parities
  • Rent: HUD Fair Market Rents (FMR)
  • Wages: Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES)
  • Crime: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) - state level
  • Schools: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
  • Childcare: Department of Labor (DOL) - state level
  • Environment: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)