City comparison
Memphis, TN versus St Louis, MO is a real move, not a trivia matchup. This comparison uses the same 2026 neighborhood report data we publish on each city page — typical rent, median household income, crime indexes, school composites, and typical weather — so you can see which city actually fits how you live, work, and spend. Typical rents sit near $1,274 a month in Memphis and $1,218 in St Louis, and median household income lands at $48,090 versus $52,941. Open either city's full report when you want the block-level detail behind these headlines.
St Louis takes affordability, job market, safety, and weather. The widest gap is typical weather, where St Louis leads by 23% — the kind of spread you feel in a monthly budget or a nightly walk, not just on a chart. Read the category rows as a filter: if cheaper housing would change your life more than a stronger job market, weight rent first. If you are moving with kids, weight schools and crime. If you picked a city after one good weekend, use the weather and income rows to test whether that weekend survives a full year.
Numbers below are citywide, not a guarantee about the street you will actually live on. Two ZIP codes in Memphis can feel further apart than Memphis and St Louis do on paper. Use this page to pick a city, then use the Memphis and St Louis reports to pick a neighborhood — and visit in the season you like least before you sign anything.
Memphis, TN
St Louis, MO
Rent
4% cheaper
St Louis rent is 4% cheaper than Memphis
Memphis
$1,274/mo
St Louis
Winner$1,218/mo
Typical rent runs $1,218 a month in St Louis versus $1,274 in Memphis, so St Louis is 4% cheaper. The monthly spread is about $56, or $672 a year — noticeable, but rent alone should not pick the city. Use this as a tie-breaker after you compare income, schools, and crime, unless you are already stretching every dollar.
Median income
10% higher
St Louis's median income is 10% higher than Memphis
Memphis
$48,090
St Louis
Winner$52,941
Median household income is $52,941 in St Louis versus $48,090 in Memphis, so typical pay runs 10% higher in St Louis — about $4,851 more household income a year. The income edge is modest. Treat it as extra negotiating context, not a reason to ignore rent, schools, or climate. Remote workers especially should not treat citywide pay as a personal raise if their employer will not localize salary.
Crime index
17% lower crime
St Louis's crime index is 17% lower than Memphis
Memphis
140 (100 = avg)
St Louis
Winner116 (100 = avg)
St Louis's crime index is 116 versus 140 in Memphis (100 = national average), so citywide crime runs 17% lower in St Louis. That gap is meaningful day-to-day — it affects whether you feel comfortable walking at night, leaving your car on the street, or letting kids play outside unsupervised. Indexes still compress a lot of reality: a calmer city has blocks you would skip, and a higher-crime city has streets that feel neighborly at 10 p.m. On the everyday test of walking from the car to the door, St Louis is the easier city. Memphis can still work if you pick the right pocket — just budget more diligence before you sign a lease.
School scores
Neck and neck
Memphis and St Louis are about even on school scores.
Memphis
A- · 84/100
St Louis
A- · 84/100
School composites are effectively even (A- in Memphis, A- in St Louis). For families with kids this is a warning if you assumed one city was obviously better — at this range the campus, not the city name, decides it. Tour the zoned elementary you would actually use.
Typical weather
23% more comfortable
St Louis weather is 23% more comfortable than Memphis
Memphis
84°F typical
St Louis
Winner78°F typical
St Louis scores 23% more comfortable on this page's weather index, which rewards temperatures closer to a livable outdoor day. Typical temperatures sit around 84°F in Memphis and 78°F in St Louis. Memphis reads as hot, long summers; St Louis reads as warm weather most of the year. Climate affects quality of life more than most people anticipate when planning a move. Consider how much time you spend outdoors and whether extreme heat or cold impacts your mood or productivity. St Louis is the better default if you want year-round outdoor access. Memphis can still be right if you love that climate on purpose — beach heat, dry heat, or a real winter — but you cannot return a city's weather.
Fit check
People with a job, family, or neighborhood already pulling them to Memphis
On these five categories St Louis takes the scoreboard, so you should not choose Memphis because the stats are kinder — they are not. Choose Memphis only if a job offer, family, a specific neighborhood, or a life you already started there outweighs the box score. Plenty of good moves ignore the aggregate; just do it on purpose.
Fit check
Career-focused movers who want salary upside plus year-round outdoor access
St Louis is the clearer landing pad if housing cost is what keeps you up at night. Typical rent is 4% cheaper here at about $1,218 a month. Choose St Louis if you are stretching a salary, starting over, or want slack for travel and debt instead of a flashier skyline.
It is also a match for career-focused movers who want salary upside and year-round outdoor access. Median household income runs 10% higher ($52,941), and typical weather is the more comfortable of the two — around 78°F. That pairing is for people who will work hard and then actually use the evenings.
St Louis is the better fit for families with young children and retirees who prioritize peace of mind over urban energy. The crime index is 17% lower than Memphis (116 vs a 100 national average). That gap shows up in how freely you walk at night and how much attention you spend on the car and the deadbolt.
Bottom line
If weather is your priority, St Louis is the clear choice.
If safety matters more to you, St Louis pulls ahead.
For most movers comparing these two cities, St Louis offers the better overall package.
Common questions
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