While big cities like St. Louis offer culture, cuisine, and charisma, they also deliver terrible traffic, towering expenses, and a taxing quality of life.
With that in mind, we wanted to uncover the best suburbs around St. Louis. These burbs have all of the benefits of being near St. Louis without actually having to be in the city.
Of course, not all suburbs of St. Louis are created equally, which is precisely why we set out to find the best ones. Using Saturday Night Science, we delve into the factors that matter most, from commutes and housing costs to community vibes, to help you uncover the perfect suburban spots in the Greater St. Louis area.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 10 best suburbs to live around St. Louis for 2025:
What’s the best suburb of St. Louis? Glendale ranks as the best suburb of St. Louis for 2025 based on the most recent Census and FBI data. If you happen to be a resident of Glendale, you’re probably not too surprised to find it on the top our list.
We’ll tell you what makes each of these 10 St. Louis ‘burbs better than the rest–but first, a bit about our methodology.
Feel free to check out some more reading about Missouri:
The 10 Best St. Louis Suburbs To Live For 2025
/10
Population: 6,111
Median Income: $168,750
Unemployment Rate: 0.2%
Poverty Rate: 2.2%
More on Glendale: Data
Glendale is always mentioned as one of the best suburbs in the St. Louis area. We’ll tell you the good about “Awesome Glendale.”
Everyone here is rich; families average $168,750 a year, which is the 7th highest in the St. Louis region. And only 0.23% are out of work. Homes average more than $510,100 each.
/10
Population: 8,948
Median Income: $250,001
Unemployment Rate: 0.8%
Poverty Rate: 1.5%
More on Ladue: Data
Ladue is the second best ‘burb we looked at near St. Louis for 2025.
It ranks 1st for incomes in the area and only 0.86% of residents lack insurance, good for 3rd best.
3. Warson Woods, MO
/10
Population: 2,312
Median Income: $200,104
Unemployment Rate: 1.2%
Poverty Rate: 1.9%
More on Warson Woods:
Here in Warson Woods, it’s really safe, and residents are just about as rich as you’ll see in the St. Louis metro area.
The bad side? Schools are more crowded, and the cost of living puts a large part of the city out of reach for most families.
But price is based on demand and a lot of people want to live in Warson Woods.
/10
Population: 9,145
Median Income: $214,167
Unemployment Rate: 0.5%
Poverty Rate: 2.2%
More on Des Peres: Data
Des Peres ranks as the 4th best suburb of St. Louis for 2025.
You won’t find many better places to raise your kids in the region than in Des Peres and the schools are some of the best around.
5. Clarkson Valley, MO
/10
Population: 2,592
Median Income: $238,333
Unemployment Rate: 2.6%
Poverty Rate: 1.0%
More on Clarkson Valley:
Coming in as the fifth best is Clarkson Valley.
Clarkson Valley gets kudos for having the 4th most expensive homes in the St. Louis area, where houses sell for an average of $821,100. However, the cost of living here is among the highest in the area.
/10
Population: 17,282
Median Income: $128,898
Unemployment Rate: 2.5%
Poverty Rate: 8.1%
More on Clayton: Data
Clayton is proud of its 6th place finish on this list. And here’s why.
Most residents have great jobs and the unemployment rate sits at 2.53%.
According to online reports, Clayton is quickly becoming one of the more affluent suburbs in the St. Louis area, meaning you need to get in soon.
/10
Population: 12,298
Median Income: $115,512
Unemployment Rate: 1.4%
Poverty Rate: 4.3%
More on Crestwood: Data
The 7th best suburb on our list goes to Crestwood.
Crestwood schools are some of the best in the region, and crime is really low. The cost of living makes it a lot more desirable for many families, especially first-time home buyers.
And, it’s only 9.0 miles to downtown, which is a good thing.
/10
Population: 11,605
Median Income: $237,083
Unemployment Rate: 2.8%
Poverty Rate: 2.5%
More on Town And Country: Data
Town and Country is growing quickly, and for a good reason. Crime is far below average, and most residents are gainfully employed. Even the cost of living is reasonable.
A solid 1.03% of people lack insurance, good for 4th in the area.
9. Frontenac, MO
/10
Population: 3,669
Median Income: $225,813
Unemployment Rate: 5.0%
Poverty Rate: 2.0%
More on Frontenac:
Is ‘Everything Better In Frontenac?’
Almost.
It placed 9th on our list thanks to the fact that it’s really expensive to live here, but the schools are great, so you get what you pay for in that regard.
/10
Population: 23,771
Median Income: $110,716
Unemployment Rate: 4.0%
Poverty Rate: 3.6%
More on Webster Groves: Data
And rounding out the top ten for 2025 is Webster Groves.
This city is far above average in every category, and the best part? It’s far more affordable than the other cities listed above. So, you get a big bang for your buck here.
Methodology: How We Determined The Best Suburbs Around St. Louis for 2025
Figuring out the best suburbs around St. Louis was simple. We used Saturday Night Science to find things people like about living in the suburbs and then locate the suburbs with those things.
We analyzed the newest American Community Survey data for 2019-2023 to research each suburb. We decided upon the following criteria:
- Low unemployment rate
- High median household incomes
- Population density (lots of things to do)
- High home values
- A lot of college-educated people
- Low poverty
- High rate of insured families
We defined a suburb as being within 30 miles of St. Louis.
Additionally, we limited the analysis to places that have over 2,000 people. This left us with a grand total of 92 suburbs to evaluate around St. Louis.
We ranked each place with scores from 1 to 92 in each category, where 1 was the “best.
Next, we averaged the rankings for each place to create a quality-of-life index.
Finally, we crowned the city with the best quality of life index, the “Best Suburb near St. Louis.” We’re lookin’ at you, Glendale.
This result may differ from our state-wide data as we did not include commute times and crime for this analysis to allow for a more extensive selection of suburbs.
We updated the data for 2025. This report is our tenth time ranking the best St. Louis suburbs. Skip to the end to see the list of all the suburbs ranked from best to worst.
Summary: Welcome to the Best St. Louis ‘Burbs of 2025
We said it once, and we’ll say it again–life in the big city isn’t for everyone. At least not all the time.
The best suburbs of St. Louis are .
So if you’re craving the amenities of a larger city like St. Louis but don’t want to deal with the drawbacks, one of these suburbs might be for you.
For more Missouri reading, check out:
Table: Best St. Louis Suburbs
| Rank | City | Population | Median Income | Average Home Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Glendale, MO | 6,111 | $168,750 | $510,100 |
| 2 | Ladue, MO | 8,948 | $250,001 | $1,027,000 |
| 3 | Warson Woods, MO | 2,312 | $200,104 | $573,600 |
| 4 | Des Peres, MO | 9,145 | $214,167 | $591,800 |
| 5 | Clarkson Valley, MO | 2,592 | $238,333 | $821,100 |
| 6 | Clayton, MO | 17,282 | $128,898 | $799,200 |
| 7 | Crestwood, MO | 12,298 | $115,512 | $291,400 |
| 8 | Town And Country, MO | 11,605 | $237,083 | $895,000 |
| 9 | Frontenac, MO | 3,669 | $225,813 | $1,004,500 |
| 10 | Webster Groves, MO | 23,771 | $110,716 | $371,400 |
| 11 | Dardenne Prairie, MO | 13,137 | $155,585 | $392,300 |
| 12 | Kirkwood, MO | 29,302 | $117,439 | $421,500 |
| 13 | Chesterfield, MO | 49,591 | $133,380 | $458,000 |
| 14 | Brentwood, MO | 8,151 | $86,641 | $276,100 |
| 15 | Richmond Heights, MO | 9,179 | $90,670 | $345,400 |
| 16 | Shrewsbury, MO | 6,328 | $84,942 | $266,600 |
| 17 | Ballwin, MO | 30,835 | $121,170 | $353,400 |
| 18 | Olivette, MO | 8,539 | $105,898 | $450,100 |
| 19 | Wildwood, MO | 35,168 | $157,750 | $472,800 |
| 20 | Columbia, MO | 11,063 | $107,922 | $290,100 |
| 21 | Troy, MO | 10,889 | $97,825 | $240,800 |
| 22 | Weldon Spring, MO | 5,291 | $155,081 | $523,300 |
| 23 | Ellisville, MO | 9,908 | $105,276 | $347,300 |
| 24 | Sunset Hills, MO | 9,113 | $133,895 | $522,300 |
| 25 | Cottleville, MO | 5,750 | $114,420 | $381,900 |
| 26 | Rock Hill, MO | 4,708 | $91,477 | $256,400 |
| 27 | Creve Coeur, MO | 18,643 | $119,454 | $566,100 |
| 28 | O’fallon, MO | 92,697 | $107,203 | $305,100 |
| 29 | Shiloh, MO | 14,109 | $100,058 | $276,900 |
| 30 | Smithton, MO | 3,512 | $114,453 | $251,600 |
| 31 | Manchester, MO | 18,189 | $92,839 | $298,400 |
| 32 | O’fallon, MO | 32,139 | $102,793 | $274,100 |
| 33 | Eureka, MO | 12,371 | $108,947 | $352,200 |
| 34 | Maplewood, MO | 8,154 | $65,510 | $231,500 |
| 35 | St. Peters, MO | 58,200 | $89,827 | $252,800 |
| 36 | St. Charles, MO | 71,048 | $85,522 | $280,800 |
| 37 | Maryville, MO | 8,280 | $100,813 | $253,100 |
| 38 | Waterloo, MO | 11,055 | $92,005 | $237,900 |
| 39 | Fenton, MO | 4,087 | $97,991 | $362,800 |
| 40 | Glen Carbon, MO | 13,521 | $92,434 | $278,200 |
| 41 | Marlborough, MO | 2,366 | $47,011 | $187,900 |
| 42 | Edwardsville, MO | 26,543 | $92,671 | $286,700 |
| 43 | Millstadt, MO | 4,013 | $94,536 | $205,400 |
| 44 | Maryland Heights, MO | 27,981 | $86,485 | $215,300 |
| 45 | Lebanon, MO | 4,431 | $84,766 | $146,600 |
| 46 | Godfrey, MO | 17,743 | $92,746 | $181,400 |
| 47 | Green Park, MO | 2,688 | $75,833 | $215,100 |
| 48 | Swansea, MO | 14,603 | $84,367 | $211,700 |
| 49 | Herculaneum, MO | 4,925 | $88,778 | $222,100 |
| 50 | Mascoutah, MO | 8,743 | $93,902 | $226,300 |
| 51 | Pacific, MO | 7,299 | $57,119 | $244,000 |
| 52 | Freeburg, MO | 4,336 | $84,464 | $231,900 |
| 53 | Fairview Heights, MO | 16,255 | $77,960 | $166,800 |
| 54 | Florissant, MO | 51,915 | $66,344 | $136,200 |
| 55 | Arnold, MO | 20,884 | $75,194 | $209,700 |
| 56 | New Baden, MO | 3,493 | $77,542 | $160,600 |
| 57 | Brighton, MO | 2,536 | $74,327 | $123,000 |
| 58 | Collinsville, MO | 24,126 | $65,170 | $157,700 |
| 59 | Bethalto, MO | 9,244 | $66,469 | $158,600 |
| 60 | Valley Park, MO | 6,817 | $64,470 | $232,900 |
| 61 | Dellwood, MO | 4,869 | $71,171 | $79,800 |
| 62 | Bridgeton, MO | 11,372 | $73,320 | $234,100 |
| 63 | Belleville, MO | 41,722 | $60,529 | $131,000 |
| 64 | St. Ann, MO | 12,865 | $52,059 | $118,600 |
| 65 | Black Jack, MO | 6,606 | $65,920 | $187,600 |
| 66 | Pevely, MO | 6,037 | $64,660 | $203,700 |
| 67 | Wood River, MO | 10,315 | $65,960 | $103,200 |
| 68 | Moline Acres, MO | 2,806 | $55,069 | $76,500 |
| 69 | Woodson Terrace, MO | 3,935 | $49,650 | $100,600 |
| 70 | Overland, MO | 15,762 | $57,755 | $121,500 |
| 71 | Northwoods, MO | 3,654 | $40,787 | $72,300 |
| 72 | St. John, MO | 6,562 | $50,429 | $96,900 |
| 73 | Alton, MO | 25,430 | $53,005 | $99,500 |
| 74 | East Alton, MO | 5,729 | $46,926 | $99,600 |
| 75 | Dupo, MO | 3,914 | $57,899 | $109,000 |
| 76 | Byrnes Mill, MO | 3,168 | $87,663 | $249,500 |
| 77 | Hazelwood, MO | 25,214 | $55,930 | $154,900 |
| 78 | Ferguson, MO | 18,350 | $46,106 | $99,300 |
| 79 | Pontoon Beach, MO | 6,131 | $59,375 | $137,900 |
| 80 | Berkeley, MO | 8,149 | $40,654 | $80,000 |
| 81 | Bellefontaine Neighbors, MO | 10,562 | $48,354 | $92,500 |
| 82 | Riverview, MO | 2,688 | $53,506 | $74,000 |
| 83 | Breckenridge Hills, MO | 4,413 | $44,800 | $92,700 |
| 84 | Normandy, MO | 4,263 | $33,421 | $91,400 |
| 85 | Caseyville, MO | 4,170 | $57,919 | $94,900 |
| 86 | Bel-Ridge, MO | 2,714 | $39,878 | $88,900 |
| 87 | South Roxana, MO | 2,180 | $56,364 | $87,200 |
| 88 | Pagedale, MO | 2,547 | $30,908 | $77,500 |
| 89 | East St. Louis, MO | 18,278 | $30,992 | $52,700 |
| 90 | Jennings, MO | 12,900 | $37,356 | $62,300 |
| 91 | Pine Lawn, MO | 2,738 | $19,924 | $51,700 |
| 92 | Madison, MO | 2,788 | $44,181 | $51,200 |