The 10 Best St. Louis Suburbs To Live In For 2022


We analyzed over 95 places around St. Louis to identify the most in demand places to live.

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Editor’s Note: Data has been updated for 2022. This is our ninth time ranking the best St. Louis suburbs.

Big city living isn't for everyone--but at the same time, urban areas certainly have their perks.

There's the culture, the food, the arts, the food, the energy, and you know, the food. But there are drawbacks. There's traffic, expensive parking, expensive housing--pretty much, expensive everything, depending on which big city you're looking at.

But that's where the suburbs come in--they have all of the benefits of being near big cities, without actually having to be big cities.

Of course, not all suburbs of St. Louis are created equally, which is precisely why we set out to find the best ones. So without further ado...

Here are the 10 best suburbs to live around St. Louis for 2022:

  1. Glendale
  2. Warson Woods
  3. Ladue
  4. Des Peres
  5. Clayton
  6. Brentwood
  7. Frontenac
  8. Dardenne Prairie
  9. Clarkson Valley
  10. Webster Groves

What's the best suburb of St. Louis? Glendale ranks as the best suburb of St. Louis for 2022 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.

Note: 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 larger selection of suburbs.

Feel free to check out some more reading about Missouri:

The 10 Best St. Louis Suburbs To Live For 2022

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 $141,622 a year, which is the 7th highest in the St. Louis region. And only 0.85% are out of work. Homes average more than $415,900 each.

Overall SnackAbility

7
/10

Population: 5,881
Rank Last Year: 1 (No Change)
Median Income: $141,622
Unemployment Rate: 0.9%
Poverty Rate: 3.4%
More on Glendale: Real Estate | Data | Photos

Glendale, MO

Warson Woods is the second best 'burb we looked at near St. Louis for 2022.

It ranks 6th for incomes in the area and only 0.63% of residents lack insurance, good for 2nd best.

Overall SnackAbility

10
/10

Population: 2,387
Rank Last Year: 2 (No Change)
Median Income: $166,042
Unemployment Rate: 1.8%
Poverty Rate: 2.5%
More on Warson Woods: Real Estate | Data

Here in Ladue, 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 Ladue.

Overall SnackAbility

10
/10

Population: 8,631
Rank Last Year: 4 (Up 1)
Median Income: $242,792
Unemployment Rate: 0.7%
Poverty Rate: 1.9%
More on Ladue: Real Estate | Data | Photos

Ladue, MO

Des Peres ranks as the 4th best suburb of St. Louis for 2022.

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.

Overall SnackAbility

7.5
/10

Population: 8,654
Rank Last Year: 3 (Down 1)
Median Income: $173,672
Unemployment Rate: 1.3%
Poverty Rate: 1.9%
More on Des Peres: Real Estate | Data | Photos

Des Peres, MO

Coming in as the fifth best is Clayton.

Clayton gets kudos for having the 5th most expensive homes in the St. Louis area, where houses sell for an average of $605,700. However, the cost of living here is among the highest in the area.

Overall SnackAbility

8
/10

Population: 16,763
Rank Last Year: 7 (Up 2)
Median Income: $108,387
Unemployment Rate: 2.2%
Poverty Rate: 8.0%
More on Clayton: Real Estate | Data | Photos

Clayton, MO

Brentwood 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 1.34% which is 5th best in the area.

According to online reports, Brentwood is quickly becoming one of the more affluent suburbs in the St. Louis area, meaning you need to get in soon.

Overall SnackAbility

8
/10

Population: 7,986
Rank Last Year: 6 (No Change)
Median Income: $80,486
Unemployment Rate: 1.3%
Poverty Rate: 3.5%
More on Brentwood: Real Estate | Data | Photos

Brentwood, MO

The 7th best suburb on our list goes to Frontenac.

Frontenac 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 9.4 miles to downtown, which is a good thing.

Overall SnackAbility

9.5
/10

Population: 3,538
Rank Last Year: 5 (Down 2)
Median Income: $174,676
Unemployment Rate: 2.3%
Poverty Rate: 2.5%
More on Frontenac: Real Estate | Data | Photos

Frontenac, MO

Dardenne Prairie 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 3.0% of people lack insurance, good for 30th in the area.

Overall SnackAbility

7
/10

Population: 13,385
Rank Last Year: 10 (Up 2)
Median Income: $134,267
Unemployment Rate: 2.1%
Poverty Rate: 1.8%
More on Dardenne Prairie: Real Estate | Data

Dardenne Prairie, MO

Is 'Everything Better In Clarkson Valley?'

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.

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 2,619
Rank Last Year: 8 (Down 1)
Median Income: $208,000
Unemployment Rate: 3.3%
Poverty Rate: 0.5%
More on Clarkson Valley: Real Estate | Data

And rounding out the top ten for 2022 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.

Overall SnackAbility

7.5
/10

Population: 22,906
Rank Last Year: 9 (Down 1)
Median Income: $94,479
Unemployment Rate: 4.4%
Poverty Rate: 3.9%
More on Webster Groves: Real Estate | Data | Photos

Webster Groves, MO

Methodology: How We Determined The Best Suburbs Around St. Louis for 2022

Figuring out the best suburbs around St. Louis was pretty simple; we just needed to list several things that people like, and then find out which cities have the most of those things.

We threw a lot of criteria at this one in order to get the best, most complete results possible:

  • 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

Then we used the newest American Community Survey data for 2016-2020 to research each suburb.

FYI: 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 97 suburbs to evaluate around St. Louis.

We ranked each place with scores from 1 to 97 in each category, where 1 was the "best.

Next, we averaged the rankings for each place to create a quality of life index.

And finally, we crowned the city with the best quality of life index the "Best Suburb near St. Louis." We're lookin' at you, Glendale. You can download the data here.

Read on below to learn more about what it's like to live in the best of the best. Or 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 2022

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.

So if you're hankering for some of the amenities of a larger city like St. Louis, but don't want to deal with the drawbacks, one of these suburbs might just be for you.

For more Missouri reading, check out:

Detailed List Of The Best St. Louis Suburbs

Rank City Population Median Income
1 Glendale, MO 5,881 $141,622
2 Warson Woods, MO 2,387 $166,042
3 Ladue, MO 8,631 $242,792
4 Des Peres, MO 8,654 $173,672
5 Clayton, MO 16,763 $108,387
6 Brentwood, MO 7,986 $80,486
7 Frontenac, MO 3,538 $174,676
8 Dardenne Prairie, MO 13,385 $134,267
9 Clarkson Valley, MO 2,619 $208,000
10 Webster Groves, MO 22,906 $94,479
11 Town And Country, MO 11,109 $202,974
12 Shrewsbury, MO 6,108 $70,341
13 Wildwood, MO 35,476 $135,177
14 Ballwin, MO 30,177 $97,174
15 Richmond Heights, MO 8,581 $88,289
16 Chesterfield, MO 47,603 $120,394
17 Olivette, MO 7,837 $90,123
18 Weldon Spring, MO 5,536 $117,297
19 Kirkwood, MO 27,772 $94,067
20 Eureka, MO 10,203 $112,750
21 Crestwood, MO 11,859 $94,161
22 Creve Coeur, MO 18,627 $95,699
23 O'fallon, MO 29,487 $90,432
24 Cottleville, MO 5,439 $124,310
25 Rock Hill, MO 4,634 $75,895
26 O'fallon, MO 88,132 $92,498
27 Sunset Hills, MO 8,466 $100,972
28 Columbia, MO 10,692 $107,500
29 Ellisville, MO 9,752 $78,961
30 Smithton, MO 4,019 $88,879
31 Manchester, MO 18,102 $78,381
32 Shiloh, MO 13,465 $87,076
33 Troy, MO 10,278 $76,672
34 Maryville, MO 7,962 $84,293
35 St. Peters, MO 57,536 $80,119
36 Waterloo, MO 10,417 $71,207
37 St. Charles, MO 70,650 $71,232
38 Maplewood, MO 8,073 $49,833
39 Glen Carbon, MO 12,468 $84,956
40 Swansea, MO 14,100 $81,625
41 Fenton, MO 4,033 $94,826
42 Freeburg, MO 3,911 $64,702
43 Green Park, MO 2,626 $59,724
44 New Baden, MO 3,150 $79,412
45 Maryland Heights, MO 26,996 $69,973
46 Millstadt, MO 3,882 $78,379
47 Bethalto, MO 9,258 $66,834
48 Lebanon, MO 4,443 $61,298
49 Godfrey, MO 17,540 $73,041
50 Byrnes Mill, MO 2,983 $86,944
51 Edwardsville, MO 25,332 $75,271
52 Marlborough, MO 2,727 $44,375
53 Fairview Heights, MO 16,143 $68,505
54 Pevely, MO 5,937 $66,155
55 Arnold, MO 21,144 $64,678
56 Brighton, MO 2,315 $61,167
57 Mascoutah, MO 8,454 $74,937
58 Belleville, MO 41,256 $52,843
59 Florissant, MO 51,220 $58,769
60 Collinsville, MO 24,489 $56,250
61 St. Ann, MO 12,689 $47,994
62 Pacific, MO 6,780 $45,021
63 Normandy, MO 4,868 $39,509
64 St. John, MO 6,369 $53,288
65 Black Jack, MO 6,930 $57,298
66 Woodson Terrace, MO 4,044 $58,548
67 Dellwood, MO 5,010 $60,038
68 Bridgeton, MO 11,577 $61,207
69 Breckenridge Hills, MO 4,590 $44,391
70 Hazelwood, MO 25,222 $52,201
71 Wood River, MO 10,149 $50,047
72 Overland, MO 15,644 $46,109
73 Herculaneum, MO 4,081 $66,773
74 East Alton, MO 6,021 $52,773
75 Caseyville, MO 4,203 $51,610
76 Valley Park, MO 6,813 $57,124
77 Northwoods, MO 4,099 $37,121
78 Pontoon Beach, MO 5,822 $56,005
79 Riverview, MO 2,848 $45,156
80 Bellefontaine Neighbors, MO 10,441 $41,815
81 Alton, MO 26,490 $43,291
82 Moline Acres, MO 2,810 $43,293
83 Ferguson, MO 20,631 $37,376
84 Dupo, MO 3,917 $40,049
85 Berkeley, MO 8,912 $35,027
86 Jennings, MO 14,672 $31,952
87 Bel-Ridge, MO 2,686 $36,169
88 Pine Lawn, MO 3,604 $24,493
89 South Roxana, MO 2,304 $41,769
90 Cahokia, MO 14,035 $30,299
91 Pagedale, MO 3,301 $26,272
92 East St. Louis, MO 26,359 $24,009
93 Madison, MO 2,941 $30,592
94 Centreville, MO 4,946 $22,098
95 Washington Park, MO 3,909 $21,065
96 Venice, MO 2,040 $28,681
97 Alorton, MO 2,077 $19,764

How Is Your Town In ?

About Chris Kolmar

Chris Kolmar has been in the real estate business for almost ten years now. He originally worked for Movoto Real Estate as the director of marketing before founding HomeSnacks.

He believes the key to finding the right place to live comes down to looking at the data, reading about things to do, and, most importantly, checking it out yourself before you move.

If you've been looking for a place to live in the past several years, you've probably stumbled upon his writing already.

You can find out more about him on LinkedIn or his website.