Cost of living in Lake St. Louis research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Lake St. Louis is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Missouri, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Lake St. Louis is 109, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Lake St. Louis is 1.1x higher than the national average.
Lake St. Louis ranks as the #125 cheapest in Missouri out of 142.
Lake St. Louis ranks as the #3,556 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Lake St. Louis is $426,956.
The median income in Lake St. Louis is $123,427.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Lake St. Louis has an overall cost of living index of 109, which is 1.1x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to Missouri, Lake St. Louis has a cost of living index that's 1.2x higher than Missouri's index of 88.
The standard of living in Lake St. Louis ranks as #125 most affordable out of the 142 places we measured in Missouri. By definition, that implies Lake St. Louis ranks as the #17 most expensive place in the Show Me State.
For more reading on life in Lake St. Louis, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Lake St. Louis. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Lake St. Louis is 94.
The Groceries index in Lake St. Louis is 99.
The Health index in Lake St. Louis is 87.
The Housing index in Lake St. Louis is 145.
The Transportation index in Lake St. Louis is 95.
The Utilities index in Lake St. Louis is 100.
| Living Expense | Lake St. Louis | Missouri | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 109 | 88 | 100 | |
| Services | 94 | 93 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 99 | 96 | 100 | |
| Health | 87 | 91 | 100 | |
| Housing | 145 | 78 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 95 | 90 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 100 | 99 | 100 | |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Missouri, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2019-2023. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Lake St. Louis is $426,956.
The Median Rent in Lake St. Louis is $1,608.
The Median Income in Lake St. Louis is $123,427.
The Home Value To Income in Lake St. Louis is 3.5x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Lake St. Louis is 0.16x.
| Statistic | Lake St. Louis | Missouri | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $426,956 | $257,929 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $1,608 | $996 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $123,427 | $68,920 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 3.5x | 3.7x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.16x | 0.17x | 0.21x |
| Item | Lake St. Louis | Missouri |
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | $1.11 | $1.28 |
| Movie | $11.28 | $12.13 |
| Bowling | $16.92 | $18 |
| Haircut | $21.19 | $24.26 |
| Beauty Salon | $40.57 | $45.56 |
| Item | Lake St. Louis | Missouri |
|---|---|---|
| Ground Beef | $6.4 | $5.84 |
| Fried Chicken | $1.36 | $1.57 |
| Milk | $4.5 | $4.67 |
| Potatoes | $5.28 | $4.93 |
| Pizza | $10.84 | $12.09 |
| Beer | $9.47 | $10.41 |
| Toothpaste | $3.75 | $3.7 |
| Item | Lake St. Louis | Missouri |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $125.72 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $124.51 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $100.78 | $113.29 |
| Item | Lake St. Louis | Missouri |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $3.2 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $50.0 | $59.92 |
| Item | Lake St. Louis | Missouri |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $133.84 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $188.69 | $192.25 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Lake St. Louis. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
O'Fallon, MO has a cost of living index of 105, 1.0x Lake St. Louis.
St. Peters, MO has a cost of living index of 96, 0.9x Lake St. Louis.
Chesterfield, MO has a cost of living index of 121, 1.1x Lake St. Louis.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Lake St. Louis |
|---|---|---|---|
| O'Fallon, MO | 92,697 | 105 | 1.0x |
| St. Peters, MO | 58,200 | 96 | 0.9x |
| Chesterfield, MO | 49,591 | 121 | 1.1x |
| Wentzville, MO | 45,734 | 104 | 1.0x |
| Wildwood, MO | 35,168 | 124 | 1.1x |
| Ballwin, MO | 30,835 | 109 | 1.0x |
| Dardenne Prairie, MO | 13,137 | 113 | 1.0x |
| Town and Country, MO | 11,605 | 161 | 1.5x |
| Ellisville, MO | 9,908 | 105 | 1.0x |
| Cottleville, MO | 5,750 | 120 | 1.1x |