Affordable Storage in St. Louis

Moving and storage go hand in hand. Whether traveling across town or the country, moving is an exciting and fresh start. While Storage Rentals of America is here to help you with all your storage needs, we also want to help you get familiar with the area. That's why we put together this resource guide for St. Louis.

About St. Louis, MO

St. Louis is a unique city because it straddles the two states of Missouri and Illinois. On the Missouri side, the 2020 census counted 301,578 people living there. However, when the Illinois side is included, the population exceeds 2.8 million in the bi-state metropolitan area, making it America's 20th largest combined statistical area according to the U.S. Census.

Many people do not know that the word Mississippi is the name of a Native American people who occupied this part of the continent for thousands of years before the European settlers arrived. The first Europeans to come to the area were Frenchmen who were fur traders. The city was founded in 1764 by these explorers and named after King Louis IX of France.

The British did not like the French, and after France was defeated in the Seven Years’ War, it was forced to cede all the territory east of the Mississippi River to Great Britain. The land west of the river France ceded to Spain. In 1800, Spain gave Louisiana back to France. In 1803, Napoleon got fed up with trying to control the territory and sold it to the newly formed United States for an outrageously low price of US$15 million (equivalent to $18 per square mile) in a transaction called the Louisiana Purchase.

In contemporary times, St. Louis is amazing and has a wonderful style.

What to do in St. Louis, MO

St. Louis has many things for the locals and visitors to enjoy.

• Features: The Mississippi River and the Gateway Arch are the city’s defining features.
• Events: Popular events include the St. Louis Americana Festival, St. Louis International Film Festival, St. Louis Greek Festival, Flyover Comedy Festival, Festival of Nations, St. Louis Renaissance Festival, Big Muddy Blues Festival, the Whitaker Music Festival and more.
• Museums: There are terrific museums worth visiting, including the St. Louis Science Center with thousands of exhibits, the Contemporary Art Museum, the Miniature Museum of Greater St. Louis with scale models and dollhouses, the National Blues Museum, and many more.
• Destination: The Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site has some historical records and archeological discoveries from the Native Americans who lived here 1,000 years ago.

Working in St. Louis, MO

The unemployment rate in this city is 6.3%, which is a bit high. The local economy depends on health care, retail, manufacturing, and education. The median household income is $48,751 per year. This amount is about $20,000 less than the U.S. average household income of $69,021. The economy is slowing in job growth. St. Louis's predicted job growth rate for the next decade is low at 23.9%, compared to the prediction for the national growth rate of 33.5%.

The industries offering the most jobs are healthcare (14.2%), hotels/restaurants (10.5%), educational (10.4%), professional, scientific, technical services (6.5%), public administration (5.9%), finance/insurance (4.7%), administrative/waste management (4.8%).

St. Louis, MO Neighborhoods

St. Louis has many marvelous choices for places to consider when looking for a home to buy or a place to rent.

Here are a few of the best neighborhoods with the most expensive homes:

• Crystal Lake Park / Huntleigh: This neighborhood is well-established, with many homes built in the 1940s. The median real estate price is $844,863. This price is more expensive than 98.8% of Missouri. Rental homes are $2,667 monthly. The vacancy rate is 5%.
• Westwood / Frontenac: The median real estate price in this area is $790,885. Homes rent for $2,781 per month. The vacancy rate is 4.8%.
• Vandeventer West: This area has a median real estate price of $524,994. Apartments are available to rent for $1,525 monthly. The vacancy rate is 7.4%, so finding a place to rent is easy.
• Oakville Southeast: This gorgeous neighborhood has a median home sales price of $498,068. Rental units cost $1,559 monthly. The vacancy rate is a paltry 1.1%, so finding a place to buy or rent is a challenge in this area.

St. Louis, MO School District

The public school district is St. Louis Public Schools. The district spends around $11,051 per student yearly on education. The student-to-teacher ratio is 19 to one, which makes a crowded classroom experience for students.

St. Louis has 36 private schools. The top-ranked ones are City Academy (PK to 6th), Crossroads College Preparatory School (7th to 12th), and MAP St. Louis (7th to 12th).

Within a 50-mile radius, there are 36 colleges and universities. A four-year private school is Saint Louis University. Webster University is in St. Louis. It is a four-year private school. The best public four-year school is the University of Missouri – St. Louis.

Moving to St. Louis, MO Resource Guide

The city government has a mayor and 15 members on the Board of Aldermen responsible for the local governance.

The Department of Parks, Recreation and Forestry manages the public parks, including the city's beautiful Forest Park and 107 other public parks. These parks feature fountains, gardens, hayrides, lakes, monuments, and statues. This department manages the recreational centers, events, and athletic programs for youth and adults. There are boathouses, dog parks, golf courses, pickleball centers, and much more to enjoy.

St. Louis, MO Housing

The median home price in St. Louis is $200,00, trending up by 7.2% year-over-year. It is a buyer’s market with more houses listed for sale than buyers who are interested.

One great thing about St. Louis is the reasonable cost of living. It is 4% lower than other Missouri cities and 15% lower than the national average.