BestCityFor

Best city for remote work? St. Louis, MO

B
Score
53/100
Rank #78 (top 200 cities)
Data: ACS 2023 (5-year)

For remote work, St. Louis lands closer to the middle of the pack but can shine on typical rent (2br), plus work-from-home share. Overall, it’s closer to the median in this set (#78 of 200). A common tradeoff is median household income.

Methodology · Sources · MO rankings

Scope note (city proper)

This page scores the incorporated city limits (Census “Place”), not the metro area. That’s why some cities can look very different vs their surrounding region.

Why St. Louis ranks here

  • Typical rent (2BR): $1,109/mo (23% lower than the national median; better for this metric).
  • Work-from-home share: 15% (21% higher than the national median; better for this metric).
  • Bachelor’s+ rate: 40% (16% higher than the national median; better for this metric).

Watch-outs

  • Median household income: $55,279 (27% lower than the national median; worse for this metric).
  • Broadband subscription: 86% (6% lower than the national median; worse for this metric).

City snapshot

Basic demographics from ACS 2023 (city proper).

Population
293,109
Estimated total population (ACS).
Male vs female
Male 49%Female 51%

Key metrics

Values shown are from ACS 2023. National medians are computed across the ranked city set.

Typical rent (2BR)
$1,109/mo
National median: $1,441/mo
Work-from-home share
15%
National median: 12%
Broadband subscription
86%
National median: 91%
Median household income
$55,279
National median: $75,598
Bachelor’s+ rate
40%
National median: 35%
Commute 45+ min share
7%
National median: 11%

Score breakdown (by category)

Category scores are 0–100 and summarize groups of metrics used in the final score.

City
National median (dataset)
Affordability
Typical 2BR rent and housing pressure.
91/100
Connectivity
Broadband availability as a practical remote-work proxy.
86/100
Workforce
Remote-work adoption and human-capital signals.
19/100
Comfort
Commute friction and climate comfort.
93/100

Education (age 25+)

Share of adults by attainment (ACS).

10%
Less than HS
50%
HS / Some college
22%
Bachelor’s
18%
Advanced

Work style

WFH vs not WFH (ACS).

15%
Work from home
85%
Not WFH

Internet access

Household broadband subscription (ACS).

86%
Broadband
14%
No broadband

Map

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Scorecard breakdown

Bars are rescaled to 0–100 for readability (percentage metrics use their actual percent).

City
National median (dataset)
Typical rent (2BR)
National median $1,441/mo
$1,109/mo
Broadband subscription
National median 91%
86%
Work-from-home share
National median 12%
15%
Median household income
National median $75,598
$55,279
Bachelor’s+ rate
National median 35%
40%
Commute 45+ min share
National median 11%
7%

Similar cities (by score)

#76 Clarksville, TN
53/100
#77 St. Petersburg, FL
53/100
#79 Bakersfield, CA
53/100
#80 Des Moines, IA
53/100

FAQ

›What is St. Louis’s remote work score and rank?
St. Louis, MO scores B (53/100) and ranks #78 out of the top 200 US cities in this dataset.
›Is this based on St. Louis city proper or the metro area?
City proper (incorporated place). This uses Census ‘Place’ boundaries, not the metro area. Metro-level rankings can differ a lot from the city itself.
›What is the population of St. Louis, MO?
Population is about 293,109 (ACS 2023, city proper).
›What is the male vs female split in St. Louis, MO?
About 49% male and 51% female (ACS 2023).
›What is a typical monthly rent in St. Louis, MO?
Typical rent (2BR) is $1,109/mo (national median: $1,441/mo).
›What share of workers work from home in St. Louis, MO?
Work-from-home share is 15% (national median: 12%).
›How common is broadband internet in St. Louis, MO?
Broadband subscription is 86% of households (national median: 91%).
›What does the education mix look like in St. Louis, MO?
Among adults 25+, the shares are roughly: less than HS 10%, HS/some college 50%, bachelor’s 22%, advanced 18%.
›Where does this data come from for St. Louis, MO?
Metrics are from Census ACS 2023 5-year estimates (city proper / incorporated place), with optional NOAA climate normals when available.

Note: Scores are informational and depend on data coverage and methodology. Always validate against your personal constraints (job, neighborhood, commute, safety, schools, healthcare).