Evansville vs St. Louis
The short version
- Evansville is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 4% lower than in the St. Louis area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $143,100 in Evansville and $197,500 in St. Louis.
- Evansville is growing faster: -0.9% since 2020 vs -7.7%.
- Commutes are shorter in Evansville (18 vs 22 minutes each way).
Side by side
| Evansville, IN | St. Louis, MO | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 116,176 | 278,144 |
| Growth since 2020 | -0.9% | -7.7% |
| People per square mile | 2,453 | 4,507 |
| Median age | 38.2 | 36.8 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 23% | 41% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $53,387 | $56,160 |
| Median home value | $143,100 | $197,500 |
| Home value to income | 2.7× | 3.5× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $975 | $997 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 91.5 | 95.1 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 66.7 | 79.0 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $68,600 | $71,300 |
| Homeowners | 55% | 45% |
| Top state income tax | 2.95% | 4.7% |
| Combined sales tax | 7% | 8.44% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 18.3 | 22.1 |
| Work from home | 6% | 17% |
| Take public transit | 1% | 6% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 5.1% | 5% |
| Poverty rate | 18.4% | 20.6% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 42° / 26° | 40° / 24° |
| July high / low | 89° / 69° | 90° / 71° |
| Precipitation per year | 48 in | 42 in |
| Snowfall per year | 11 in | 17 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 41 | 47 |
| Nights below freezing | 90 | 85 |
| Comfortable months | 3 | 3 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively Moderate | Relatively High |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 91.3 | 98.7 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 58% | 31% |
| Home prices, past year | +2.4% | +4.1% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +38.5% | +40.5% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: Evansville: June and September to October. St. Louis: June and September to October.
Full monthly tables: Evansville weather by month and St. Louis weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $68,600 in Evansville and $71,300 in St. Louis. Moving from Evansville to St. Louis, you would need about $77,900 to match a $75,000 salary.
Which would you pick?
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