St. Louis vs Wichita
The short version
- Wichita is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 6% lower than in the St. Louis area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $190,800 in Wichita and $197,500 in St. Louis.
- Households earn more in Wichita ($64,620 vs $56,160 median).
- Wichita is growing faster: +0.9% since 2020 vs -7.7%.
- Commutes are shorter in Wichita (18 vs 22 minutes each way).
Side by side
| St. Louis, MO | Wichita, KS | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 278,144 | 400,987 |
| Growth since 2020 | -7.7% | +0.9% |
| People per square mile | 4,507 | 2,429 |
| Median age | 36.8 | 35.7 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 41% | 31% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $56,160 | $64,620 |
| Median home value | $197,500 | $190,800 |
| Home value to income | 3.5× | 3.0× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $997 | $975 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 95.1 | 88.9 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 79.0 | 66.2 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $71,300 | $66,700 |
| Homeowners | 45% | 59% |
| Top state income tax | 4.7% | 5.58% |
| Combined sales tax | 8.44% | 8.71% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 22.1 | 18.4 |
| Work from home | 17% | 8% |
| Take public transit | 6% | 1% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 5% | 5.6% |
| Poverty rate | 20.6% | 15.9% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 40° / 24° | 44° / 23° |
| July high / low | 90° / 71° | 93° / 70° |
| Precipitation per year | 42 in | 34 in |
| Snowfall per year | 17 in | 13 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 47 | 65 |
| Nights below freezing | 85 | 103 |
| Comfortable months | 3 | 3 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively High | Relatively High |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 98.7 | 96.6 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 31% | 50% |
| Home prices, past year | +4.1% | +4.5% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +40.5% | +42.1% |
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: St. Louis: June and September to October. Wichita: April and September to October.
Full monthly tables: St. Louis weather by month and Wichita weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $71,300 in St. Louis and $66,700 in Wichita. Moving from St. Louis to Wichita, you would need about $70,200 to match a $75,000 salary.
Which would you pick?
One vote per person. Results show after you vote.