Moving from Boston to St. Louis

The Story

Boston-to-St. Louis is dramatic cost-relief move with similar tax. MA 5% → MO 4.95% saves $50/yr (negligible). Housing 72% CHEAPER ($755K → $215K), COL 45% lower. Pull: Anheuser-Busch InBev HQ, Boeing Defense, Edward Jones, affordable city living.

Why This Move

Why people move from Boston to St. Louis.

Housing 72% cheaper — $755K Boston becomes $215K STL (transformative)
Cost of living 45% lower
Tax change minimal (MA 5% to MO 4.95%)
Anheuser-Busch InBev HQ
Boeing Defense — major aerospace employer
Edward Jones (suburban) — finance
Washington University in St. Louis (top-tier private)
Property taxes lower (MO 1.0% vs MA 1.2%)

Cost Comparison

The money side of MA → MO.

Boston

Median home$755,000
Income tax5% (MA flat)
Cost index162

St. Louis

Median home$215,000
Income tax4.95% (MO top)
Cost index89

What to Do in St. Louis

Things you'll want to know about your new city.

Bookmark this page — these are the icons of St. Louis, organized by what kind of day you're planning.

Outdoors & Recreation

Forest Park — 1,300 acres (50% larger than Central Park) with FREE zoo, art museum, history museum, science center
Missouri Botanical Garden — 1859 garden; Climatron, Japanese Garden, 79 acres

Culture & Arts

Gateway Arch National Park — 630-ft Eero Saarinen arch (1965); newest US national park
Saint Louis Art Museum (free) — Free admission in Forest Park; encyclopedic collection
Anheuser-Busch Brewery Tour — Free Clydesdale stable + tour; iconic brewery since 1852
Busch Stadium (Cardinals) — MLB Cardinals; 11 World Series titles (most NL)
The Hill (Italian district) — Italian neighborhood — birthplace of toasted ravioli
Cahokia Mounds (15 min E in IL) — UNESCO World Heritage; pre-Columbian mound city

Family-Friendly

St. Louis Zoo (free) — Top-ranked US zoo — admission is free
City Museum — 10-story repurposed shoe factory turned playground; rooftop ferris wheel

Where to Eat

St. Louis's essential restaurants.

The dining list every St. Louis resident knows by heart. Save the spots, work through them.

Niche / Sidney Street Cafe Modern American Benton Park

Gerard Craft (James Beard winner)
Pastaria Italian Clayton

Gerard Craft — wood-fired pizza, fresh pasta
Pappy's Smokehouse BBQ Midtown

Memphis-style ribs; cult favorite
Bogart's Smokehouse BBQ Soulard

Pappy's offshoot; brisket and burnt ends
Imo's Pizza St. Louis pizza Multiple

Cracker-thin crust, Provel cheese — STL-style icon
Charlie Gitto's Italian The Hill

Original toasted ravioli inventor (allegedly)
Kingside Diner Diner Multiple

Classic American breakfast/diner
Vicia Modern vegetable-forward Central West End

Michael + Tara Gallina; James Beard nominees

Where to Live

Best St. Louis neighborhoods for Boston transplants.

Mapped to the Boston neighborhoods that probably feel like home to you.

Central West End

If Back Bay was your goal — walkable urban, WashU adjacent
The Grove

If Somerville was your scene — walkable, hip, breweries
Soulard

If Beacon Hill was your model — walkable historic, family, restaurants
Clayton (suburb)

If Newton was your goal — affluent, walkable, top schools
Chesterfield (suburb)

If Wellesley was your model — master-planned, top schools
University City (suburb)

If Cambridge college was your draw — WashU adjacent, walkable

Climate & Walkability

What daily life feels like in St. Louis.

Climate

Humid continental. Hot, humid summers (68-89°F). Cold winters (25-43°F) with 17 inches snow. Spring tornado/storm risk. 41 inches rainfall, 202 sun days.

Summer68-89°F
Winter25-43°F
Sun days/yr202
Rainfall41 inches

Walkability

Walk Score64/100
Transit Score47/100
Bike Score52/100

St. Louis is somewhat walkable in central neighborhoods, car-dependent in suburbs.

Outdoors & Recreation

Forest Park — 1,300 acres with free zoo, museums, golf, lakes
Missouri Botanical Garden — 79 acres
Tower Grove Park — 289 acres Victorian park
Mississippi Riverfront — Gateway Arch grounds and beyond
Castlewood State Park (30 min west) — bluffs, hiking, mountain biking
Forest Park bike paths and Trolley Trail

Reality Check

What changes about your daily life.

MA 5% becomes MO 4.95% — $50/yr savings (negligible)
Housing 72% cheaper — meaningful savings
COL 45% lower — major lifestyle improvement
Climate flips humid continental to humid continental — STL more humid summers
Property taxes lower (MO 1.0% vs MA 1.2%)
T → MetroLink (smaller transit)
Cambridge biotech → Boeing Defense/Anheuser-Busch
Sports — gain Cardinals/Blues, lose Sox/Pats/Celts/Bruins

Driving Routes

How to drive there.

I-90 W to I-70 W

1,175 miles via Buffalo, Cleveland, Indianapolis. 18 hours / 2 days.

Move Logistics

What it takes to move 1,175 miles.

Full-service (3BR)$5,500-$10,000
Container/PODS$3,800-$6,500
DIY (26-ft truck)$2,800-$5,000
Best monthsApr-Oct
Lead time6-8 weeks ahead

USDOT-registered.

Common Questions