OH → MO · Arch City to Gateway City

Moving from Columbus to St. Louis?

Columbus to STL — OH ~6% to MO ~6.95% costs $950/yr more, housing 4% cheaper — Nationwide/JPM → BJC + Wash U + Express Scripts + Boeing Defense + Anheuser-Busch.

415 mi Distance
6 hr Drive time
4% lower Home prices
$-950/yr Tax savings on $100K

The Story

Columbus-to-STL is Cardinal Health → BJC + Wash U + Express Scripts move — direct pharma distribution bridge. OH+Columbus 6% → MO+STL 6.95% costs $950/yr more. Housing 4% cheaper, COL 3% lower. Pull: BJC HealthCare (Cerner bridge), Wash U Medical (top academic), Express Scripts (Cigna), Boeing Defense, Anheuser-Busch HQ.

Why This Move

Why people move from Columbus to St. Louis.

BJC HealthCare + Wash U Medical — top-tier academic medicine (Cerner bridge)
Express Scripts (Cigna) — pharma benefits (direct Cardinal Health pharma lateral)
Boeing Defense — F-15, F/A-18 production
Anheuser-Busch HQ — Fortune 200
Edward Jones HQ — finance
Cheaper housing (4% less than Columbus)
Lower COL (3% less than Columbus)
Free Forest Park (zoo, museums) + Gateway Arch

Cost Comparison

The money side of OH → MO.

Columbus

Median home$230,000
Income tax3.5% OH + 2.5% Columbus (~6%)
Cost index89

St. Louis

Median home$220,000
Income tax4.95% MO + 1% STL + ~1% local (~6.95%)
Cost index86

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 Columbus transplants.

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

Central West End

If Short North was your scene — walkable, restaurants, near Wash U
The Grove

If Italian Village was your vibe — gentrified, walkable
Soulard

If German Village was your historic vibe — French Quarter vibe, walkable
Clayton (suburb)

If Dublin was your model — top schools, walkable downtown
Kirkwood (suburb)

If New Albany was your scene — top schools, walkable historic downtown
Tower Grove South

If you wanted historic charm — tree-lined, 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.

OH+Columbus 6% becomes MO+STL 6.95% — costs $950/year more on $100K
Housing 4% cheaper — $230K Columbus becomes $220K STL
COL 3% lower
Climate similar humid continental (STL hotter summers, milder winters)
Property tax MO 1.0% lower than OH 1.4%
Car-dependent both
Cardinal Health → BJC + Express Scripts pharma direct bridge
Sports — gain Cardinals/Blues, lose Buckeyes/Blue Jackets/Crew

Driving Routes

How to drive there.

I-70 W

415 miles via Indianapolis. 6 hours / 1 day.

Move Logistics

What it takes to move 415 miles.

Full-service (3BR)$2,800-$5,200
Container/PODS$2,200-$3,800
DIY (26-ft truck)$1,500-$2,800
Best monthsApr-Oct (avoid winter)
Lead time4-6 weeks ahead

USDOT-registered.

Common Questions