Head-to-Head · City Comparison
Alexandria, VA
VS
St. Louis, MO
🏆 Alexandria leads 13 of 22 categories
Alexandria
Virginia
13
wins
Cost of Living Index
108.6⚠ High
Median Household Income
$113,179 ✓ Higher
Violent Crime Index
58 ✓ Safer
Population
157,594
St. Louis
Missouri
9
wins
Cost of Living Index
96.3 ✓ Cheaper
Median Household Income
$52,941
Violent Crime Index
360⚠ High
Population
298,018 ✓ Larger
Pros & Cons
Auto-generated from official data — head-to-head differences and gaps vs the national average.
Alexandria, VA
Pros
Households earn $60,238 more per year on average
84% less violent crime than St. Louis
Stronger job market — unemployment is 2.2 pts lower (3.2%)
More college-educated — 66.0% hold a bachelor's or higher
Violent crime is well below the national average (219.1 vs 380/100k)
Cons
Pricier housing — median home is $655,700
Higher rents — median is $1,983/mo
Cost of living runs 12% higher than St. Louis
Property crime (2640.0/100k) runs high vs the U.S. average
St. Louis, MO
Pros
Homes cost $482k less ($174,100 vs $655,700)
Rent averages $1045/mo less ($938 vs $1,983)
Commutes run 7 min shorter each way
12% cheaper overall cost of living than Alexandria
Smaller class sizes — 11.4:1 student-teacher ratio
Cons
Median income trails Alexandria by $60,238/yr
Violent crime (1367.1/100k) is above the U.S. average of 380
Property crime (5706.9/100k) runs high vs the U.S. average
Higher unemployment (5.4% vs 3.2%)
Key Differences at a Glance
Alexandria
Median Income
$60,238
$113,179 vs $52,941/yr
Alexandria
Violent Crime
84% lower
219.1 vs 1367.1 per 100k
Alexandria
Unemployment
2.2 pp lower
3.2% vs 5.4% unemployment
St. Louis
Cost of Living
12% cheaper
COL index 96.3 vs 108.6 (100 = US avg)
St. Louis
Median Home Value
$482k less
$174,100 vs $655,700
Full Data Comparison
| Metric | Alexandria, VA | St. Louis, MO |
|---|---|---|
| 💰 Cost of Living | ||
| Cost of Living Index National avg = 100 · lower = cheaper | 108.6⚠ High | 96.3 ✓ Cheaper |
| Median Home Value | $655,700⚠ High | $174,100 ✓ Lower |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,983⚠ High | $938 ✓ Lower |
| 📈 Income & Economy | ||
| Median Household Income | $113,179 ✓ Higher | $52,941 |
| Unemployment Rate | 3.2% ✓ Lower | 5.4%⚠ High |
| Avg Commute Minutes each way | 30.1 min⚠ High | 23.0 min ✓ Shorter |
| Work From Home % | 22.1% ✓ Higher | 12.5% |
| 🔒 Safety | ||
| Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer · 60% violent / 40% property | 85 ✓ Safer | 325⚠ High |
| Violent Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | 58 ✓ Safer | 360⚠ High |
| Property Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | 126⚠ High ✓ Safer | 272⚠ High |
| 🎓 Education | ||
| School Quality 100 = national avg · grad rate, staffing & attainment | A- (110) ✓ Better | B+ (107) |
| Student-Teacher Ratio Lower = smaller classes | 15.1:1 | 11.4:1 ✓ Smaller |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 66.0% ✓ Higher | 38.6% |
| High School or Higher | 93.7% ✓ Higher | 90.0% |
| School District Name only — no quality rating available | Alexandria City Public Schools | ST. LOUIS CITY |
| 🌤 Weather | ||
| Avg High — January | 44.8°F ✓ Warmer | 40.6°F |
| Avg High — July | 89.6°F | 89.6°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 41.8" ✓ Drier | 43.9" |
| Annual Snowfall | 13.7" ✓ Less | 13.8" |
| 👥 Demographics | ||
| Population | 157,594 | 298,018 ✓ Larger |
| Median Age | 37.4 ✓ Older | 36.5 |
| Homeownership Rate | 42.7% | 44.9% ✓ Higher |
| Under 18 | 18.1% | 18.5% ✓ More |
| Over 65 | 12.3% | 14.5% ✓ More |
Frequently Asked Questions
Alexandria's cost of living index is 108.6 vs St. Louis's 96.3 (US average = 100).
St. Louis is 12% less expensive overall.
Based on the 22 decided categories above, Alexandria leads 13 of 22 categories. Alexandria wins 13 and St. Louis wins 9. The right choice depends on your priorities — use the Pros & Cons and full table above to weigh what matters to you.
Whether you're moving from Alexandria to St. Louis or relocating the other way, focus on the biggest gaps: housing ($655,700 vs $174,100 median home), income ($113,179 vs $52,941), safety, and schools — all covered in the full table above.
Alexandria, VA and St. Louis, MO are about 709 miles apart (straight-line distance). Driving distance will be longer depending on the route.