Head-to-Head · City Comparison
Santa Clarita, CA
VS
St. Louis, MO
🏆 Santa Clarita leads 14 of 23 categories
Santa Clarita
California
14
wins
Cost of Living Index
115.5⚠ High
Median Household Income
$116,186 ✓ Higher
Violent Crime Index
44 ✓ Safer
Population
225,850
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.
Santa Clarita, CA
Pros
Households earn $63,245 more per year on average
88% less violent crime than St. Louis
Violent crime is well below the national average (165.4 vs 380/100k)
Milder winters — January highs near 63°F vs 41°F
Cons
Pricier housing — median home is $669,200
Higher rents — median is $2,315/mo
Cost of living runs 19% higher than St. Louis
Living costs are well above the U.S. average (index 115.5)
St. Louis, MO
Pros
Homes cost $495k less ($174,100 vs $669,200)
Rent averages $1377/mo less ($938 vs $2,315)
19% cheaper overall cost of living than Santa Clarita
Commutes run 12 min shorter each way
Smaller class sizes — 11.4:1 student-teacher ratio
Cons
Median income trails Santa Clarita by $63,245/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
Key Differences at a Glance
Santa Clarita
Median Income
$63,245
$116,186 vs $52,941/yr
Santa Clarita
Violent Crime
88% lower
165.4 vs 1367.1 per 100k
Santa Clarita
Summer Heat
4.6°F warmer
July avg high 94.2°F vs 89.6°F
St. Louis
Cost of Living
19% cheaper
COL index 96.3 vs 115.5 (100 = US avg)
St. Louis
Median Home Value
$495k less
$174,100 vs $669,200
Full Data Comparison
| Metric | Santa Clarita, CA | St. Louis, MO |
|---|---|---|
| 💰 Cost of Living | ||
| Cost of Living Index National avg = 100 · lower = cheaper | 115.5⚠ High | 96.3 ✓ Cheaper |
| Median Home Value | $669,200⚠ High | $174,100 ✓ Lower |
| Median Monthly Rent | $2,315⚠ High | $938 ✓ Lower |
| 📈 Income & Economy | ||
| Median Household Income | $116,186 ✓ Higher | $52,941 |
| Unemployment Rate | 5.5%⚠ High | 5.4%⚠ High ✓ Lower |
| Avg Commute Minutes each way | 35.2 min⚠ High | 23.0 min ✓ Shorter |
| Work From Home % | 13.7% ✓ Higher | 12.5% |
| 🔒 Safety | ||
| Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer · 60% violent / 40% property | 49 ✓ Safer | 325⚠ High |
| Violent Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | 44 ✓ Safer | 360⚠ High |
| Property Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | 56 ✓ Safer | 272⚠ High |
| 🎓 Education | ||
| School Quality 100 = national avg · grad rate, staffing & attainment | C+ (84) | B+ (107) ✓ Better |
| Student-Teacher Ratio Lower = smaller classes | 26.5:1 | 11.4:1 ✓ Smaller |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 38.7% ✓ Higher | 38.6% |
| High School or Higher | 91.0% ✓ Higher | 90.0% |
| School District Name only — no quality rating available | Saugus Union | ST. LOUIS CITY |
| 🌤 Weather | ||
| Avg High — January | 63.2°F ✓ Warmer | 40.6°F |
| Avg High — July | 94.2°F ✓ Warmer | 89.6°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 15.5" ✓ Drier | 43.9" |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.1" ✓ Less | 13.8" |
| 👥 Demographics | ||
| Population | 225,850 | 298,018 ✓ Larger |
| Median Age | 37.3 ✓ Older | 36.5 |
| Homeownership Rate | 71.1% ✓ Higher | 44.9% |
| Under 18 | 25.4% ✓ More | 18.5% |
| Over 65 | 12.4% | 14.5% ✓ More |
Frequently Asked Questions
Santa Clarita's cost of living index is 115.5 vs St. Louis's 96.3 (US average = 100).
St. Louis is 19% less expensive overall.
Based on the 23 decided categories above, Santa Clarita leads 14 of 23 categories. Santa Clarita wins 14 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 Santa Clarita to St. Louis or relocating the other way, focus on the biggest gaps: housing ($669,200 vs $174,100 median home), income ($116,186 vs $52,941), safety, and schools — all covered in the full table above.
Santa Clarita, CA and St. Louis, MO are about 1,589 miles apart (straight-line distance). Driving distance will be longer depending on the route.