c.1910 Missouri Home For Sale By Owner $71K

The Pros

• World-Class (and Free) Cultural Attractions: St. Louis famously boasts more free major civic attractions than almost any U.S. city outside of Washington, D.C. Residents enjoy admission-free access to the world-renowned Saint Louis Zoo, the Saint Louis Art Museum, the Saint Louis Science Center, and the Missouri History Museum.

   

• Exceptional Housing Affordability: Compared to national averages, real estate stretches remarkably far. While the median home price in the city sits under $200,000, buyers can find incredible value in historic brick homes, turn-of-the-century architecture, and sprawling suburban neighborhoods that would cost triple the price in coastal markets.

   

• Elite Healthcare & Education Hub: The region is a powerhouse for medicine and higher education. It is home to top-tier institutions like Washington University in St. Louis and SLU, alongside nationally ranked medical networks like BJC HealthCare (Barnes-Jewish Hospital) and St. Louis Children’s Hospital.

   

• Vibrant Foodie & Sports Culture: From the passionate, stadium-packing base for the St. Louis Cardinals (MLB) and St. Louis CITY SC (MLS) to the historic Italian eateries on “The Hill” and a booming craft beer scene anchored by Anheuser-Busch, the city punches well above its weight in entertainment and dining.

• Minimal Traffic & Central Location: True gridlock is rare. Even during rush hour, crossing the metro area is highly manageable, and its central U.S. footprint makes domestic travel highly efficient.

   

The Cons

• Crime Rates & Fragmented Safety: St. Louis frequently makes national headlines for high violent crime statistics. However, because the city and county are split, the concentrated crime data for the independent city limits can skew perception. Safety varies drastically by block and neighborhood; certain urban pockets struggle deeply, while many surrounding communities rank among the safest in the state.

   

• Urban Decay & Fragmented Municipalities: The region’s sharp political separation between the city and its dozens of individual county suburbs has historically led to stark economic disparities. Some city sectors face noticeable urban decay, high vacancy rates, and abandoned historic structures due to decades of white flight and commercial disinvestment.

   

• Persistent Population Decline: While the broader 15-county metropolitan area has stabilized and shown modest growth via international immigration, St. Louis City proper remains one of the fastest-shrinking major urban centers in the country, losing families to the outer ring suburbs with better-funded school districts.

• Local Earnings & Sales Taxes: Residents living or working within the city limits are subject to a 1% local earnings tax on top of federal and state income taxes. Additionally, combined sales taxes in certain commercial zones can top 9.5%, creeping higher than many expect for the Midwest.

• Extreme Seasonal Weather: The local climate is prone to severe swings. Summers are notoriously hot, muggy, and oppressive due to moisture from the Mississippi and Missouri rivers, while winters regularly bring freezing ice storms, gray stretches, and bitter cold, along with springtime tornado risks.