City comparison
Yes. Wichita's crime index is 326 versus 352 in St Louis, and its violent crime index is 353 versus 376, using 2024-2025 FBI data.
Wichita is cheaper. Median rent is $975 a month versus $997 in St Louis.
Wichita and St Louis are closer on paper than many city pairs, so the move comes down to how you weight cost, safety, and climate. Typical rent sits near $975 in Wichita and $997 in St Louis, and median household income lands at $64,620 versus $56,160. Use the category rows below to see which gaps would change your daily life.
Wichita is not a close call here. It leads on cost of living, the job market, safety, and weather by margins that add up in daily life. St Louis makes sense if you have a specific reason, a job offer, family, or a neighborhood you already know, but on the numbers alone Wichita is the stronger move.
Visit both if you can. Cities reveal themselves in the ordinary moments, a Tuesday morning commute, a Saturday errand run, not on a weekend visit.
The move
Wichita and St Louis are 393 miles apart in a straight line.
Median rent goes from $975 a month in Wichita to $997 a month in St Louis, up $22 a month (2%).
Median household income goes from $64,620 in Wichita to $56,160 in St Louis, down $8,460 (13%).
The crime index goes from 326 in Wichita to 352 in St Louis, up 26 points (8%).
The move
St Louis and Wichita are 393 miles apart in a straight line.
Median rent goes from $997 a month in St Louis to $975 a month in Wichita, down $22 a month (2%).
Median household income goes from $56,160 in St Louis to $64,620 in Wichita, up $8,460 (15%).
The crime index goes from 352 in St Louis to 326 in Wichita, down 26 points (7%).
Wichita, KS
School quality varies by neighborhood. Check GreatSchools.org for current ratings.
St Louis, MO
School quality varies by neighborhood. Check GreatSchools.org for current ratings.
Comparing Wichita and St Louis? Check mortgage rates before you decide where to buy.
Rent
2% cheaper
Wichita rent is 2% cheaper than St Louis
Wichita
Winner$975/mo
St Louis
$997/mo
Typical rent runs $975 a month in Wichita versus $997 in St Louis, so Wichita is 2% cheaper. The monthly spread is about $22, or $264 a year: noticeable, but rent alone should not pick the city. Use this as a tie-breaker after you compare income, schools, and crime, unless you are already stretching every dollar.
Planning to buy in Wichita? Check mortgage rates before you decide.
Median income
15% higher
Wichita's median income is 15% higher than St Louis
Wichita
Winner$64,620
St Louis
$56,160
Median household income is $64,620 in Wichita versus $56,160 in St Louis, so typical pay runs 15% higher in Wichita (about $8,460 more household income a year). Higher median income usually signals a stronger local job market and better negotiating leverage on salary. Remote workers should weigh this against cost of living rather than treating it as a direct personal benefit. For people who will actually work in town, Wichita is the stronger labor market on paper. St Louis can still win if housing is cheap enough to offset the weaker median or if your specific role already pays well there.
Crime index
7% lower crime
Wichita's crime index is 7% lower than St Louis
Wichita
Winner326 (100 = avg)
St Louis
352 (100 = avg)
Wichita's crime index is 326 versus 352 in St Louis (100 = national average), so citywide crime runs 7% lower in Wichita. The difference is noticeable without being night-and-day. You will still want to pick the neighborhood carefully in Wichita, but you will usually spend less energy on constant vigilance than you would in St Louis. Tour both cities after dark before you let a modest index gap close the decision.
Typical weather
11% more comfortable
Wichita weather is 11% more comfortable than St Louis
Wichita
Winner61°F avg · 69°F highs · comfort 89/100
St Louis
58°F avg · 67°F highs · comfort 80/100
Wichita averages about 61°F (69°F highs); St Louis averages about 58°F (67°F highs). Wichita averages around 61°F. St Louis averages around 58°F, so jackets, heating bills, and shorter outdoor seasons are part of daily life. Wichita scores 11% closer to the 65-80°F comfort band on this page, so it is the easier default for year-round outdoor errands and evenings. Choose St Louis if you already prefer its hotter or cooler pattern and have budgeted for the AC or heating that comes with it.
Fit check
Career-focused movers who want salary upside plus year-round outdoor access
Wichita is the clearer landing pad if housing cost is what keeps you up at night. Typical rent is 2% cheaper here at about $975 a month. Choose Wichita if you are stretching a salary, starting over, or want slack for travel and debt instead of a flashier skyline.
It is also a match for career-focused movers who want salary upside and year-round outdoor access. Median household income runs 15% higher ($64,620), and typical weather is the more comfortable of the two (around 61°F). That pairing is for people who will work hard and then actually use the evenings.
Wichita is the better fit for families with young children and retirees who prioritize peace of mind over urban energy. The crime index is 7% lower than St Louis (326 vs a 100 national average). That gap shows up in how freely you walk at night and how much attention you spend on the car and the deadbolt.
Fit check
People with a job, family, or neighborhood already pulling them to St Louis
On these five categories Wichita takes the scoreboard, so you should not choose St Louis because the stats are kinder. They are not. Choose St Louis only if a job offer, family, a specific neighborhood, or a life you already started there outweighs the box score. Plenty of good moves ignore the aggregate; just do it on purpose.
Bottom line
This pair is really a paycheck comparison: Wichita at $64,620 median income versus $56,160 in St Louis. Housing ($997 in St Louis, $975 in Wichita) is secondary unless you are rent-burdened already.
Safety scores read 24/100 in Wichita and 22/100 in St Louis.
Wichita clears the bar on local pay in this dataset. St Louis deserves a serious look only when keeping rent near $997/month beats chasing $64,620 median income.
Weather averages land near 61°F in Wichita and 58°F in St Louis.
Common questions
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Nearby research
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