Home is where you hang your hat, and the St. Louis area has always been a good place to do so. Recently, CNN Money Magazine added two St. Charles County cities to their Top 100 Best Places to Live and confirmed what we have known all along. Set up your hat rack in St. Peters, set it up in O'Fallon, set up in any other inviting west suburbs, and you'll feel right at home.
The magazine selected these two cities from other contenders with populations in the 50.000 to 300,000 range based on factors that mean something to people looking for good family towns: job growth, income increases, cost of living, housing affordability, school quality, arts and leisure options, safety, medical care, diversity and commute. The extremes of income or crime scores are dropped out to identify communities where life is affordable, where some of the services and recreational outlets people want are nearby, and where jobs and other services other are within a short commute.
O'Fallon, 77,000 strong, is has it all - jobs, parks, and shopping - and boasts an unemployment rates that usually runs well below the national average. MasterCard is based in O'Fallon, and has nearly 1/3 of its global staff there. It is also the site of one of four Master Card Labs, which pioneers new payment technologies and card services. ( For more on the wonders of O'Fallon, please see our previous blog Fallin' for O'Fallon.)
With 56,000 residents, St. Peters is particularly proud of this honor. Dubbed "a small city full of character," St. Peters is celebrating its centennial. The honor does not surprise Mayor Leo Pagano: "During this Centennial year, we've talked about how we owe a lot to our history and the great planning that took place through the years to create a wonderful community for wonderful residents."
So how do the two cities stack up in comparison to other cities on the list?
• Both O'Fallon and St. Peters are affluent communities, with median family incomes of $82,868 and $84,637, respectively, as compared to the average of cities on the list on $90,957. Sales tax and insurance rates are below the average. Job growth in O'Fallon is nearly triple the average, due a growing corporate base.
• The median home price of $153,731 in O'Fallon and $172,250 in St. Peters is below the average of $239,391 and has property taxes of $1,000 less.
• The number of residents with at least college is 66% in O'Fallon and 67.8% in St. Peters, just a little short of the average of 71.5%. There are 17 colleges, universities, and professional schools within 30 miles of O'Fallon (19 for St. Peters) vs. the average of 25. Test scores for current students for reading and math far exceed the average.
• The air quality exceeds the average, while temperature highs and lows show a high of 89° and low of 19°.
• Recreational opportunities within the area are plentiful, with theaters, restaurants, bars, and libraries within 15 miles. The area is near beautiful parks that offer opportunities for daily walks and other recreational activities. The pride of St. Peters is a 236,000 square foot Rex-Plex that includes workout equipment and an Olympic-sized pool. Meanwhile, O'Fallon has 400 acres of parkland.
Money Magazine has confirmed what residents have known all along: O'Fallon and St. Peters are top notch places to settle down and hang your hat. These cities are just two of the many pleasant cities in the western suburbs of St. Louis that you can find at www.TheStLHomefinder.com. The Becky O'Neill Power Team can show you any of the 934 properties for sale in O'Fallon and 758 in St. Peters. We promise a Positive Outcome With Exceptional Results. We will help you narrow down the home that is right for you. We specialize in fine properties in Clayton, Wildwood, Chesterfield, Manchester, Glencoe, Ballwin, Ellisville, Ladue, Fenton, Kirkwood, Webster Groves, Clarkson Valley, St. Charles, St, Peters, O'Fallon, Town & Country, and the surrounding area in St. Louis or St. Charles Counties. Check out www.thestlhomefinder.com today for full detail.
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