Enough salary to live well in St. Louis (Kirkwood, Crestwood: rent, condos)

[Ferdiaz8]

Hello I'm interested to move to St. Louis.

What would be a good salary to live OK in ST. Louis?

By "live OK" I mean, to pay a rent for 2 people (my wife and I) with space for 2 medium size dogs; not sure about the zone, I like the zone near from Anheuser Busch head quarters, Sunset Hills or Kirkwood. (Furnished would be great).

Maybe, save some money because I would need a car...

I have no idea about the cost of the services (water, electricity, rent, etc), food, transportation, etc.
Also don't know how much I have to pay for taxes.

They say St. Louis is not expensive city, maybe $55K before taxes?

[Someboyelse]

$55k should be alright.

Rent in St. Louis is volatile based on area and the quality of the units.

A "nice" spot & building (or a decent house) will probably be right around $900 to $1200 monthly. I'm not too sure about the dogs though ... most landlords here will give a solid "no" on multiple dogs, unless the unit is already in bad shape. You might consider purchasing a condo? They can be very affordable even in decent neighborhoods.

You do need a car here, for the most part.

[carloslevy]

I have a close friend in Sunset Hills - $55k will not work there, unless it's that little enclave between Kirkwood and Crestwood - that's not the nicest of areas.
Kirkwood - you're closer to your $55k but very limited.
ABINBev area - as this is South STL City, this area is more affordable for the most part and has quaint areas like Soulard, Lafayette Square and Benton Park.
But stay away from Dutchtown and Gravois Park, those areas have become a bit rough.
Good luck!

[Someboyelse]

Originally Posted by carloslevy

I have a close friend in Sunset Hills - $55k will not work there, unless it's that little enclave between Kirkwood and Crestwood - that's not the nicest of areas.
Kirkwood - you're closer to your $55k but very limited.
ABINBev area - as this is South STL City, this area is more affordable for the most part and has quaint areas like Soulard, Lafayette Square and Benton Park.
But stay away from Dutchtown and Gravois Park, those areas have become a bit rough.
Good luck!

Sunset Hills should work as long as they don't want one of the giant homes. Quick check on Zillow shows Condos for ~$90k (Ex. 11930 Gravois Rd APT 24, Sunset Hills 63127). That should be easily affordable at that income.

There are specific places they can't technically afford, like Clarkson Valley, but should be able to get so close that they won't be able to tell much of a difference.

[STL74]

I'm not an expert on rent prices. I'd say without kids in the picture that should be fine for you. You can look for a great neighborhood, but no worries on schools, etc. You start to pay more for the great school districts. So, if kids are in the future, STL is relatively affordable, but 55K wouldn't support a family comfortably...it would definitely be paycheck to paycheck IMO. It's not "cheap" here, it's very middle of the road.