St. Louis receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Hazelwood
St. Louis
Opportunity
53 · Bottom 43%
vs57 · Top 48%
Growth
16 · Bottom 5%
vs33 · Bottom 21%
Climate
68 · Bottom 39%
vs72 · Top 40%
Physical resilience
67 · Top 41%
vs58 · Top 50%
Housing affordability
92 · Top 26%
vs87 · Top 39%
Schools
22 · Bottom 13%
vs26 · Bottom 17%
Access
97 · Top 29%
vs98 · Top 20%
Economic stability
52 · Bottom 34%
vs41 · Bottom 19%
Measured values
| Metric | Hazelwood | St. Louis | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 25,114 | 288,512 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $55,908 | $56,160 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $33,332 | $41,187 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,566/sq mi | 4,675/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $167,400 | $197,500 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $996 | $997 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 59.1% | 45.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.5% | 4.1% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.2% | 0.2% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 28.9% | 41.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 15.9% | 20.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 1 | 304 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.0 | 1.1 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -80.0% | 53.5% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 90°F | 89°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 24°F | 24°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 41.7" | 40.8" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 3 mi | 10 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 26.6 min | 23.8 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 38.4 | 36.8 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 9 | 108 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 16.76 | 11.51 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 15.5% | 14.7% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 38.3% | 22.2% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 97.1% | 92.1% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Hazelwood
Elevated or high exposure: hail.
St. Louis
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding.
Full profiles: Hazelwood, MO · St. Louis, MO · How this is calculated: methodology