Here’s How Much You Need To Earn To Live In Saint Louis

ST. LOUIS COUNTY, MO — St. Louis County is one of the priciest places to live in Missouri, according to the Economic Policy Institute. The county's cost of living is more than $7,000 higher than the city's for a family of four. But, it's still cheaper than St. Charles County.

EPI recently released its 2018 family budget calculator that estimates how costly it is to live in each of America’s 3,142 counties and 611 metro areas. The group estimates a family of two adults and two children in St. Louis County would need to earn a combined $79,283 per year — or $6,607 a month — to live comfortably.

Here’s how the group breaks down that number:

• Housing: $962 per month
• Food: $772 per month
• Child Care: $1,175 per month
• Transportation: $1,161 per month
• Health Care: $945
• Other Necessities: $699 per month
• Taxes: $893 per month

Compared to the St. Louis City, that might seem like a rip-off.

To live in the city, that same family would need to earn a combined $71,894 per year, or $5,991 every month, to “attain a modest yet adequate standard of living,” the organization said.

In St. Charles County, those number go up instead of down — $81,556 annually or $6,796 per month.

The family budget calculator accounts for geographic differences in cost of living, but does not include many expenses associated with a middle-class lifestyle, including student loan payments or saving for college or retirement.

“Our Family Budget Calculator goes beyond traditional measures like the poverty line to paint a detailed picture of what families need to get by,” EPI Senior Economist Elise Gould said in a release. “The latest update provides even greater detail on how costs vary throughout the country. It is above all else a tool for policymakers to advocate for ways to raise wages and make their communities more affordable.”

Perhaps unsurprisingly, San Francisco ranked first in the nation as the most expensive metro area with a basic budget of $148,439 a year for a two-parent, two-child household. On the flipside, that same household would only need to earn $58,906 to live comfortably in Brownsville, Texas, the least expensive metro area in the country.

The group noted that many low-wage workers don’t make enough money to adequately provide for their family’s basic needs. Even after adjusting for higher state and city minimum wages, the group said, there is “nowhere in the country” where a minimum-wage worker would earns enough.

Median household income for St. Louis County is just $61,516, according to U.S. Census data — more than $17,000 less than what it would take a family of four to live comfortably. The median household income in the city is $38,397, making for an enormous $33,000 gap, despite the lower cost of living. The average household income for St. Charles County is $71,077, bringing it closest to the mark, but still falling more than $10,000 short.

“It’s clear from our analysis that, even in less-expensive areas, many families will struggle to meet their basic needs,” said research assistant Zane Mokhiber. “The good news is we have many different ways to remedy this, from a higher minimum wage to ambitious child care reform. Policymakers should draw on a range of tools to help people meet the needs laid out in the Family Budget Calculator.”

Click here to go to to the calculator. You can change the number of adults and children to see exactly what your household needs to earn to live comfortably in your county.

Patch reporter Dan Hampton contributed.

Photo by J. Ryne Danielson/Patch