CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

38.53° N · 90.41° W · GEOID 2971746

Sunset Hills

St. Louis County, Missouri · part of the St. Louis, MO metro

Limited data core figures borrowed from county or metro: median_gross_rent

MissouriSunset Hills, MOSunset HillsSunset Hills

The short answer

Sunset Hills is home to 9,112 people. Median household income is $138,144 a year and median rent is $1,209 a month, 10.5% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). Rent pressure is lighter than in most places. The median home is valued at $523,800, about 3.8x annual median household income.

Median gross rent
$1,209
11% below the median place
Median household income
$138,144
72% above the median place
Median home value
$523,800
64% above the median place
Unemployment
4.3%
11% below the median place

Compared with the median of the 6,645 places we track. The bundle was checked 2026-11-14; each measure may refer to an older release.

What stands out about Sunset Hills

  • Between the 2019 and 2023 surveys, rent rose 17.2% a year while household income rose 5.4%, so rent outran pay by more than in 98% of the 2,476 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the highest of 140 Missouri places.
  • Public schools here have 25.3 students per teacher, more than in 99% of places its size. It is the highest of 111 Missouri places.
  • 81% of renter households spend 30% or more of income on rent, a higher share than in 98% of places its size. It is the highest of 137 Missouri places.
  • The median rent takes only 10.5% of the median household's income, a smaller share than in 98% of places its size.
  • The median resident is 51.1 years old, older than in 93% of places its size. It is the highest of 140 Missouri places.

High pay has not made renting easy. Household income is higher than in 89% of places we track, yet 81% of renters still spend 30% or more of income on rent.

Rent is light relative to pay, but the county has a FEMA natural hazard risk score of 99 out of 100. Budget for insurance before counting the savings.

01

Moving to Sunset Hills

St. Louis County loses about 4.4 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in38,403
Moved out41,969
Net−3,566

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

St. Louis city, MO11,7558,205+3,550
St. Charles County, MO4,0546,788−2,734
Jefferson County, MO2,8483,740−892
Cook County, IL500620−120

Within Missouri, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within MissouriOther statesAbroad

Income per tax return

Arrivals$72K
Leavers$80K

People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of St. Louis County; flows under 20 returns are not published.

Who moves here
2.4% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 2.0% from another state.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into St. Louis County report $71,600 a year in income on average; those leaving, $79,700, so leavers earn more than newcomers.
Income you would need
$48,400 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $1,209 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $2,680 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $523,800.
Getting to work
21 minutes each way on average; 18.3% work from home.
If it is close but not quite
Northborough, MA matches it on character. Compare the two
Moved here in the past year1
2.4%
59% below the median place
Income of households moving out8
$79,731
13% above the median place
Net movers per 1,000 people8
-4.4
below the median place (median -0.6)
All 5 moving measures
MeasureSunset HillsAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year12.4%59% below
Moved from another state1County figure2.0%1% above
Net movers per 1,000 people8County figure-4.4below (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in8County figure$71,5771% above
Income of households moving out8County figure$79,73113% above
02

What it costs to live here

Renters paying 30%+ is 81.2%, 60% above the median place.

Sunset Hills10.5%
Typical place20.4%

Share of the median household income that goes to the median rent. Above 30% is the usual stress line.

Income needed to rent
$48,360
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
10.5%
49% below the median place
Home price to income
3.8x
0% below the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
11%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$125,500
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Sunset Hills, $1,209 a month, and local prices for everything else (98.4 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Like Sunset Hills, but easier on the budget

Close matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, where rent takes a clearly smaller share of income.

PlaceRent to incomeMore left a year
Springdale, NJ6.4% vs 10.5%n/aCompare

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in Sunset Hills.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Sunset Hills? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Renters paying 30%+1
81.2%
60% above the median place
Homeownership1
82.9%
25% above the median place
Owner costs with a mortgage1
$2,680
43% above the median place
All 16 cost and housing measures
MeasureSunset HillsAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1County figure$1,20911% below
Rent to income110.5%49% below
Property tax rate11.0%5% above
Home price to income13.8x0% below
Prices vs US average2Metro figure95.16% below
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$1,34916% below
HUD area median income4County figure$113,5006% above
Property tax paid (median)1$5,03154% above
Median home value1$523,80064% above
Home prices, 1-year change5County figure3.8%18% above
Home prices, 5-year change5County figure43.6%15% below
Homeownership182.9%25% above
Renters paying 30%+181.2%60% above
Owner costs with a mortgage1$2,68043% above
Vacant homes1County figure7.3%3% above
Median year built119790% above
03

Work and pay

Commutes by transit is 0.0%, below the median place (median 0.8%).

Commutes by transit1
0.0%
below the median place (median 0.8%)
Income per person1
$81,653
104% above the median place
Poverty rate1
3.7%
66% below the median place

More on work and pay, against the typical place

Median household income$138,144 +72%
Mean commute21 min −14%
Works from home18.3% +47%
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureSunset HillsAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$138,14472% above
Income per person1$81,653104% above
Unemployment1County figure4.3%11% below
Average annual pay6County figure$78,74119% above
Pay growth, 1 year6County figure3.7%0% above
Jobs6County figure589,803291% above
Poverty rate13.7%66% below
Mean commute121 min14% below
Works from home118.3%47% above
Commutes by transit10.0%below (median 0.8%)
04

Who lives here

Median age is 51.1, 31% above the median place.

Median age1
51.1
31% above the median place
No health insurance1
2.2%
66% below the median place
Bachelor's or higher1
62.4%
95% above the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

Born abroad2.8% −69%
High school or higher96.6% +5%
Homes with broadband89.3% −3%
Household size2.4 −5%
All 9 people measures
MeasureSunset HillsAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population19,1124442nd largest
Population change since 20207-1.3%below (median 1.1%)
Median age151.131% above
Bachelor's or higher162.4%95% above
High school or higher196.6%5% above
Household size12.45% below
Born abroad12.8%69% below
No health insurance12.2%66% below
Homes with broadband189.3%3% below
05

Life in Sunset Hills

The nearest National Park Service site is Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site, about 3 miles away.

3 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places, 17 of them National Historic Landmarks. Its history on Wikipedia

  • Alswel listed 1989
  • Rott School listed 2005
  • #1 Fairway listed 2024

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents12.1 +19%
Playgrounds per 10k19.8 2.1×
Grocery stores per 10k0.0 −100%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k20.9 +87%
Libraries per 10k0.0 −100%
Named paths and bike trails3 km +40%
Bus and rail stops per sq mi2.0 9.5×

Mapped by volunteers in OpenStreetMap inside the city limits (Census boundaries), so coverage is fuller in some places than others. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

National Park Service sites nearby

  • Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site 3 miles
  • Gateway Arch National Park 14 miles
  • Ste. Geneviève National Historical Park 43 miles

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars21.1 +1%
Shops32.3 +7%
Arts, recreation and fitness5.0 +22%
Doctors' offices and clinics32.4 +60%
Child care centers2.5 +9%

Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.

Public schools14
1
89% below the median place
Students per teacher14
25.3
64% above the median place
Nearest National Park Service site11
3.4
89% below the median place
All 18 schools and local life measures
MeasureSunset HillsAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools14189% below
Public school students1488582% below
Students per teacher1425.364% above
Restaurants and bars per 10k9County figure21.11% above
Shops per 10k9County figure32.37% above
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k9County figure5.022% above
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k9County figure32.460% above
Child care centers per 10k9County figure2.59% above
Parks per 10k1012.119% above
Playgrounds per 10k1019.8110% above
Grocery stores per 10k100.0below (median 2.1)
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k1020.987% above
Libraries per 10k100.0below (median 0.9)
Named paths and bike trails102.840% above
Transit stops per sq mi102.0above (median 0.2)
Nearest National Park Service site113.489% below
National Park Service sites within 60 miles11350% above
National Register listings12377% below
06

Safety, weather and risk

Violent crime per 100k is 99, 48% below the median place.

Violent crime per 100k
99
48% below the median place
Property crime per 100k
1,278
5% above the median place
Months reported
12 of 12
by the city police department to the FBI

Counts only offenses reported by the city police department. Sheriff, state and campus police are not included, and some departments do not report to the FBI at all, so compare with care.

Heat wave risk16
99.9
11% above the median place
Good air days17
31.2%
54% below the median place
Median air quality index17
56
30% above the median place
All 11 weather and risk measures
MeasureSunset HillsAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high15County figure88°F2% above
January average low15County figure23°F9% below
Average temperature15County figure56°F2% above
Annual precipitation15County figure42.3 in3% below
Natural hazard risk16County figure99.37% above
Hurricane risk16County figure45.136% below
Tornado risk16County figure98.120% above
Wildfire risk16County figure61.71% above
Heat wave risk16County figure99.911% above
Median air quality index17Metro figure5630% above
Good air days17Metro figure31.2%54% below
08

Sunset Hills in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 32% of the median income in 2030, up from 30% now.

Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$3,454/mo (2023)$4,750/mo$3,840 to $5,880/mo+4.7%
Median household income$138,144 (2024)$176,500$149,000 to $209,000+4.2%
Median home value$523,800 (2024)$735,000$533,000 to $1,012,000+5.8%
Population9,075 (2025)9,0808,710 to 9,470+0.0%

The median home would be worth 4.2 years of the median income in 2030, against 3.8 now.

A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.

09

Places like Sunset Hills

The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.

PlaceRentIncome
Northborough, MA$1,135$133,839Compare
Wyndmoor, PA$1,464$152,594Compare
Cheshire Village, CT$1,118$117,218Compare
Porters Neck, NC$1,503$119,979Compare
Porters Neck, NCCheshire Village, CTWyndmoor, PANorthborough, MASunset Hills, MOSunset HillsWyndmoorCheshire VillagePorters NeckSunset HillsWyndmoorCheshire VillagePorters Neck

Common questions

Is Sunset Hills a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Between the 2019 and 2023 surveys, rent rose 17.2% a year while household income rose 5.4%, so rent outran pay by more than in 98% of the 2,476 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the highest of 140 Missouri places. Public schools here have 25.3 students per teacher, more than in 99% of places its size. It is the highest of 111 Missouri places. On cost, space and class size it scores 73 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Sunset Hills expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 10.5% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a lighter load here than usual. The median home is valued at $523,800.

What salary do you need to live in Sunset Hills?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $48,360 a year. Work it out from your current city.

Is Sunset Hills safe?

There were 99 reported violent crimes per 100,000 residents, against 192 in the typical place.

What places are similar to Sunset Hills?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Northborough, MA, Wyndmoor, PA, Cheshire Village, CT and Porters Neck, NC.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.

  1. American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
  2. Regional Price Parities · US Bureau of Economic Analysis · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  3. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  4. Income Limits · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2026
  5. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  6. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  7. Population Estimates · US Census Bureau · Vintage 2025
  8. SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
  9. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  10. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  11. National Park Service sites · Wikidata (CC0), units operated by the National Park Service · Retrieved 2026-11
  12. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  13. Crime Data Explorer · Federal Bureau of Investigation · 2025 data
  14. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  15. 1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
  16. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  17. Air Quality System, annual AQI by county · US Environmental Protection Agency · 2025 dataAirData download files

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

What stands out compares Sunset Hills with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Sunset Hills itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/sunset-hills-missouri

Citytistics. “Sunset Hills, Missouri.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/sunset-hills-missouri/

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.