55+ Communities in Greater St. Louis

Greater St. Louis has quietly become one of the Midwest's better retirement values. Missouri stopped taxing Social Security benefits for taxpayers 62 and older starting with the 2024 tax year — the old income phase-out is gone, so 100% of Social Security is exempt regardless of other income. The state has no estate or inheritance tax, and in 2025 Missouri became the first state to fully exempt long-term capital gains from state income tax. Pair that with a metro-area cost of living roughly 6–11% below the national average and median home prices in the mid-$200s, and a Social Security check goes noticeably further here than in most sunbelt alternatives.

Greater St. Louis lands roughly 6–11% below the national average overall, with the specific number depending on which index you look at — PayScale puts St. Louis at 6% below national, Salary.com at 2% below, and BestPlaces-style indices closer to 11% below. Housing does the heavy lifting: median home value sits around $226,300 in St. Louis County with the metro median home price roughly 21% below the national average, and rents run well under coastal-metro levels. Healthcare is a notable strength — costs run modestly below national medians thanks to the sheer supply of hospital capacity. Groceries and transportation are near the national average, and utility costs run slightly above average due to hot summers and cold winters both hitting your bill.

Retiree Specific: Missouri is one of the friendlier tax states in the Midwest for retirees. Starting with the 2024 tax year, Missouri no longer taxes Social Security benefits for taxpayers 62 and older — the old income-based phase-out was eliminated, so 100% of Social Security is exempt regardless of other income. Public pensions (federal, state, or local — from any state's system, as long as you're a Missouri resident) get an exemption capped at the maximum Social Security benefit, which was $47,633 for tax year 2025. Private pension and IRA/401(k) income is treated less generously — only a modest income-tested deduction (up to $6,000 per taxpayer) applies. Missouri has no estate or inheritance tax, and as of 2025 Missouri became the first state to fully exempt long-term capital gains from state income tax. State income tax on other income tops out at 4.7%. Property taxes in St. Louis County run around 1.25–1.36% of assessed value, which is above the national median — the median annual bill is about $3,176. St. Charles County generally runs lower. Missouri also offers a Property Tax Credit (Circuit Breaker) of up to $1,100 for eligible senior homeowners with limited income, and Senate Bill 190 (2023) authorized counties to adopt a senior property tax freeze — most metro-area counties have adopted it.

Additional Considerations: For a retiree on Social Security plus a public pension, Missouri's tax profile is genuinely light — a couple could easily shelter the bulk of their retirement income at the state level. The picture is less rosy if the bulk of your income comes from IRA/401(k) withdrawals or a private pension, since those only get a small deduction. Property tax rates in St. Louis County are meaningfully higher than in nearby suburban counties like St. Charles, so where you buy inside the metro matters. Missouri's combined state-plus-local sales tax runs above the national average in many jurisdictions and is worth factoring in for fixed-income budgets. Home insurance is reasonable by national standards but has been rising with severe-storm frequency, and homeowners should plan for hail-and-wind coverage specifically.