Moving from Nashville to St. Louis?
Nashville to STL — Anheuser-Busch/Boeing careers, 49% cheaper housing, but TN 0% becomes MO+STL 5.95% (-$5,950).
- 310 mi Distance
- 5 hr Drive time
- 49% lower Home prices
- $-5,950/yr Tax savings on $100K
Nashville-to-STL is mostly career-driven (Anheuser-Busch, Boeing, Centene, Edward Jones HQ). Trade: lose TN 0% income tax → gain MO+STL 5.95% (-$5,950/yr on $100K). Housing 49% cheaper, COL 18% lower. Net financial position roughly neutral. STL's hidden weapon: Forest Park (1,300 acres, larger than Central Park) with FREE zoo, art museum, history museum, and science center.
Why people move from Nashville to St. Louis.
- Free Forest Park — zoo, art museum, history museum, science center ALL FREE
- Housing drops 49% — $460K Nashville SFH becomes $235K STL Central West End condo
- Cost of living 18% lower
- Anheuser-Busch (brewing capital), Boeing, Centene, Edward Jones HQ
- BJC HealthCare + Wash U Med — major healthcare/research jobs
- Cardinals (11 World Series) + Blues (2019 Cup) sports culture
- Walkable historic neighborhoods (Central West End, The Hill, Soulard)
- Toasted ravioli (The Hill invention)
The money side of TN → MO.
Nashville
- Median home$460,000
- Income tax0% (TN)
- Cost index102
St. Louis
- Median home$235,000
- Income tax4.95% MO + 1% STL (~5.95%)
- Cost index84
Things you'll want to know about your new city.
Bookmark this page — these are the icons of St. Louis, organized by what kind of day you're planning.
Outdoors & Recreation
- Forest Park — 1,300 acres (50% larger than Central Park) with FREE zoo, art museum, history museum, science center
- Missouri Botanical Garden — 1859 garden; Climatron, Japanese Garden, 79 acres
Culture & Arts
- Gateway Arch National Park — 630-ft Eero Saarinen arch (1965); newest US national park
- Saint Louis Art Museum (free) — Free admission in Forest Park; encyclopedic collection
- Anheuser-Busch Brewery Tour — Free Clydesdale stable + tour; iconic brewery since 1852
- Busch Stadium (Cardinals) — MLB Cardinals; 11 World Series titles (most NL)
- The Hill (Italian district) — Italian neighborhood — birthplace of toasted ravioli
- Cahokia Mounds (15 min E in IL) — UNESCO World Heritage; pre-Columbian mound city
Family-Friendly
- St. Louis Zoo (free) — Top-ranked US zoo — admission is free
- City Museum — 10-story repurposed shoe factory turned playground; rooftop ferris wheel
St. Louis's essential restaurants.
The dining list every St. Louis resident knows by heart. Save the spots, work through them.
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Niche / Sidney Street Cafe Modern American Benton Park
Gerard Craft (James Beard winner)
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Pastaria Italian Clayton
Gerard Craft — wood-fired pizza, fresh pasta
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Pappy's Smokehouse BBQ Midtown
Memphis-style ribs; cult favorite
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Bogart's Smokehouse BBQ Soulard
Pappy's offshoot; brisket and burnt ends
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Imo's Pizza St. Louis pizza Multiple
Cracker-thin crust, Provel cheese — STL-style icon
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Charlie Gitto's Italian The Hill
Original toasted ravioli inventor (allegedly)
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Kingside Diner Diner Multiple
Classic American breakfast/diner
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Vicia Modern vegetable-forward Central West End
Michael + Tara Gallina; James Beard nominees
Best St. Louis neighborhoods for Nashville transplants.
Mapped to the Nashville neighborhoods that probably feel like home to you.
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Central West End
If Belmont/Hillsboro Village was your speed — walkable, restaurants, near Forest Park
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The Hill
If East Nashville Italian-American was your vibe — Italian heritage, walkable, family
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Soulard
If The Gulch was your speed — historic walkable, market, Mardi Gras
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Lafayette Square
If you loved historic Nashville homes — Victorian historic district, family
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Clayton (suburb)
If Brentwood was your suburban model — walkable, top schools, dense urban center
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Webster Groves (suburb)
If Franklin family was your goal — charming inner-ring, top schools
What daily life feels like in St. Louis.
Climate
Humid continental. Hot, humid summers (68-89°F). Cold winters (25-43°F) with 17 inches snow. Spring tornado/storm risk. 41 inches rainfall, 202 sun days.
- Summer68-89°F
- Winter25-43°F
- Sun days/yr202
- Rainfall41 inches
Walkability
- Walk Score64/100
- Transit Score47/100
- Bike Score52/100
St. Louis is somewhat walkable in central neighborhoods, car-dependent in suburbs.
Outdoors & Recreation
- Forest Park — 1,300 acres with free zoo, museums, golf, lakes
- Missouri Botanical Garden — 79 acres
- Tower Grove Park — 289 acres Victorian park
- Mississippi Riverfront — Gateway Arch grounds and beyond
- Castlewood State Park (30 min west) — bluffs, hiking, mountain biking
- Forest Park bike paths and Trolley Trail
What changes about your daily life.
- TN 0% income tax becomes MO+STL ~5.95% — $5,950/year more on $100K
- Housing 49% cheaper offsets most of the tax cost
- Climate similar (both humid subtropical/continental, both humid summers)
- Career ceiling shifts — Nashville healthcare-IT/music to STL Anheuser-Busch/Boeing/Edward Jones
- Music scene flips — Nashville country/songwriting apex → STL has scene but smaller
- Hot chicken disappears (Prince's, Hattie B's are Nashville-only)
- STL pizza (cracker thin, Provel) becomes available — debate eternal
- Sports culture shifts — no NHL/MLB Nashville (Predators NHL, no NFL) → Cardinals/Blues
- Cold winters with ice storms
How to drive there.
What it takes to move 310 miles.
- Full-service (3BR)$2,500-$5,000
- Container/PODS$1,800-$3,500
- DIY (26-ft truck)$1,200-$2,200
- Best monthsApr-Oct (avoid tornado peak + STL ice storms)
- Lead time4-6 weeks ahead
USDOT-registered.
Moving from Nashville to St. Louis: FAQ.
Worth losing TN 0% tax?
Career and family-dependent. MO+STL 5.95% costs $5,950/yr on $100K, partially offset by 49% cheaper housing. Net financial position roughly neutral or slightly positive over 5-10 years. The driver is usually specific career advancement (Anheuser-Busch, Boeing, Edward Jones) or family quality-of-life (free Forest Park, top suburbs).
Music industry — STL equivalent of Nashville?
Far smaller. STL has indie scene, Saint Louis Symphony, jazz heritage, but Nashville is the country/songwriting/publishing apex. Most music professionals stay Nashville unless career-pivoting to specific STL music opportunities (which are limited).
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