Top 5 Pros and Cons of Living in Valley Park, MO

About 30 minutes outside of Downtown St. Louis is the lovely city of Valley Park, MO. Like every American city, living in Valley Park, MO has many positive features (and a handful that aren’t so positive). Read on for the top 5 pros and cons of living in Valley Park, MO!

The Top 5 PROS of Living in Valley Park, MO

#1- Valley Park has Excellent Public Schools

Young parents will be glad to know that, while in Valley Park, their children will receive an excellent education. That’s because, according to Niche, the city gets an A grade for their public schools, which is outstanding. Even more remarkable is that of our 15 public schools, all but one gets an A grade or higher! That’s practically unheard of in any city, making it one of the best pros of living in Valley Park, MO!

Living in Valley Park, MO

#2- Summer in Valley Park is Exceptionally Beautiful

As you’ll see when you read the CONS below, Valley Park has some frosty winters. On the bright side, however, is that the summer here is gorgeous! From May through September, the temperature rarely falls below 60F or goes above 89F. Yes, we get some rain, but only about 8 days a month, which is bearable. What we don’t get is the sticky, icky, sweltering weather most American cities experience, which is just fine by us!

#3- Valley Park’s Cost of Living is More Affordable

Except for medium home cost and miscellaneous expenses, every index in Valley Park is lower than the national average. We get an overall score of 92/100. That’s not going to set any records for ‘cheap living,’ but it’s almost 10% savings over the national average. As they say, every little bit helps. Below are the numbers for the 7 major indexes used on BestPlaces to determine their rankings:

  • Overall- 92/100
  • Groceries- 98/100
  • Healthcare- 92/100
  • Housing costs- 81/100 (Very good!)
  • Utilities- 96/100
  • Transportation costs- 90/100
  • Miscellaneous costs- 106/100
  • Median Home Price- $188,300 vs $159,900 (The national average.)

#4- Commuting Time in Valley Park is Short

If finding a new job in Valley Park is the plan, you’ll be glad to know that commute times here are short. We clock in at 22 minutes, almost 5 minutes less than the national average of 26.4 minutes. That might not seem like a lot, but it adds up to 1305 minutes a year! That’s almost 22 hours, which means you’ll save an entire day!

#5- Crime in Valley Park is Below the National Average

Unfortunately, every American city has problems with crime. The good news is that, in Valley Park, our violent crime rate is below the national average. Property crime rates are slightly above average, however. That’s why many folks rent storage units in Valley Park, MO. They’re safe, clean, and secure for when you need to store practically anything. (Even building supplies if you’re having a new home built.)

The Top 5 CONS of Living in Valley Park, MO

#1- Wintertime in Valley Park gets Very Cold

Most people who live in Valley Park enjoy their summers thoroughly. The reason why is simple; they know that, come winter, things will be getting frigid! Hey, we’re close enough to the Canadian border to see Mounties; what did you expect?! From November through February, and sometimes into March, the temperatures drop dramatically. Still, that’s what “Netflix and chill” was made for, making this a tolerable con of living in Valley Park, MO.

Living in Valley Park, MO

#2- Valley Park’s Job Market is Sluggish

While far from a disaster, the job market in Valley Park is a bit sluggish. For example, our unemployment rate is 3.40% compared to the national average of 3.70%. As far as recent job growth, we’ve only seen .66%, whereas the rest of the US has seen 1.59% growth. Future job growth doesn’t look much better at 26.8% compared to the national average of 33.5%. Still, over the past year, job growth in the city has been positive, with a .6% increase in jobs. That’s not amazing, but it is a good sign.

#3- Miscellaneous Costs are Higher in Valley Park

We mentioned above that the cost of living in Valley Park is affordable. While that might be true, the cost of miscellaneous stuff is a bit more expensive. 106/100, to be exact, or 6% higher than the national average. Internet services, phone services, eating out, or getting your hair done will be 6% more expensive. That might not seem like a lot, but it can add up. Still, it’s not a dealbreaker!

#4- Our Lovely Riverfront is Underutilized

One of the biggest cons of living in Valley Park, MO, is not our Riverfront. Instead, it’s the fact that this lovely green space is profoundly underutilized. Unlike, say, Little Rock, Arkansas, Louisville, Kentucky, or Charleston, South Carolina, our riverfront is rather blah. It’s not the worst shortcoming in the world by any means, but it’s a shame nonetheless.

Living in Valley Park, MO

#5- Public Transportation in Valley Park Needs an Upgrade

Depending on how much you rely on public transportation, this could be a big or small drawback. The fact is, while Valley Park does have an OK bus system, we only have two train lines. Even worse, those lines only give access to a small portion of the city. Again, it’s not the worst con of living in Valley Park unless you rely on public transportation. In that case, it could be somewhat problematic.

So what do you think? Does Valley Park get your “thumb’s up”? We hope you agree it should because it truly is a lovely city. iStorage has several self-storage locations here. All of them offer safe, clean Valley Park storage units ready for your stuff. From household goods to sports equipment, antiques, collections, and more, you can store it safely with iStorage. If you have questions, please chat online with a friendly manager anytime! Until then, we wish you the very best and much joy in your new Valley Park home!