City comparison
Independence, MO is about 225 miles (350 km) from St. Louis, MO in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 275 miles, or about 4 h 45 min behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Independence, MO to St. Louis, MO takes about 27 min, covering roughly 225 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
St. Louis has a population of 298,018, vs 122,218 in Independence — about 2.4× larger by population. By land area, Independence covers about 78 sq mi vs 62 sq mi for St. Louis.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Independence | St. Louis | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,020/mo | $938/mo | 8.7% higher in Independence |
| Median home value | $150,800 | $174,100 | 15.5% higher in St. Louis |
| Median household income | $57,415 | $52,941 | 8.5% higher in Independence |
| Groceries index | 94.3 | 99.7 | 5.7% higher in St. Louis |
| Utilities index | 89.3 | 71.9 | 24.2% higher in Independence |
| Transportation index | 93.7 | 98.5 | 5.1% higher in St. Louis |
| Healthcare index | 93.9 | 98.7 | 5.1% higher in St. Louis |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Independence, you'd need $97,439 in St. Louis to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
St. Louis, MO is about 2.6% cheaper overall than Independence, MO, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 10% higher in Independence than in St. Louis. If you earn $80,000 in Independence, you'd need about $77,951 in St. Louis to keep the same standard of living.