Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Des Peres grades B+ overall, ranked 78th of 247 in Missouri. The median household earns $224K. Residents are healthier than 96% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates and its schools rank ahead of 93% of Missouri towns. What holds it back is price: the typical home is worth about $711K, 8.9 years of the St. Louis metro’s $80K median household income. 79% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Des Peres, above both the Missouri town median (22%) and the median of U.S. towns (29%). Des Peres's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) is stronger than in 94% of U.S. towns. Among 247 Missouri towns, just 4 have a higher median household income than Des Peres.
Where Des Peres beats most towns.
| Widest gap | Des Peres | MO |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 5.2% | 15.8% |
Where Des Peres’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Missouri), ordered by how far Des Peres is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 641 in 1940, 9,193 in 2020. The archive holds 7 old photos and papers going back to 1876 and 7 maps from 1933 on.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Des Peres. Close and well known come first.
Big draw21 mi State parkCahokia
Big draw14 mi Stadium & arenaThe Dome at America's Center
14 mi Stadium & arenaBusch Stadium
14 mi Theme parkMid America Adventure
14 mi National ParkGateway Arch National Park2.2M visitors a year
13 mi Stadium & arenaEnterprise CenterCahokia: Thank You (24 Millions ) views, CC BY 2.0 · The Dome at America's Center: Paul Sableman, CC BY 2.0 · Busch Stadium: Lee Ann Ratledge, CC BY 4.0 · Mid America Adventure: Chris Hagerman from New Port Richey, FL, US, CC BY 2.0 · Gateway Arch National Park: Daniel Schwen, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Enterprise Center: Haaron755, CC BY-SA 3.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in Des Peres, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Des Peres.
Des Peres draws workers from St. Louis and beyond and has less tooth loss than most of Missouri, but it reports more crime than Frontenac and its other graded neighbors.
At 8.9 years of the St. Louis metro’s $80K median household income, the typical home (about $711K) costs more against local pay than in 98% of Missouri towns; that ratio is one input to its C− for cost of living. The median property tax bill is $5,900, against $1,948 across Missouri, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
The median rent in Des Peres is $1,750 a month. Typical home values rose 5.2% in the year to September 2026.
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its A for schools comes with a C− for cost of living: the typical home is worth about $711K.
One of its 2 schools is below, with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. Clement Grade School PrivateLargest elementary schoolGrades PK–8 | Grades PK–8 | 335 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MO on state tests and graduation
Its widest gap with Missouri is tooth loss: 5.2% of those 65+ have lost all their teeth, against 15.8% statewide. Against the 657 U.S. towns with household incomes like Des Peres’s, it is less healthy than 64%: its national edge comes with its incomes.
12% of adults report frequent mental distress in Des Peres. Only 8 of the 247 Missouri towns we compare have a lower share of adults who say their health is fair or poor than Des Peres. 10% of adults report frequent physical distress in Des Peres.
| Des Peres | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 19% | 17% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 38% | 36% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 38% | 35% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 8.5% | 17% | 14% |
| What stands out | Des Peres | MO |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 5.2% | 15.8% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 4.9% | 13.7% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 11.3% | 8.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
14,368 jobs are based in Des Peres, 3.9 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in. The average commute takes 16.3 minutes, against 23.5 across Missouri.
Most working residents leave Des Peres for work: only 5% work in town. 2% of Des Peres residents live below the poverty line. Jobs based in Des Peres grew to 14,368 in 2023, 6,883 more than in 2013.
| Des Peres | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 2% | 14% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 16 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Work from home | 19% | 9% | 11% |
| Working residents who work in town | 5.2% | 13% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Each of the 3 graded towns on its borders reports less crime per resident, from Frontenac (C+) to Town and Country (B). Reported crimes rose from 342 to 467 over the last three FBI years, a rise beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
Des Peres’ property crime rate is 50.2 per 1,000 residents.
| Des Peres | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 50.2 per 1,000 residents | 12.4 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.8 per 1,000 residents | 2.3 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Des Peres has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 88°, January nights drop to 23° and about 10 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 61% of U.S. communities. Since 1979, 24 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Des Peres.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
0.4 miles of trail in 5 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Des Peres Park, at 42 acres.
| Des Peres | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 3% | 2.1% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Des Peres Park | — | 42 |
| 2. Sugar Creek Park | 0.1 mi | 18 |
| 3. Bittersweet Woods Conservation Area | — | 12 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
24 within 15 miles of the center of Des Peres
About 2 of every 100 Des Peres residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Missouri.
City in Missouri, United States
Des Peres ( də-PAIR) is a city in west St. Louis County, Missouri, United States. The population was 9,193 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
3 towns share a border with Des Peres.
All 3 graded towns on its borders grade higher than its B+; Frontenac (A−) is closest.
| Town | MO rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Des Peres | #78 | B+ | C− | D | A | A+ |
| Kirkwood | #34 | A− | C− | C+ | A+ | A |
| Town and Country | #28 | A | D | B | A | A+ |
| Frontenac | #50 | A− | C− | C+ | A+ | A+ |
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Des Peres grades B+ overall, better than 66% of U.S. towns and #78 of 247 in Missouri. It grades A+ for health, D for safety and A for schools. Safety is its weak spot, with a D.
Yes. Louis, MO-IL metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C−.
.jpg){kind=link}
