Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
University City's standout: it is more walkable than 98% of U.S. towns. Overall it grades C, 168th of 247 graded towns in Missouri. Residents are healthier than 77% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. Its weakest subject is schools: its schools rank behind 86% of the state's. 65% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in University City, above both the Missouri town median (22%) and the median of U.S. towns (29%). On cost of living, just 31 of Missouri’s 419 towns do worse. University City has 16 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Assumption Greek Orthodox Church and Sutter-Meyer House.
Where University City beats most towns.
Census counts: 2,417 in 1910, a peak of 51,249 in 1960, 35,065 in 2020. The archive holds 11 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 6 maps from 1933 on.
16 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Missouri), ordered by how far University City is from typical.
Its grades run from A+ for walkability (better than 98% of comparable towns) to D for schools (better than 14%), so the C overall blends very different results.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around University City. Close and well known come first.
Big draw14 mi State parkCahokia
Big draw8 mi Stadium & arenaThe Dome at America's Center
8 mi Stadium & arenaBusch Stadium
8 mi National ParkGateway Arch National Park2.2M visitors a year
8 mi Stadium & arenaEnterprise Center
21 mi Theme parkMid America AdventureCahokia: 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 · Gateway Arch National Park: Daniel Schwen, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Enterprise Center: Haaron755, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Mid America Adventure: Chris Hagerman from New Port Richey, FL, US, CC BY 2.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in University City, 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 University City.
University City fares better on crime within Missouri than nationally, but it has property taxes about twice the Missouri norm.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brittany WoodsLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 557 | D |
| University City SR. HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 874 | C− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MO on state tests and graduation
11% of University City adults report frequent physical distress. University City beats the Missouri average on 16 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 0. 31% of University City adults have obesity.
| University City | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 15% | 14% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 17% | 14% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 38% | 35% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 19% | 17% |
| What stands out | University City | MO |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults with COPD | 5.5% | 8% |
| Fewer smokers | 11% | 16% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Most working residents leave University City for work: only 4% work in town. 19% of workers work from home in University City. Jobs based in University City fell to 7,588 in 2023, 1,321 fewer than in 2013.
| University City | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 19% | 9% | 11% |
| Working residents who work in town | 3.7% | 13% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 15% | 14% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 22 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
At 29.9 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports more crime than 60% of Missouri’s graded towns. Reported crimes fell from 845 to 664 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
University City’s violent crime rate is 3.2 per 1,000 residents.
| University City | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 3.2 per 1,000 residents | 2.2 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 16.3 per 1,000 residents | 12.4 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
2.1 miles of trail in 15 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Heman Park, at 77 acres.
| University City | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 4.6% | 2.1% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.4 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Heman Park | 0.3 mi | 77 |
| 2. Flynn Park | 0.3 mi | 8 |
| 3. Millar Park | — | 13 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 71% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 510 flood insurance claims have been paid out in University City.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
University City has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 88°, January nights drop to 23° and about 17 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The median property tax bill is $3,640, against $1,948 across Missouri, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
The typical University City home is worth about $269,000, up 3.7% in a year, close to the Missouri typical home. The median rent in University City is $1,319 a month.
| University City | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 56% | 64% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,319 a month | $970 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent | 44% | 43% | 48% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
24 within 15 miles of the center of University City
About 14 of every 100 University City residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Missouri.
Where University City’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
16 places in University City on the National Register of Historic Places.
5 notable people were born in University City.
City in Missouri, US
University City (colloquially, U. City) is an inner-ring suburb of the City of St. Louis in St. Louis County, Missouri, United States. The population was measured at 35,065 by the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
7 towns share a border with University City.
Clayton next door grades higher for schools (A+ to University City’s D) and lower for cost of living (D− to C−).
| Town | MO rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University City | #168 | C | C− | C | D | A− |
| Pagedale | #244 | D− | A− | D− | D− | D− |
| Clayton | #14 | A | D− | B+ | A+ | A+ |
| Vinita Park | — | — | A− | D− | D− | D− |
| Ladue | #18 | A | D | B+ | A+ | A+ |
| Wellston | — | — | B+ | — | D− | D− |
| Olivette | #13 | A | D | B | A+ | A |
| Overland | #206 | D | B+ | D | D | C− |
Vinita Park and Wellston have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Wellston reports no FBI crime data of its own. Compare University City with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
University City grades C overall, better than 26% of U.S. towns and #168 of 247 in Missouri. It grades A− for health, C for safety and D for schools. Schools 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−.
5 notable people were born here, including Bob Gale and Jane Froman.
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