Sample data. These scores are illustrative placeholders, not real measurements — live scores arrive when the data pipeline runs.
Where St. Louis lands on the scale
Every city is graded on the same 0–100 Fun Score, split into five bands from quiet to exceptional — here is where St. Louis sits.
Pro sports in St. Louis
The five major US leagues anchor a city’s sports identity — home stadiums, season-long event flow, drive-time fanbases. St. Louis hosts 2 major-league teams across 2 leagues.
- MLB St. Louis Cardinals
- MLS St. Louis City SC
How the Fun Score adds up
The Fun Score is one number with two halves — 16 things that make St. Louis fun, minus 7 that wear it down. Here is the arithmetic.
16 things that lift the score, blended onto 0–100
7 things that wear it down, blended onto 0–100
- Fun factors lift it
- –
- Drawbacks pull it down
- –
- Raw composite
- –
- Fun Score placed on the published 0–100 scale
- –
Only 40% of the drawback total is subtracted — even a great city can carry a few flaws. Every factor below spells its contribution out as an equation — score times weight. Those 23 contributions are the building blocks behind the two totals above (each is rounded for display).
The Fun breakdown
Every factor is scored 0–100 against the other cities in the index.
St. Louis's strongest factors are Star Power, Culture and Drinks. Its heaviest drawbacks are Crime, Economic Strain and Air Quality.
On every bar, the marker shows the typical city — the median score across the whole index.
What lifts the score
- Eats –
Restaurants, food halls and the depth of the dining scene.
Measured from OpenStreetMap restaurant counts, with Google Places ratings adjusting for venue quality.
- Drinks –
Bars, breweries, cocktail rooms and the nightlife spread.
Measured from OpenStreetMap bars, pubs, nightclubs and craft breweries/distilleries, with Google Places ratings adjusting for venue quality.
- Coffee –
Cafés and the strength of the third-place coffee culture.
Measured from OpenStreetMap café counts, with Google Places ratings adjusting for venue quality.
-
Music venues and how often live shows actually happen.
Measured from Ticketmaster and SeatGeek show listings, plus OpenStreetMap music venues.
-
Notable people the city is known for, plus headliner acts that tour through.
Measured from SeatGeek headliner popularity and Wikidata notable residents (rank-blended).
- Outdoors –
Parks, beaches and easy access to nature.
Measured from OpenStreetMap parks, nature reserves, playgrounds and beaches, plus National Park Service units and Recreation.gov federal facilities.
- Culture –
Museums, theatres, galleries and arts institutions.
Measured from OpenStreetMap museums, galleries and theatres plus geo-tagged Wikipedia landmarks, with Google Places ratings adjusting for venue quality.
- Events –
Festivals, fairs and a packed year-round events calendar.
Measured from Ticketmaster and SeatGeek festivals, fairs and ticketed events.
- Sports –
Pro and college teams and the game-day energy around them.
Measured from Ticketmaster and SeatGeek pro and college games, plus OpenStreetMap stadiums, sports centres and fitness centres.
-
Escape rooms, arcades, trampoline parks and karaoke spots.
Measured from OpenStreetMap escape rooms, arcades, trampoline parks and karaoke venues, with Google Places ratings adjusting for venue quality.
-
How much the city is talked about and searched for — news and search attention.
Measured from GDELT news tone and Google Trends search interest (each percentile-ranked, then averaged).
- Climate –
How often the weather is good enough to get outside.
Measured from NOAA climate normals — counts of comfortable days.
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How well a person without a car can move around the city.
Measured from GTFS schedules via Transit.land, the Federal Transit Administration National Transit Database and US Census ACS B08301 commuter mode share.
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Density of fun within walking distance — sidewalks, intersections, mixed-use blocks.
Measured from EPA National Walkability Index (block-group resolution, population-weighted to the city).
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Density of college and university students — the engine behind a college town.
Measured from NCES Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) full-time-equivalent enrollment and US Census ACS age cohort data.
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Protected bike lanes and a working public bikeshare system.
Measured from OpenStreetMap protected cycleway segments and the MobilityData GBFS bikeshare-feed catalog.
What weighs it down
- Crime –
Reported violent and property crime rates.
Measured from FBI Crime Data Explorer and city open-data crime portals.
- Traffic –
Congestion and the time lost to commuting.
Measured from US Census commute-time data (ACS).
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Recent particulate matter and ozone levels — a trailing-week air-quality average.
Measured from EPA AirNow and OpenAQ pollution readings (seven-day trailing average).
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Exposure to natural hazards and severe events.
Measured from FEMA National Risk Index.
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Punishing heat, cold and storm extremes.
Measured from NOAA Storm Events and climate-extremes data.
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Cost of living and housing pressure on residents.
Measured from Bureau of Labor Statistics unemployment, HUD Fair Market Rent and US Census median income plus poverty rate.
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What a typical night out actually costs in this metro.
Measured from Bureau of Labor Statistics regional Consumer Price Index — food away from home, recreation services and transportation services.
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Cities like St. Louis
The St. Louis read Free
A written read on St. Louis, grounded in the data
A plain-English analysis of why St. Louis scores the way it does — its standout strengths, where it falls short, who it suits best, and the cities most like it. Every figure is drawn from the same 23 factors on this page: it narrates the measured data, it never invents a number.
This AI City Report for St. Louis, MO reveals a Fun Score of 66, placing it in the "Fun" category and making it one of the most affordable cities for a night out in the nation.
Why it scores high
St. Louis, MO shines with its vibrant cultural scene and impressive "star power." The city boasts a remarkable score of 90 for Star Power, ranking it tied for 8th nationally out of 134 cities. This indicates a strong presence of popular headliners and notable residents, suggesting a dynamic environment for entertainment and public figures. Complementing this, Culture scores an excellent 87, placing it tied for 16th nationally. This high score reflects a rich array of museums, galleries, and theaters, along with significant historical landmarks, offering residents and visitors a wealth of cultural experiences (OpenStreetMap museums, galleries and theatres plus geo-tagged Wikipedia landmarks, with Google Places ratings adjusting for venue quality).
The city also excels in its Drinks scene, scoring 86 and tying for 18th nationally. This means St. Louis offers a thriving selection of bars, pubs, nightclubs, and craft breweries or distilleries, with high-quality venues contributing to a lively nightlife (OpenStreetMap bars, pubs, nightclubs and craft breweries/distilleries, with Google Places ratings adjusting for venue quality). Furthermore, the city stands out for its affordability when it comes to going out. Its Going-Out Cost score of 92 is exceptional, ranking it tied for 1st nationally. This indicates that entertainment, dining out, and transportation for leisure activities are remarkably inexpensive compared to other major cities (Bureau of Labor Statistics regional Consumer Price Index — food away from home, recreation services and transportation services).
Where it falls short
While St. Louis, MO offers many strengths, there are areas where it faces challenges. The city scores low in Events, with a score of just 4, placing it tied for 124th nationally. This suggests a limited number of large-scale festivals, fairs, and ticketed events (Ticketmaster and SeatGeek festivals, fairs and ticketed events). Another significant concern is Crime, which scores a low 9, ranking it tied for 128th nationally. This indicates that safety is a notable issue in the city (FBI Crime Data Explorer and city open-data crime portals).
Additionally, St. Louis, MO experiences considerable Economic Strain, scoring 16 and ranking tied for 113th nationally. This suggests challenges related to unemployment, housing costs, and income levels (Bureau of Labor Statistics unemployment, HUD Fair Market Rent and US Census median income plus poverty rate). The city also struggles with Air Quality, scoring 20 and ranking tied for 107th nationally, indicating that air pollution can be a concern for residents (EPA AirNow and OpenAQ pollution readings (seven-day trailing average)).
Who it's for
St. Louis, MO is ideal for the culturally curious and budget-conscious individual who enjoys a vibrant nightlife and a rich historical backdrop. It's a city for those who appreciate accessible entertainment and a strong sense of local identity, and who are willing to navigate challenges in other areas for the sake of its unique character and affordability.
Cities like it
Detroit, MI is similar to St. Louis in its industrial heritage and ongoing revitalization efforts. Cincinnati, OH shares a comparable Midwestern charm and a focus on arts and culture. Milwaukee, WI is another city with a strong brewing tradition and a lively social scene, much like St. Louis.
Sources
- Bureau of Labor Statistics regional Consumer Price Index — food away from home, recreation services and transportation services
- Bureau of Labor Statistics unemployment, HUD Fair Market Rent and US Census median income plus poverty rate
- EPA AirNow and OpenAQ pollution readings (seven-day trailing average)
- EPA National Walkability Index (block-group resolution, population-weighted to the city)
- FBI Crime Data Explorer and city open-data crime portals
- FEMA National Risk Index
- GDELT news tone and Google Trends search interest (each percentile-ranked, then averaged)
- GTFS schedules via Transit.land, the Federal Transit Administration National Transit Database and US Census ACS B08301 commuter mode share
- NCES Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) full-time-equivalent enrollment and US Census ACS age cohort data
- NOAA climate normals — counts of comfortable days
- NOAA Storm Events and climate-extremes data
- OpenStreetMap arcades, trampoline parks and karaoke venues, with Google Places ratings adjusting for venue quality
- OpenStreetMap bars, pubs, nightclubs and craft breweries/distilleries, with Google Places ratings adjusting for venue quality
- OpenStreetMap caf\u00e9 counts, with Google Places ratings adjusting for venue quality
- OpenStreetMap escape rooms, with Google Places ratings adjusting for venue quality
- OpenStreetMap music venues
- OpenStreetMap museums, galleries and theatres plus geo-tagged Wikipedia landmarks, with Google Places ratings adjusting for venue quality
- OpenStreetMap parks, nature reserves, playgrounds and beaches, plus National Park Service units and Recreation.gov federal facilities
- OpenStreetMap protected cycleway segments and the MobilityData GBFS bikeshare-feed catalog
- OpenStreetMap restaurant counts, with Google Places ratings adjusting for venue quality
- OpenStreetMap stadiums, sports centres and fitness centres
- SeatGeek headliner popularity and Wikidata notable residents (rank-blended)
- Ticketmaster and SeatGeek festivals, fairs and ticketed events
- Ticketmaster and SeatGeek pro and college games, plus OpenStreetMap stadiums, sports centres and fitness centres
- Ticketmaster and SeatGeek show listings, plus OpenStreetMap music venues
- US Census commute-time data (ACS)
This narrative is generated by AI from CityFunIndex's measured data. The Fun Scores, ranks and raw values are computed deterministically; the wording around them is the model's. Verify any figure against the linked city page.
Go deeper
Use the data
St. Louis’s Fun Score and every factor score are available through the licensed CityFunIndex API — clean JSON, metered one call per city record, behind a paid key.
Cite this page
Paste-ready credit line for journalists, researchers and bloggers. Carries the score, the algorithm version and the canonical URL so readers can verify it themselves.
CityFunIndex Fun Score for St. Louis, MO: 65/100 (v2.1.0-dev). https://cityfunindex.com/city/st-louis-mo
Press, research and partnership enquiries: media kit · api@cityfunindex.com.