Located in the US heartland, St. Louis is a vibrant metropolis within the state of Missouri. It is most popularly known for its Gateway Arch, enthusiastic sports fanship, and colorful art and music scene.
In 2021, St. Louis ranked among the top 20 most fun places to live in the US for reasons like low cost of living and a steady supply of entertainment. As per the World Population Review, St. Louis’ 2024 population stands at 277,315 people.
However, this hardly seems like good news because St. Louis’ diversity is decreasing steadily each year. Could it be due to a growing concern for safety among its residents? In this article, we will explore why St. Louis, Missouri, has been scoring low in terms of safety.
St. Louis Comes Last in the Safety Ranking
WalletHub conducts periodic surveys to rank the safest US cities in their decreasing order of safety. St. Louis secured a poor spot, the last rank to be precise, in 2022 and 2023. This is a matter of grave concern as a city is only as fun to live in as it is also safe.
The researchers and surveyors did not expect any city to be 100% safe at all times. However, a general level of safety is expected for a city to become a good enough place to dwell. It turned out that some cities are naturally better at protecting their residents than others, and St. Louis was sadly not among them.
4 Main Reasons for a Poor Ranking
Over the two years, a definite set of factors were taken into consideration to understand the reason behind the rankings. St. Louis was deemed unsafe for the following four reasons.
Dangerous Roads
The city’s road safety measures need to be improved. One road that is a massive threat to public safety is the Grand Boulevard, which witnessed 28 crashes in 2023 and 21 in 2022. Then there are three routes for commercial trucks that are among the busiest across the city.
These include the I-55, I-44, and I-64. Being a logistics hub, St. Louis sees thousands of large 18-wheelers crossing its routes daily. These increase the risk of accidents multifold. Drivers fail to maintain blind spots, drive recklessly, or do not adhere to signage commands.
If a commercial truck is involved in an accident, the outcome is tragically complex and gruesome. According to TorHoerman Law, victims must suffer life-altering injuries like broken ribs or bones, paralysis, brain trauma, and spinal cord injuries, among others.
Moreover, the succeeding battle for compensation can be painstaking since insurers are rarely willing to shell out fair money. A St. Louis personal injury attorney will have to go through case details thoroughly before representing the victim in court. If multiple liable parties are involved, the lawsuit may drag on for months or years before resolving.
2023 was already declared the worst year for pedestrians in St. Louis County. Who wants to stroll or drive around the neighborhood unsure if their enjoyable time would end up in a crash? The road safety issue has also compelled people to relocate to safer cities, either within Missouri or other states.
Natural Disasters
St. Louis has been no stranger to nature’s wrath in the form of earthquakes, floods, tornados, and severe weather changes. Since 2008, the city has endured six major floods, two of which occurred in 2015 and 2017 respectively.
Not only that but it even ranked among the top five cities that are just one natural disaster away from experiencing acute water crisis. Being located in the confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers increases the risk of floods every year.
Another problem is the lead water pipes installed in the 1980s. It is believed that they are constantly leeching the chemical into the city’s water supply. What’s worse than the risk of lead poisoning is the fact that the city officials do not know where all the pipes are located. Moreover, these pipes are too old and weak.
With climate change bringing greater floods and storms, a single disaster will be enough to break all hell loose. Currently, the risk of earthquakes and tornados is higher than the national average. Hence, the city is experiencing a mass exodus yet again.
Homicide Rates
This factor is probably the first that comes to mind when a city’s safety is brought under scrutiny. In the 2022 survey, the high number of homicides was a major factor in tagging St. Louis as unsafe.
The attacks were mainly directed towards the Black community. Since the mid-20th century, St. Louis has witnessed a mass exodus of its Black folks for reasons of economic disparities, community violence, etc.
The city officials were afraid of losing the population to relocation or homicides. Thankfully, their hard work to tighten safety measures bore fruit in this area. In 2023, St. Louis’ homicide rates dropped by a whopping 21%. Even so, it is believed that much work is to be done.
Financial Risk
As for the 2023 survey, financial risk was another area where St. Louis was found unable to protect its residents. A Fed economist for St. Louis had revealed that 2023 would be marked with slow economic progress and a high risk of recession.
This is expected to stem from supply chain disruptions and generate a massive financial crisis. Despite a historically low unemployment rate, the unstable economy as a whole continues to be a looming threat.
So we just saw that St. Louis residents have had to live with a variety of fears. Some threaten their physical safety whilst others imperil their livelihood. Are those at the top working towards changing the somber scenario? Yes, and improvement is visible in some areas. St. Louis’ only chance at preventing the loss of more residents is to set right the factors making it least safe in the US.