CORO

The St. Louis Advantage

Fellows who arrive in St. Louis are surprised by the warm and inviting welcome they receive.  While the program is similar to that offered by the other Coro centers, the cost of living is reasonable, partnerships with key universities are in place, and the Fellows program is supported and highly regarded in the St. Louis region.

“Greater St. Louis offers a unique blend.  The nation's 18th largest metropolitan area, with 2.7 million people in eastern Missouri and southwestern Illinois, it features the big-city assets of a broadly talented work force, great cultural and educational institutions, and superb recreational opportunities.  Yet St. Louis also provides the convenience, intimacy, and affordability of a smaller community.  This extraordinary combination produces an enviable lifestyle and a competitive home for progressive companies.”     

For all that Greater St. Louis has to offer, the cost of living here is considerably low. In fact, the community is the third lowest cost of living among the nation’s 20 largest metropolitan areas in the first quarter of 2006, according to the American Chamber of Commerce Researchers Association.

Cost of Living - Top 20 Metropolitan Areas

Metro Area

Index

Houston

90.2

Pittsburgh

93.3

St. Louis

95.6

Dallas

95.8

Atlanta

97.5

U.S.

100.0

Phoenix

103.8

Detroit

104.1

Chicago

111.9

Riverside, CA

115.1

Miami

115.4

Seattle

116.3

Baltimore

120.0

Philadelphia

124.0

Boston

133.6

Washington, D.C.

142.1

Los Angeles

158.2

San Francisco

170.6

New York (Manhattan)

201.2

Minneapolis

N/A

San Diego

N/A

Source: 1st Quarter 2006, ACCRA Cost of Living Index.

Inc. Magazine, which in 2005 rated St. Louis as the 44th best place in the country to do business (out of 274), cited “a growing array of technology and business firms,” resulting partly from the area’s “lower costs.”
Any community that can pioneer genetic engineering while also boasting one of the world’s greatest Symphony orchestras and earning the title of “Best Sports City” in America must have something special going for it.

Information from the St. Louis Regional Chamber & Growth Association (RCGA), http://www.stlrcga.org