Best Places62234, IL Best Neighborhoods
2026–2027 edition · Data updated July 2026
Every neighborhood inside ZIP code 62234, scored on 40 measures of daily life and ranked to fit what matters to you. This page is for people who live here or already know they want to. To work out which city fits you best, start with the best places to live tool.
62234 ranks 19,704th of 33,110 U.S. zip codes on the BestNeighborhood index. The weather pulls hardest against it, while it scores best on transit.
The best neighborhoods in 62234
BestNeighborhood is the only ranking that scores 40 measures of daily life neighborhood by neighborhood and lets you re-weight every one of them yourself.
62234's strengths and weaknesses
Where 62234 ranks high
- TransitBetter than 88% of zip codes
- Internet speedBetter than 82% of zip codes
- Housing crash safetyBetter than 81% of zip codes
- State infrastructureBetter than 76% of zip codes
- BikingBetter than 75% of zip codes
Where 62234 ranks low
- Nice weatherabout 57 pleasant days a year, better than only 4% of zip codes
- State fiscal healthBetter than only 4% of zip codes
- Low income/sales/gas taxBetter than only 5% of zip codes
- School gradeD, better than only 6% of zip codes
- Air qualityBetter than only 9% of zip codes
What it costs to buy a home in 62234
A household needs to earn about $52,000 a year to comfortably buy the median 62234 home, at 20% down and today's 30-year rate. That is below the area's own median income of $73,226, so a typical household can afford the median home outright.
Where the monthly payment goes
Assumes a 20% down payment, a 6.6% 30-year fixed rate, and a 28% share of income going to the payment. The rate is the 2026-07-23 30-year fixed average, series MORTGAGE30US from the St. Louis Fed, which publishes Freddie Mac's weekly survey. Against the median home value, property tax uses 62234's effective rate of 1.60%, and insurance is estimated at 0.4% of home value a year.
Renting versus buying
At today's prices, buying tends to cost more than renting for about the first 7 years, then pulls ahead as rent keeps rising and the mortgage builds equity. The chart tracks the running cost of each.
Who lives in 62234
62234's age mix sits close to the national median, and households here run smaller than average.
Residents by age
Racial and ethnic makeup has its own map. See the race and diversity map for 62234.
Who works in 62234, and how
Work in 62234 centers on health care & social and manufacturing. Unemployment is close to the national rate, and employment has held roughly flat.
Largest industries
How people get to work
- Drive or carpool 83%
- Work from home 14%
- Transit, walk, or bike 3%
Life in 62234
62234 has more parkland per resident than 82% of zip codes and more late-night spots per resident than 80% of zip codes. Dining, parks, and nightlife concentrates in some parts of 62234 and thins out in others, which the map shows.
What the weather is like in 62234, month by month
62234 sees roughly 57 pleasant days a year. July highs average about 89 degrees. January highs sit near 42, with lows near 25. The comfortable stretch runs April, May, September, and October.
Show the monthly temperatures
| Month | Avg high | Avg | Avg low |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 42° | 32° | 25° |
| April | 69° | 56° | 46° |
| July | 89° | 79° | 70° |
| October | 71° | 59° | 48° |
Flying in and out of 62234
The nearest airport, Scott AFB/Midamerica St Louis, is about 12 miles away and is a small airport. The nearest major hub is St Louis Lambert International, about 21 miles away.
The best schools in and around 62234
Schools across 62234 average a D, better than 6% of zip codes.
Top elementary schools
- Maryville Elem SchoolB− · 43% proficient
- Delores Moye Elem SchoolB− · 41% proficient
- C A Henning SchoolB− · 41% proficient
Top middle schools
- Triad Middle SchoolB · 45% proficient
- Fulton Jr High SchoolC+ · 38% proficient
- Amelia V Carriel Jr HighC · 35% proficient
Top high schools
- Triad High SchoolB− · 42% proficient
- O Fallon High SchoolC+ · 36% proficient
- Collinsville High SchoolD · 19% proficient
Grades come from K-12 test scores, with scores projected for schools missing data. See every 62234 school and its grade on SchoolGrade.
62234 measure by measure
Cards are ordered by how much each measure matters to you, so the ones you weighted highest come first. Expand to see every measure. Percentages compare 62234 against the other 33,109 zip codes.
Who 62234 suits
Remote workers
Internet is fast and widely advertised and 14% already work from home.
Retirees
Set weather, quiet, and health care weights on the map to test the fit.
Common questions about living in 62234
Is 62234 a good place to live?
Using BestNeighborhood's default rankings, 62234 ranks 19,704th of 33,110 zip codes. It scores highest on transit, fast internet, and a stable housing market, and lowest on the weather and state finances. How good it is for you depends on which of those you weight most, which the map lets you set.
Is 62234 expensive to live in?
The median home is worth $180,375. The overall cost of living runs about 20% below the national average. Set against a $73,226 median income, cost of living beats 69% of zip codes.
Is 62234 safe?
62234 is safer than 51% of zip codes. Safety varies a lot by neighborhood. Crime costs an estimated $250 per resident a year.
What is the weather like in 62234?
July highs average about 89 degrees, and January highs near 42 with lows near 25. That works out to about 57 pleasant days a year, more than 4% of zip codes.
Is 62234 good for families?
Schools beat 6% of zip codes, crime safety beats 51%, and childcare runs $1,148 a month.
Compare 62234 with other zip codes
Sources and methodology
Every measure on this page is scored for each neighborhood, then rolled up to 62234. Scores are absolute rather than ranked, which means a 60 in 62234 represents the same real quantity as a 60 anywhere else, and the ranking is a weighted average of those absolutes. The map colors come from a national scale calibrated against a population weighted random sample of 5,000 neighborhoods. That absolute scoring is what no other places-to-live ranking does: it puts a single neighborhood, a town, a metro, and a state on one scale, so the same 40 measures answer both which metro to move to and which street inside it to buy on. Read the full methodology.
62234 detail on BestNeighborhood maps:
- Walk Grade for 62234: walkability, transit, and biking, measured on the real street network rather than by straight line distance.
- Noise in 62234: road, rail, and aviation sound modeling calibrated against federal ground truth measurements.
- Conservative vs liberal map of 62234: precinct level election results apportioned to neighborhoods.
- Mobile and cell coverage in 62234: carrier by carrier coverage behind the cell score.
62234 detail on related sites:
- CrimeGrade: neighborhood crime rates behind the crime safety score.
- ISPreports.org: provider by provider internet availability and advertised speeds.
- CoverageWatch: the car insurance premiums behind the cheap car insurance score.
Federal and public data:
- U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey: income, home value, rent, vacancy, commute time and mode, educational attainment, home age, age structure, household type, industry, and race.
- NOAA Global Surface Summary of the Day: the daily station record behind the monthly temperatures and the pleasant-day count.
- FAA Passenger Boarding Data: airport size and annual passenger counts.
- Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey: the 30-year fixed rate used in the cost-to-buy estimate.
- FBI Crime Data Explorer: reported offenses behind the tangible crime cost estimate.
- U.S. EPA Air Quality System: five year average air quality index.
- FEMA National Risk Index: expected annual loss from natural hazards.
- CDC PLACES: disease burden, preventable risk, and barriers to care.
- National Center for Education Statistics: school enrollment and assessment inputs behind the school grade.
- FCC National Broadband Map: internet and wireless availability.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: employment and job growth behind the local economy score.
- Religious activity uses a proprietary religious signal measurement.
Your priorities
Move a slider to say how much a measure matters. Zero turns it off.