Affordable Storage in Festus

Moving and storage go hand in hand. Whether traveling across town or the country, moving is an exciting and fresh start. While Storage Rentals of America is here to help you with all your storage needs, we also want to help you get familiar with the area. That's why we put together this resource guide for Festus.

About Festus, MO

Festus is in Jefferson County. It is considered a suburb of St. Louis even though it is about 34 miles south of the St. Louis city center. The Greater St. Louis metropolitan area is that big. According to the 2020 census, the population count in Festus is 12,706. This small suburban town makes up a part of the 2.8 million people living in the Greater St. Louis area.

Festus is on the west side of the Mississippi River and is the most southern suburb of St. Louis.

Historically, Festus was established in 1878 as the adjacent community of Crystal City kept expanding. The name of the city came from either the first name of a banker, Festus J. Wade, from St. Louis or, as the story goes, from a preacher who opened the bible and randomly pointed to the word “Festus” in the Book of Acts. Locals debate which story is more believable.

In contemporary times, Festus is known for an alternative country-style band called The Bottle Rockets. It also became infamous for being the home of Travis the chimpanzee, who was a famous animal used in television productions and commercials that went berzerk and mauled a woman.

What to do in Festus, MO

Festus is a laid-back area with country-style living.

• Features: Sunset Park is a recreational area with sports activities and a bird sanctuary. In adjacent Crystal City, there are beautiful underground caverns that can be traversed using kayaks on a two-hour guided tour.
• Events: Popular events include Winterfest, the Firecracker Festival, Swingin’ Under the Stars, the Blues/Funk Festival, and the Sundays at Sunset concert series in Sunset Park.
• Attractions: The Flag Memorial and the HnH Deer Sanctuary are nice places for a visit.
• Destination: On the north side of town, the Ludwig Nature Area has the West City Park and the Larry G. Crites Memorial Park, which puts on an annual Holiday Lights show.

Working in Festus, MO

The unemployment rate in this city is 4.4%, which is reasonable. The local economy depends on construction, manufacturing, health care, and retail. The median household income is $62,850 per year. This amount is about $6,000 less than the U.S. average household income of $69,021. The economy is slowing despite the low unemployment rate and nice household income. The predicted job growth rate for the next ten years in this area is 27.7%, which is low when compared to the prediction for the national job growth rate of 33.5%.

The industries offering the most jobs are health care (11.7%), construction (9.2%), hospitality/tourism (6.4%), education (5.3%), finance/insurance (4.4%), public administration (3.9%), and retail (3.5%).

Festus, MO Neighborhoods

Festus has four neighborhoods. The western part of the city is the most expensive, followed by the northern part. The area on the southern side of the town has decent home prices, and the city center is the lowest-priced area.

Here is a comparison of the neighborhoods:

• Hematite / Victoria: This area is the most expensive. The median real estate price is $261,958. This price is more expensive than 65.5% of Missouri. Most homes are owner-occupied. The houses are large, with four to six bedrooms. The vacancy rate is 7.4%. Rental units cost $1,211 per month on average.
• Festus West: This area is part of the northwestern side of the city. The median real estate price is $256,234. Rental homes are available for an average rent of $1,232 per month. The vacancy rate is 9.5%, making it easy to find a place to rent.
• Danby / Selma: This neighborhood is on the southeastern side of town. A large portion of it runs along the Mississippi River. The median real estate price in this nice neighborhood is $249,990. Apartments are available to rent for $1,290 monthly. The vacancy rate is 2.8%.
• City Center / Ludwig: This area is near downtown. This neighborhood's median real estate price is $180,551, which is attractive for bargain hunters and first-time home buyers. Apartments are available to rent for $1,308 monthly. The vacancy rate is 6.4%, so finding a place to rent is easy if you can afford the slightly higher rent in this area.

Festus, MO School District

The Festus R-VI School District is the administrator of the public school system for this town. The school district spends around $10,466 per student yearly on education. The student-to-teacher ratio is 17 to one, which is an average class.

Festus has three private schools. They are St. Pius X High School (9th to 12th), Twin City Christian Academy (PK to 12th), and Our Lady Catholic School (K to 8th).

Within a 50-mile radius, there are 34 colleges and universities. The University of Missouri – St. Louis is one of the best four-year public schools.

Moving to Festus, MO Resource Guide

The city government has an elected mayor and eight elected members on the City Council.

Festus Parks and Recreation manages the seven public parks with over 256 acres of green space, including Sunset Park's bird sanctuary and the baseball and softball complex at the Larry G. Crites Memorial Park.

Festus, MO Housing

The median home price in Festus is $275,500, with prices staying about the same year-over-year. It is a seller’s market with fewer houses listed for sale than there are potentially interested buyers wanting to make an offer.

The cost of living is extremely low in this area. It is 4% lower than other Missouri cities and 15% lower than the national average for the entire country.