O'Fallon, Missouri

A sprawling suburban city in the St. Louis metro area, O’Fallon is large and accessible—a place where most everything is about a five- to 10-minute drive away, whether you’re in need of a grocery store or a gym; it features all the amenities of an urban center, but with a lower cost of living.

The housing market is competitive but on the more affordable side, with the typical house selling for $339,007, per Attom. The typical household earns slightly over $100,000. 

There’s always something going on in the O’Fallon community, whether it’s Shakespeare in the Park at the O’Day Amphitheater or the Jammin’ concert series in the summer. It’s also home to Alligator’s Creek, an outdoor water park that kids can cool down in, as well as the Renaud Center, a 66,000-square-foot indoor recreational facility. And St. Louis is only a 40-minute car ride away for weekend excursions to watch the Cardinals or visit a museum.

O’Fallon’s Cultural Arts Program aims to preserve the city’s past and ensure its future by offering visual and performing arts to families, with an emphasis on education. In addition to a number of gallery exhibitions, it hosts fine-arts fair Fall Into the Arts and the Shape of Community, a rotating sculpture series. 

A big draw for families: O’Fallon’s top-notch schools, such as those in the high-ranking Fort Zumwalt School District. The city’s high school graduation rate is 94%.