This article is a part of a monthly feature highlighting East-West Gateway’s Where We Stand series, which ranks St. Louis among the 50 most populous U.S. metropolitan areas (referred to as the peer regions) on topics of regional importance.
Since 2010, the gross domestic product (GDP) per capita in St. Louis has grown by 21.8 percent, with the largest annual increase being from 2017 to 2018 (5.2 percent). In December, the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) released its latest GDP data at the county and metropolitan levels. GDP is the market value of all the goods and services produced in an area. Data on GDP is provided in a standardized way, allowing for comparisons across similar areas.
In 2018, St. Louis had a GDP per capita of $60,539 in current dollars, ranking 36th among peer regions. GDP per capita for the region ranks lower than the national average and all of the Midwest peer regions. The region compares more favorably when looking at total GDP, ranking 21st with a GDP of $169.8 in current dollars. Over the five years from 2013 to 2018, St. Louis experienced the slowest growth of GDP among all 50 peers with a 3.1 percent increase. However, the annual growth rate was stronger each year since 2015, with a 0.02 percent increase from 2015 to 2016 and a 5.4 percent increase from 2017 to 2018.
GDP is not the only measure to consider in assessing the economic performance of a region. Other tables available on the Where We Stand web page indicate that St. Louis has a relatively low cost of living, income levels that are just above the national average, and an unemployment rate that is lower than the United States.
For more information on this topic visit the BEA’s web page on GDP.
Access more tables, data, and reports in the Where We Stand series at www.ewgateway.org/wws. To receive future updates, subscribe to the Where We Stand newsletter.