The St. Louis region has welcoming communities and a thriving arts and culture scene, so it’s no wonder that transplants find their way here to start a new career, build a business, or raise a family. United Way of Greater St. Louis recently surveyed more than 100 St. Louis transplants to dive deeper into their perspectives on transitioning to the region, meeting people in the community, and the most pressing social issues in St. Louis.

1. TAKING THE PLUNGE:
MAKING SAINT LOUIS HOME

2. They’re perplexed by St. Louis natives’ habits of asking,
“Where’d you go to high school?” yet see the region
as a place of opportunity and community. Transplants
are changing St. Louis’ economic and social landscapes
for the better, and we’re delighted to report that many
who move here consider St. Louis an ideal place to live
and work.
We recently surveyed more than 100 transplants to
the St. Louis region to discover what motivated them
to relocate and call our region home. Our respondents
ranged from 18 to over 61, were 71% female, 74%
Caucasian, and 94% have a Bachelor’s degree or
graduate-level education. Their answers provided us
with insights about our region’s assets, attractions
and available jobs. Our participants came from a
wide range of economic backgrounds, yet many had
one quality in common: their hope for the region.
By compiling and analyzing their responses, we can
better understand how transplants view our region.
Each question covered the social, economic or
professional implications of living in St. Louis. The
results will provide readers with insight on the issues
the St. Louis region faces and how we can work
together toward the common goal of creating a better
community for our current and future residents. As a
region, it is our responsibility to help ensure St. Louis
is the best possible place it can be to live, work, grow
and thrive.
INTRO

3. 1 / Coming to St. Louis
2 / Ways to Meet People
3 / Favorite Places
4 / Education
5 / Health
6 / Poverty
7 / What We Learned
8 / Helping People
9 / Resources
TABLE OF CONTENTS

4. COMING TO ST. LOUIS1 /
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WHAT BROUGHT YOU TO ST. LOUIS?
People are actively working
together to make change in the
community – and that sense of
pushing for the common good,
that sense of responsibility to
your city is really unique.
- survey participant
From new job opportunities to proximity to friends and family, many
different factors influence transplants to move to our growing city.
Although the advantages that attract transplants to the region are
the same ones that keep them here, there is one notable factor that
contributes to building St. Louis’ transplant population: our city’s sense
of community. As transplants become familiar with St. Louis, they are
more influenced by our established history, welcoming neighborhoods
and commitment to revitalization.
Job opportunity
Family and friends
Affordability
Affordability
Family and friends/
Job opportunities
(equally ranked)
Sense of community
WHAT MAKES YOU STAY IN ST. LOUIS?
“
”
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5. WAYS TO MEET PEOPLE 1 /
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WAYS TO MEET PEOPLE IN ST. LOUIS
St. Louis feels like home to me
because of the various outlets
to meet people and become
involved in the community.
Meeting new people and establishing friendships is hard, especially in a
completely new city. Work is an obvious place to build relationships, but
it surprisingly is not the number one way transplants build their St. Louis
community according to our survey.
Ranked No. 3 on the list of ways to meet people in St. Louis, volunteering
offers individuals and families the opportunity to use their skills and
socialize. STLVolunteer can help you meet new people by connecting you
with thousands of volunteer options in the St. Louis region. From long-term
volunteering to short-term service projects, STLVolunteer has an ideal
volunteer opportunity for everyone’s schedule and lifestyle.
Clubs, groups
and organizations
Work
Volunteering
Professional and
personal events
Place of worship
“
”- survey participant

6. St. Louis is a great family-friendly
city where people have the ability
to get almost anywhere within
20 minutes.
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FAVORITE PLACES
FAVORITE ST. LOUIS PLACES
St. Louis is known for the Gateway Arch yet many transplants
consider both well-known city landmarks and neighborhood
hangouts as some of their favorite places to visit.
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Saint Louis Zoo
Missouri Botanical Garden
Saint Louis Art Museum
Busch Stadium
Other
- survey participant
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7. 1. EDUCATION
When asked which social cause was most important to them, survey
participants ranked education as their No. 1 choice. Here’s what United
Way is doing to improve education accessibility and establish the St. Louis
region as a great place to raise a family.
Kindergarten Ready
When children succeed, our entire region succeeds. United Way is helping
children have an early strong start by ensuring kids are ready to become
successful students. United Way supports this strong start through early
intervention, identifying and fostering readiness skills for kindergarten and
supporting childcare centers that offer a quality early education.
Imagination Library
We believe that books open up a whole new world and access to books better
prepares children for school and life. United Way and Dolly Parton’s Imagina-
tion Library are working to increase the number of books in the homes of chil-
dren in the St. Louis region. Through Imagination Library, many children now
have a learning opportunity that will lead to a brighter future.
Ready by 21 St. Louis
Seeking improved educational outcomes for our region’s youth, corporations,
service providers, educators and philanthropists have partnered on Ready by
21 and East Side Aligned, a collective approach to align community services
and funding around a comprehensive “cradle to career” agenda. By working
together, we can help more children succeed. United Way provides support
for this initiative in our region.
When young people need extra help, United
Way partner agencies and programs are
there for them. From providing better options
for early childhood education to addressing
access to post-secondary education, many
United Way partner agencies work to remove
barriers in education. Be it tutoring,
homework assistance or reading partners,
many United Way partner agencies provide
students with the extra help they need to
succeed in school. Additionally, thousands
of local teens participate in after-school
programs funded by United Way.
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8. 2. HEALTH
According to the survey, health is the No. 2 cause closest to new
St. Louisans’ hearts. Maintaining a healthy region is not only
important to our community’s current generation but to future
generations as well. Here’s how United Way is working to improve
health in our region.
Mental Health and Wellness
Beyond their impact on physical and emotional health, mental illness
and substance abuse often isolate the people they affect. United Way
helps individuals who experience mental illness or substance abuse
and supports agencies that offer services and resources to those af-
fected and their families.
Chronic Health Conditions
Chronic illnesses and health conditions can have devastating effects
beyond their immediate physical consequences. By providing camp
experiences to kids with cancer and diabetes, conducting health
screenings and offering different types of caring support, United
Way partner agencies help thousands of people in need of chronic
illness support.
A healthy population is a thriving
population, and United Way goes a long
way to ensure that people in the St. Louis
region have access to care, receive health
education and learn how to develop and
maintain healthy behaviors.
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9. 3. POVERTY
Survey participants ranked poverty as their third most cared about
cause for the St. Louis region. Poverty impacts the citizens of every
neighborhood, and fighting it will not only better the lives of those
affected but the community as a whole as well.
Getting Families Out of Poverty
Poverty will touch the majority of Americans at some point during their
lives, even if only for a few months. The good news is that poverty is not a
fixed state. Roughly half of those who reach the poverty level will get out
of it a year later. United Way funds partner agencies that are committed to
helping families overcome the challenges of poverty by providing
educational opportunities, job training, financial independence education
and basic needs support.
Providing Emergency Needs
Everyone deserves food and a safe place to sleep. These basic needs are
consistently the top reasons why people call United Way 2-1-1 for help.
United Way funds much of the region’s basic needs assistance and helps
put callers in contact with agencies that can offer this assistance.
Addressing the Whole Issue
Basic needs aren’t so basic. It’s important to explore the underlying causes
of why a person needs food, shelter and clothing in the first place. Wheth-
er it’s due to mental illness, a family crisis, unemployment, or a history of
poverty, the system of agencies United Way supports is there to help the
whole person and break the cycle of poverty.
United Way works together with partner
agencies to address the set of factors or
events that perpetuate the cycle of poverty
in the St. Louis region. From supporting
local food banks to promoting financial
independence, fighting poverty happens in
different ways throughout our region.
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10. WHAT WE LEARNED
It is critical to engage transplants and welcome them in order for our
region to grow and thrive. Whether brought to St. Louis to pursue an
education or career, transplants are interested in becoming active in
their communities and are looking for ways they can assimilate into the
St. Louis culture. By addressing the critical issues of education, health,
and poverty while continuing to enhance the qualities of our city that
appeal to young professional and families alike, we will improve the
attractiveness of the region in the eyes of future transplants. Together,
let’s better the community and help people live their best possible lives.
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11. HELPING PEOPLE
United Way of Greater St. Louis mobilizes the community with one goal in
mind – helping people live their best possible lives. Through our local
partnership with more than 170 nonprofit agencies – as well as programs
and services – we are able to help more people throughout 16 counties in
Missouri and Illinois live measurably better lives.
United Way 2-1-1 is a helpline that connects people to the services they
need – from utility assistance to child care to disaster relief to counseling.
If you or someone you know needs help, dial 2-1-1.

12. RESOURCES
Ways to connect
Meet fellow transplants | www.stltransplants.com
Meet foreign-born transplants | www.stlmosaicproject.org
Volunteer in your community | www.stlvolunteer.org
Become a part of GenNext | www.stl.unitedway.org/gennext
How you can help
Support United Way| www.stl.unitedway.org
Build social capital in your neighborhood | www.stl.unitedway.org/tag/social-capital
Become a social ambassador | www.stl.unitedway.org/social-ambassadors
Volunteer on an allocations panel at United Way | www.stl.unitedway.org/allocation-
process
Locations mentioned in study
Busch Stadium | www.stlouis.cardinals.mlb.com
City Museum | www.citymuseum.org
Grant’s Farm | www.grantsfarm.com
The Magic House | www.magichouse.org
Missouri Botanical Garden | www.missouribotanicalgarden.org
Missouri History Museum | www.mohistory.org
The Muny | www.muny.org
Saint Louis Art Museum | www.slam.org
Saint Louis Science Center | www.slsc.org
Saint Louis Zoo | www.stlzoo.org
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13. WWW.STL.UNITEDWAY.ORG