With an estimated 2018 population of 395,504, more than 35,000 new residents have moved to St. Charles County since 2010, making it the fastest-growing part of metro St. Louis and Missouri, and with good reason. Over the past several years, cities in St. Charles County have been ranked among the top places to live in the United States.
Lower tax rates, competitive operational costs, a highly skilled workforce, proximity to important markets, first rate infrastructure, low cost of living, and abundant local amenities are all crucial to the county’s success.
“St. Charles County is one of the most desirable places to live and work,” said Scott Tate, President & CEO of the Greater St. Charles County Chamber of Commerce. “Municipalities throughout the county make it easy for businesses to open. Strong business organizations in the county and recent legislation passed by pro-business legislators have made St. Charles County and the State of Missouri great places to do business.”
Thanks in part to a concentrated focus on pursuing progress, St. Charles County has a lot of new commercial and industrial development completed or under construction. For many years, the county’s unemployment rate has been the lowest in the St. Louis region, hovering around 3 percent in 2018.
As one of the largest economies in the St. Louis region and the State of Missouri, St. Charles County has proven itself to be a dynamic and attractive community for businesses of all sizes, from global giants to local entrepreneurs.
Today, some 8,500 companies are thriving in St. Charles County. International titans here include The Boeing Company, Citi, MasterCard Worldwide, General Motors, Verizon, Enterprise Holdings, Nike, Reckitt Benckiser, Amazon and Fed-Ex. There are also countless local success stories as homegrown entrepreneurs make a name for themselves here, across America, and around the world. Hometown business heroes include LMI Aerospace, Patriot Machine, Boardpaq, Client Services and Synergetics USA. The region’s next success story might be found at OPO Startups, a 10,000 square-foot co-working center on Main Street in St. Charles, where entrepreneurs can connect, work and collaborate.
Another indicator of success and consumer confidence is our continued upswing in retail shopping in the community. In 2016, St. Charles County set a record with nearly $5.9 billion in retail sales.
Finally, St. Charles County is consistently ranked among the healthiest (seven consecutive years in the top three and ranked No. 75 in 2018 by U.S. News & World Reports), wealthiest (median household income of $80,696 in 2016) and wisest (43 percent of residents are college graduates) counties in Missouri.
As you can see, there are a lot of good things happening in St. Charles County. We hope you will join us in making our county even better!
Frenchtown Revitalization UnderwayFrenchtown is a historic neighborhood and business district on the northeastern edge of St. Charles. It features an up-and-coming antiques and art district along North Second Street, a treasure trove of French-colonial-style architecture, and a vibrant small-town feeling.
Recently, the Greater St. Charles County Chamber of Commerce organized a group of enthusiastic business owners, residents, property owners, and city officials to look at revitalizing the neighborhood. This group has now formally evolved into the Frenchtown Revitalization Partnership and meets regularly at St. Charles City Hall.
In 2018, the City of St. Charles contracted with HyettPalma, a consulting firm specializing in the economic enhancement of downtowns and older commercial districts. The same firm also did a study in 2003, but due to changes in residents, businesses and property owners, the committee felt it is important to update the study and give guidance on what should be done to revitalize the district.
HyettPalma returned in late-2018 to do an audit of their previous study and to update their recommendations based on new community feedback. The Frenchtown Revitalization Partnership is now in the process of implementing the recommendations and spearheading the revitalization efforts.
Keep an eye on Frenchtown. Exciting things are about to happen!