It’s no secret that St. Louis is one of the most affordable places to live in the U.S. But that doesn’t mean we have to sacrifice beautiful neighborhoods, green spaces and varied architectural styles. It’s interesting to see exactly how wide the gap is between what your dollars buy here versus elsewhere. We’ve taken three price ranges—$500,000, $1 million and $2 million—and illustrated the types of homes those sums buy here and in other metropolitan areas. The comparisons say it all—as lucky St. Louisans, we enjoy the best of both worlds: lovely surroundings married with unusual affordability.

Photos courtesy of realtor.com