St. Louis basic-income pilot paid 540 families $500 a month
St. Louis has completed an 18-month guaranteed basic-income pilot that paid 540 families $500 a month, with a Washington University evaluation finding positive effects on participants’ quality of life.
Treasurer Adam Layne’s office announced the results and released program data Dec. 8. The pilot began in late 2023 and concluded in May 2025, making it one of the city’s most significant experiments with direct cash assistance.
The payments went to eligible St. Louis families rather than to every city resident. The program was financed with approximately $5 million in federal American Rescue Plan funds, along with philanthropic support that included a $1 million donation from Jack Dorsey.
What the evaluation found
Researchers from Washington University in St. Louis’ Brown School and its Center for Social Development examined participants throughout the program. Their work used application data, surveys conducted over time, spending records and interviews.
The evaluation reported improvements in quality of life and described benefits related to financial stability, food and other household needs. Participants told researchers that the monthly payments helped with expenses such as groceries, bills and necessities at home.
Those findings offer local evidence in a broader debate over whether guaranteed-income programs can help families manage financial pressure. For participating households, the assistance provided a predictable monthly payment that could be used according to their own needs, rather than being limited to a particular service or purchase.
The results do not establish that the cash payments alone caused every reported improvement. The findings describe outcomes among people who took part in the pilot and show short-term gains during the 18-month program; they do not establish the long-term effects of making the payments permanent.
How the city accounted for the program
The city’s public American Rescue Plan project record lists a related Guaranteed Basic Income project with $2,208,080.04 appropriated and $2,182,481.68 in total expenditures. That record describes a project intended to support up to 500 households for 12 months.
The accounting description differs from the Treasurer’s announcement and the evaluation, which describe 540 families receiving $500 monthly payments for 18 months. The figures should not be treated as identical measures of the pilot’s full cost. The project record is a separate public accounting description tied to the city’s ARPA program, while the program announcement covers the completed pilot as described by the Treasurer’s Office.
United Way of Greater St. Louis was among the organizations identified in connection with the program’s support. Former Mayor Tishaura Jones was also among the city officials associated with the pilot’s development, while Layne’s office announced its completion.
What happens next
The completed pilot gives city officials, researchers and residents a local set of results to consider when weighing future direct-cash programs. It also documents how federal relief money and private philanthropy were used for a time-limited benefit.
The results announcement does not establish a permanent citywide guaranteed-income program or announce that the payments will be renewed. For now, the documented program is the completed pilot: 540 families received $500 a month for 18 months, and researchers found reported quality-of-life benefits during that period.
Sources
- City of St. Louis Treasurer’s Office Shares Results and Data on the Completion of the City’s Guaranteed Basic Income Pilot Program, St. Louis Treasurer’s Office
- The Impacts of the St. Louis Guaranteed Basic Income Program on Quality of Life, Washington University in St. Louis Center for Social Development
- $500 monthly payments helped St. Louis families, research shows, St. Louis Public Radio
- Guaranteed Basic Income 71591, City of St. Louis
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