Location is obviously key if you are looking at other areas (closeness to station, shopping, schools) etc.In addition, in more rural areas, people tend to rent units for families rather than for single occupants.Last, I hear it is really a nightmare to attract tenants.

Did you go the police station and ask the cops?  

There is crime "everywhere" and even affluent neighborhoods can show up as "hot spots" when, in fact, it could just be gas station drive-offs that are getting recorded.IMHO - I would rely heavily on the local team you build in the market you pick.  

There is a lot of speculation about the bullet train station being constructed near by, but the issue with water, unemployment and crime there is to be considered.

I'm in the Air Force stationed at Scott AFB, and I am really enjoying the STL market. 

The key for us has been to buy in every duty station that make sense.

It appears to have a limited amount of police stations using it.

I used the VA loan to purchase a house at my current duty station ($150k).

The biggest reason I have not invested in the last few years is because Im stationed in Hawaii, and did not know enough early on to find creative ways to get into real estate investing.

This is like getting coffee from Starbucks verses a gas station that happends to have a coffee pot.