Living in Kansas City, MO

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Moving to Kansas City, Missouri? There is a lot to love about this fast-growing city. Many people come here because of the booming job market. But when you arrive, you will discover that the allure of this metropolitan area goes far beyond employment opportunities to encompass a low cost of living, beautiful neighborhoods, top-shelf educational institutions, and more.

In this guide, we will tell you about all of these aspects of living in Kansas City and more. Let’s jump in.



Cost of Living in Kansas City Missouri

What is the Cost of Living in Kansas City?

Sperling’s Best Places provides us with detailed cost of living data for Kansas City, Missouri.

This website uses a scale to compare the cost of living for Kansas City to the cost of living statewide and across the country. On that scale, 100 represents the nationwide average. Numbers above 100 are more expensive than the nationwide average. Numbers below 100 are less expensive than the nationwide average.

On that scale, the cost of living for Kansas City overall is rated at 86.2. The cost of living for Missouri on average is rated at 85.9.

This makes it significantly less expensive to live in Kansas City than it does across the country on average. It is also only marginally more expensive to live in Kansas City than it is to live in Missouri on average. That means that the cost of living in this city is quite affordable for a metropolitan area.

Sperling’s breaks down costs support costs categories. For the majority of categories, Kansas City is more affordable than the US average. That includes savings on groceries, healthcare costs, transportation and housing.

Housing Cost in Kansas City Missouri

What is the Cost of Housing in Kansas City?

In fact, housing is where you will see some of the most impressive savings in Kansas City. On the same scale where the US average cost is 100, the cost of housing in Kansas City is rated at 63.3. Interestingly enough, that also makes it less expensive than the Missouri average, which is rated at 69.

What does that amount to in terms of dollar costs? $291,700 is the nationwide average cost for housing. $195,300 is the median home cost listed for Kansas City.

So, by moving to Kansas City, MO, you have a great chance to save on housing, which can help you get ahead financially.

Employment Opportunities in Kansas City Missouri

Employment Opportunities in Kansas City

According to data from the US Census, the median household income in Kansas City, MO from 2016 through 2020 was $56,179.

Quite a few major companies are based in Kansas City, including American Century Investments, Hostess Brands, H&R Block, Hallmark Cards, Novastar Financial, Lockton Companies, and others.

The top employers in Kansas City are the public school system, the federal government, the state, county and city governments, Cerner Corporation, HCA Midwest Health System, Saint Luke’s Health System, Children’s Mercy Hospitals and Clinics, T-Mobile, The University of Kansas Hospital, and Hallmark Cards, Inc.

Education in Kansas City Missouri

Education in Kansas City

Sperling’s reports that Kansas City schools spend $13,820 on every student, which beats the $12,383 US average.

There are a total of 16 school districts operating in Kansas City. Families have a selection of private and public schools to choose from.

Kansas City is a great place to be located if you are looking for higher education. There are quite a few postsecondary schools in the area.

Some colleges to consider include the University of Missouri-Kansas City, Rockhurst University, Kansas City Art Institute, Park University, Avila University, Baker University, Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences, Nazarene Theological Seminary, Metropolitan Community College (Kansas City), and others.

With so many great options, Kansas City is a wonderful place to bring up a family. From elementary school clear through college, students will receive a first-class education.

Getting Around in Kansas City Missouri

Getting Around Kansas City

There are a number of public transit options that can take you through the Kansas City metropolitan area. These include KCATA-RideKC, RideKC Bus and MAX, RideKC Streetcar, RideKC Bridj, and Amtrak.

Do you like to walk? At first glance, you might not think of Kansas City as a particularly walkable city, given that it is not ranked in the top walkable cities. But select neighborhoods such as the Downtown Loop, the Crossroads, the Plaza, and Westport are very walkable.

According to Sperling’s, 80.4% of workers in Kansas City drive to work by themselves, while 8.4% carpool, 4.8% work from home, and 2.9% use mass transportation. Since the pandemic, it is likely that the work from home percentage has increased.

And if you are going to be driving to work, you will be excited to learn that it takes significantly less time on average to commute in Kansas City than it does across the country on average.

The average time for a one-way commute in the US as a whole is 26.4 minutes. The average time for a one-way commute in Kansas City is only 21.8 minutes. So, you could end up saving around 9 minutes a day on your commute time compared to what you might expect elsewhere. Even over the course of a week, that adds up to quite a bit.

Good Weather in Kansas City Missouri

How is the Weather in Kansas City?

If what you are looking for is a comfortable, temperate location with distinct seasons, you should be very happy in Kansas City.

During summer, the temperatures can range up to around 89 degrees Fahrenheit. During winter, they can drop down to around 20 degrees Fahrenheit.

You can expect around 42 inches of rain each year, along with about 15 inches of snow.

Sperling’s has a comfort index that rates climates on a scale where 10 is the best. On that scale, Kansas City has a score of 7.2. That is more comfortable than the US average, which is a 7.

Leisure and Entertainment in Kansas City Missouri

Leisure and Entertainment in Kansas City

Kansas City is renowned throughout the Midwest for its culture. If you are into the performing arts, you will enjoy the Starlight Theatre, the Kansas City Repertory Theatre, and the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts.

Kansas City also is known for its jazz history, and there are still many spots around town where you can enjoy live jazz music today. Indeed, Kansas City has received the distinction of being called a “City of Music” by UNESCO. No other US city has earned this label.

Some other ways to entertain yourself in Kansas City include visits to attractions such as Worlds of Fun, Science City, the National WWI Museum and Memorial, and the Kansas City Zoo.

If you are looking for green spaces, you can visit locations such as Amity Woods Nature Park, Parkville Nature Sanctuary and Lakeside Nature Center.

Move Into Your Kansas City Dream Home

If you are ready to move to an affordable city with a lot to offer, Kansas City, Missouri, is calling you home. To apply now for a flexible home loan, please call us today at (816) 631-9687 to schedule your consultation. We work with homebuyers and homeowners throughout MO.

See What Our Clients Are Saying About Us!

Janet McGowan
Janet McGowan
22:20 02 Jun 23
Great team to work with!
Emily Fox
Emily Fox
13:24 28 May 23
Derek and his team were tremendously helpful in buying our first home. They were prompt at answering questions and explained the house-buying processes in a way that made sense, and even cleared up confusion that other people involved told us about how buying a house works. They walked with us step by step through the process and did everything they could to help us along the way. If we buy in the future, we'd gladly work with McGowan Mortgages again!
Derick Bradford
Derick Bradford
19:28 11 Mar 23
Very hard working team that won’t give up until they get you into a home! I went thru three lenders in bankruptcy and Derek made it happen! Bad mf lol
Janet warden
Janet warden
18:32 11 Mar 23
Everyone at McGowan Mortgage was great! They made the whole process easy and stress free.
Adam Stafford
Adam Stafford
16:36 02 Mar 23
It was an up and down journey to purchase my first home but through their knowledge and hard work they made it happen and I couldn't be happier, thanks gents
Abdel Toukourou
Abdel Toukourou
00:13 02 Mar 23
Working with McGowan and his team was the best decision we made to start our home buying process, they did a fantastic job getting us in a our new home on time and on budget, the entire process was stress free, we were kept informed throughout the entire process, I would definitely recommend them to anyone trying to buy a house.
Fidelia Acevedo
Fidelia Acevedo
17:04 23 Jan 23
Hello, trust and believe the McGowen Team is the BEST ever. I am ony second home purchase, and couldn't have done it without these truly professionals who work to make your dream of home ownership come true.
Amy J Markstahler
Amy J Markstahler
22:34 18 Jan 23
A fantastic, brilliant team! McGowan mortgages works for you and goes above and beyond to fulfill all your mortgage needs. Prompt return on calls and questions. Absolutely grateful for all their hard work to help our family relocate.
Derek and his team will go to war for you! They really care about their clients and consistently prove through communication and their actions, that they always have their clients best interests. If you want excellence in customer service, A1 communication, and a stress free environment for you mortgage lending needs, McGowan mortgages is the way to go!
Dylan & Amanda Wagoner
Dylan & Amanda Wagoner
00:28 16 Dec 22
We loved working with McGowan Mortgages!!They really made things smooth for us and we love our new home!
Joshua Reeves
Joshua Reeves
00:04 26 Nov 22
One of the best! Stand up 5 Star guy outside of the mortgage world too!
Mike O'Brien
Mike O'Brien
00:02 19 Nov 22
Great service. Great to work with
Megan Thompson
Megan Thompson
23:27 02 Oct 22
Derek and the entire McGowan Mortgages Team are amazing! This Team is filled with extremely friendly and very knowledgeable people who are there for you every step of the way! Derek has incredible videos for each milestone and every potential question you can think of for anyone looking for a mortgage. These amazing resources combined with his drive to help every client are just a few assets that make McGowan Mortgages one of a kind! I am honored to be able to work them and am continually inspired by this Team who makes you feel like family. Working with McGowan Mortgages has been a dream and I encourage everyone to reach out to them if you are in the market for a mortgage =)
Ryan Finney
Ryan Finney
01:24 01 Oct 22
Super easy! Whenever I had question, they had answers!! Which was a lot! Great team!
Kristi B
Kristi B
01:23 01 Oct 22
Excellent service! My favorite thing about McGowan Mortgage is they will call the sellers agent to let them know about the pre-approval to help you win the bid on the house. They go above and beyond to get you into your new home AND they keep in touch with your realtor. Excellent communication and they truly do work for you. You can't go wrong with McGowan!
Trena
Trena
18:09 31 Aug 22
Derek is amazing! I've worked with him on a refinance at his previous company, I recommended him to multiple friends who also chose to work with him, and then I reached out to him again for my recent home purchase with his new company. He and his team did an outstanding job dealing with my unique situation, found a way to make it work, and then kept in constant contact with the agents (both buyer's and seller's) to ensure that things stayed on schedule and moved smoothly. They're awesome, and I highly recommend them to anybody in the market for a purchase or refinance!
Kimaada Ellison
Kimaada Ellison
18:35 22 Aug 22
As a first time home buyer with very limited knowledge about this entire process, this company and all of its staff have really made me feel comfortable about asking questions and learning about how everything works. Elijah has fielded many questions from me and each time was able to rationally explain everything to me in layman's terms that helped me understand. I am so pleased to have come across this organization and would recommend them to any potential home buyer without hesitation. Keep up the great work guys.- KE
Sam Kolthay
Sam Kolthay
16:48 15 Aug 22
This is the second time I've worked with Derek on buying a house, and I know I'd use him for a third!Derek and his team work tirelessly to get the loan across the line as quickly as possible and at the best rate.I highly recommend trusting Derek with your loan needs!
nathan denham
nathan denham
20:17 07 Aug 22
Being involved with Real Estate for many years my clients have used many different lenders. There have been good ones and bad ones but McGowan Mortgage is different than the rest and always delivers. I highly recommend you use McGowan Mortgage for your financial lending needs.
Rachel Diebold
Rachel Diebold
00:18 29 Jul 22
Tarek Jebali
Tarek Jebali
02:08 22 Jul 22
Derek is a true professional; knowledgeable, hard worker and he is here when you need him.Thank you again for everything and for hanging in there with me. I highly recommend him for your mortgage needs
Steve Lopez
Steve Lopez
02:06 13 Jul 22
First time buying a home couldn’t have choose anyone better. Super helpful and have a wonderful team that will make sure all your questions get answers. Definitely recommend
Jared Pfeiffer
Jared Pfeiffer
13:39 18 May 22
I have worked with Derek and his team on multiple purchases. His attention to detail, the speed in which he works and his collaboration makes him at the top of his industry in my opinion.Looking forward to continuing to work with him in the future.
Annie
Annie
00:44 02 May 22
artbycins
artbycins
03:04 01 May 22
Eric L
Eric L
14:41 29 Apr 22
Derek is awesome!! His knowledge of the mortgage industry is incredible. Every question I’ve had for him he gives me an easy-to-understand yet in-depth answer. We’re working on a refi for our current home and I’ll definitely reach back out once we’re ready to purchase our next home! Thanks Derek!!
Steve Zebley
Steve Zebley
13:56 29 Apr 22
Derek McGowan is the best!
Elijah Dixon
Elijah Dixon
00:10 29 Apr 22
Derek and his team are extremely knowledgeable. The level of communication and use of technology is second to none ....
Sam Tracy
Sam Tracy
20:02 28 Apr 22
Derek helped my wife and I buy our first house and was so great at walking us through the entire process, making sure we understood everything. He was always available to answer all of our questions and was impressively quick on getting paperwork signed and submitted. Put simply, he made everything easy. So glad we worked with Derek and he will be our first call when we look at moving again!
Collin Joiner
Collin Joiner
18:23 28 Apr 22
Derek is absolutely fantastic! Not only did he make financing my new home completely seemless, but he made himself available practically 24/7. Not like your usual broker that claims they can always be reached and has your best interest at heart, but he is genuine, up front, and when you pick up the phone to call or text him... he actually answers or gets right back with you! I did my initial loan with him, when rates dropped I did my refi with him, I also got my ex to finance through him for her first home. And through each interaction he stayed consistent in his approach and true to the values he promises. If it's Derek or associated with Derek, I promise you can't beat it!! He's the best!
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