Living in Kansas City, MO

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.

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

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

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 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.

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

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.