What is the Cost of Living in Kansas City?

Looking to make a move to a city that has a low cost of living, low unemployment rate and affordable housing? Kansas City checks all three boxes. It also offers a great quality of life. The city makes our list of best cities for 20 somethings thanks to its vibrant music scene, Super Bowl-winning football team and great museums. We also ranked one of its suburbs, Overland Park, among the best cities for families.

The city is somewhat unique in that the Kansas City-Missouri state line divides it. But you can easily work on one side of the border and live on the other. Ready to move? Here’s what you need to know about living in either part of Kansas City, including what it costs to live there.

Kansas City cost of living facts

According to AreaVibes, Kansas City has an overall cost of living index score of 92, which is 8 percent lower than the national average of 100. The cost of living index score indicates how expensive (or inexpensive) it is to live in a particular city. If a city’s index score is higher than 100, then the cost of living is above average. If a city’s index score is lower than 100, then the cost of living is below average.

While you will pay roughly the national average for goods and services in Kansas City, you’ll pay significantly less for housing. Groceries are also 6 percent below the national average, according to AreaVibes. Numbeo lists the estimated monthly costs for a family of four, not including rent, as $3,133. A single person can get by on $888 per month before rent.

Booming Job Market

Kansas City’s current unemployment rate is 3.8 percent, which is below the national rate of 4.8 percent (at the time this article was written), according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Ironically, the city of Columbia, Missouri, which is 125 miles east of Kansas City, has one of the nation’s lowest unemployment rates, 2.4 percent. Sixty-five miles in the other direction, Topeka, Kansas’ unemployment rate mirrors Kansas City’s at 3.8 percent.

Top employers in the Kansas City area include Honeywell, architectural and engineering firm Burns and McDonnell, Hallmark Cards and Commerce Bank. If you’re in the medical profession, you’ll find employment at Children’s Mercy Hospital, Saint Luke’s Health System, Truman Medical Centers and Research Medical Center. SS&C similarly provides healthcare information management services.

The government is another major employer. In fact, the Economic Development Corporation of the City of Kansas City, Missouri notes more than 20,000 people work for the federal government in Kansas City. Another 4,600 work for the Internal Revenue Service. The University of Missouri-Kansas City is also a major employer.

Kansas City metropolitan area is also a hub for the logistics and supply chain industry. Five of the 7 major railroads run through Kansas City, and truckers leaving here can reach 85 percent of the nation within two days or less. Additionally, a new $2 billion airport is set to open in 2023.

Salary Potential

The median household income in the Kansas City metropolitan area is $70,215, according to U.S. Census data. However, in Kansas City proper, on both sides of the state line, the median household income is much lower. It is only $45,391 in Kansas City, Kansas and $55,259 in Kansas City, Missouri. Overland Park brings the number up with a median household income of $91,518. In other words, you will find communities within the metropolitan area where salaries are much higher than the downtown areas.

According to the Economic Development Corporation, some of the best paying occupations in Kansas City involve computers and mathematics. Employees in these fields earn an average of $70,830 per year. Other computer-related jobs, engineers and those in the sciences come in at $67,581. Not far behind, architecture, engineering and legal occupations earn approximately $66,500. You can also make a good living as a manager at an average of $65,942 per year.

Low-paying jobs include healthcare support staff, who earn an average of $27,554 annually, and farmers, who earn $30,122. Those in production fare somewhat better at $36,206 while truckers make an annual average salary of $41,726. If you’re in sales, you can expect an average salary of $41,848 in Kansas City.

Bustling real estate market

Housing makes Kansas City an extremely affordable place to live. According to Realtor.com, the median listing home price in Kansas City, Missouri is $225,000, with an average of $132 per square foot. In Kansas City, Kansas, it gets even better. The median home listing price there is $170,000, with an average of $120 per square foot. Both of these figures are much lower than the current national median home listing price of $380,000.

However, the median home listing price in Overland Park is much more in line with the national average. It’s $365,000 with an average of $148 per square foot. Homes for sale in this area currently range from $99,900 to $11.6 million.

There are approximately 844,310 households in the Kansas City metropolitan area, according to the most recent U.S. Census Data. An estimated 65 percent of housing units in the metropolitan area are owner-occupied. The remaining 35 percent are rentals. Renting an apartment in Kansas City is very affordable. The average rent for a one-bedroom apartment is $1,103, significantly less than the $1,824 you’d pay for a similar apartment in Denver, one of the cities the Economic Development Corporation compares itself to.

Lower taxes?

Taxes get a bit tricky in the Kansas City metro area because a state line divides it. In Kansas, state income tax ranges from 3.10 to 5.70 percent. Missouri has a similar state income tax that tops out at 5.4 percent. However, Missourians that work in Kansas City pay an additional 1 percent earnings tax, making their state income tax rate as high as 6.4 percent.

State sales tax on the Kansas side of the metropolitan area is 6.5 percent plus city and country rates. This can bring the sales tax up to 10.5 percent. However, in Kansas City, Kansas, the sales tax is currently only 9.125 percent. Missourians pay a state sales tax of 4.225 percent. When you add local sales tax into the mix, the total can be as high as 6.125 percent. In Kansas City, Missouri, the sales tax is currently 8.6 percent.

Property taxes will depend on which county you live in. Kansas City, Missouri is divided into four counties: Cass, Clay, Jackson and Platte. The average effective property tax rate for properties in these counties ranges from 1.07 to 1.35 percent. Kansas City, Kansas has one county, Wyandotte County. Taxes here are calculated at a rate of 1.83 percent. Residents on both sides of the state line pay slightly less in property taxes than the national average.

Transportation

Eighty-four percent of all workers drive themselves to work while only one percent uses public transportation to get there. On average, it takes commuters 23.9 minutes to get there, which is less than the national average of 27.6 minutes. According to Gasbuddy.com, the average price of regular unleaded gas in the Kansas City metropolitan area is roughly $2.98 per gallon. The national average is $3.25 (at the time this article was written) per gallon.

Although most people drive in Kansas City, the area has a decent public transportation system, Kansas City Regional Transit, known locally as Ride KC. It offers buses, shared bike rides and a free streetcar that runs two miles downtown between popular neighborhoods and attractions. Right now, the buses are also free through 2023. At that time, the fares will likely return to their pre-pandemic rate of $1.50 per ride, with additional charges for express routes.

Other reasons to move to Kansas City

• It’s home to some of the nation’s best BBQ, including world-famous eateries like Arthur Bryant’s Barbeque, Gates Bar-B-Q and Jack Stack BBQ.
• The city’s free Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art ranks among the best in the nation. Although you’ll have to pay to visit, the city also has several other outstanding museums such as the National World War I Museum and Memorial and Negro Leagues Baseball Museum.
• Kansas City is known for its live music scene. Listen to intimate concerts in the Crossroads Arts District, visit a historic venue like the Arvest Theatre at the Midland or catch an outdoor concert at Crossroads KC. Kansas City is also home to the American Jazz Museum.

Ready to move to Kansas City?

For more information about Atlanta, check Moving.com’s City Profile Report feature. Simply enter the zip code or the state and city of your potential move to get a free report with city demographics, real estate information, quality of life factors and more. For help finding the best moving company, check Moving.com’s extensive network of reputable and reliable movers.