Kansas City KS
Kansas · Pop. 155,135
Kansas City, KS: median household income of $62,401, median rent of $1,123/mo, 5.8% unemployment. Our verdict: It Depends.
Score Breakdown
Key Metrics
Median Income
$62,401
per year
Median Rent
$1,123
per month
Median Home
$167k
home value
Unemployment
5.8%
of labor force
Poverty Rate
16.0%
below poverty line
Avg. Commute
22 min
one way
City Reality Check balanced
"Kansas City, KS Reality Check"
In Kansas City, the rent-to-income burden runs around 22% — refreshingly manageable by national standards. Median income sits at $62,401 and median rent is $1,123/month. 45% of renters are cost-burdened (30%+ of income on housing). Landlords are winning; everyone else is treading water. Median home value: $167,400 — that's 2.7× the median income. 61% of households own their home — unusually high for a major US city. Residents put down roots here. Employment picture: 5.81% unemployment — a average employment landscape. Poverty rate: 16.0%. Average commute: 22 minutes — acceptable. Kansas City was founded in 1868 — that's 158 years of history baked into the streets. The city covers 128.4 sq miles at 1,208 people/sq mile — sprawling. Elevation: 869 ft — modest elevation. Kansas City has 5 sister cities — cosmopolitan on paper, at least. RoastMyCity overall score: 68/100 — It Depends.