Kansas City MO
Missouri · Pop. 510,612
Kansas City, MO: median household income of $69,166, median rent of $1,238/mo, 4.4% unemployment. Our verdict: It Depends.
Score Breakdown
Key Metrics
Median Income
$69,166
per year
Median Rent
$1,238
per month
Median Home
$243k
home value
Unemployment
4.4%
of labor force
Poverty Rate
14.7%
below poverty line
Avg. Commute
22 min
one way
City Reality Check balanced
"Kansas City, MO Reality Check"
In Kansas City, the rent-to-income burden runs around 21% — refreshingly manageable by national standards. Median income sits at $69,166 and median rent is $1,238/month. 47% of renters are cost-burdened (30%+ of income on housing). Landlords are winning; everyone else is treading water. Median home value: $242,900 — that's 3.5× the median income. Employment picture: 4.35% unemployment — a healthy job market. Poverty rate: 14.7%. Average commute: 22 minutes — acceptable. Violent crime: 126/100k avg monthly rate (30310 reported); Property crime: 360.4/100k avg monthly rate (86772 reported). Kansas City was founded in 1853 — that's 173 years of history baked into the streets. The city covers 319.0 sq miles at 1,601 people/sq mile — spread out. Elevation: 909 ft — modest elevation. Kansas City has 12 sister cities — cosmopolitan on paper, at least. RoastMyCity overall score: 69/100 — It Depends.
Local Context
Weather
/100Average high 65.9°F, low 47.7°F. 38 days per year above 90°F. 48.2 inches of annual precipitation.
Safety
/100Violent crime: 126/100k avg monthly rate (30310 reported); Property crime: 360.4/100k avg monthly rate (86772 reported).