With KC constantly growing and undertaking multiple high-profile developments, we figured it was time to talk about the cost of planting some roots in the Heart of America.
The median household income in Jackson County is $65,169 (Johnson County, KS is $103,644) according to the US Census Bureau. State-wise, Missouri is No. 40 in the country for median income at ~$61,847 per household, and Kansas is No. 33 at ~$64,124.
The overall cost of living in KCMO is lower than the national average, but higher than the rest of the state. On the Kansas side, Overland Park is actually above both the national and the state average.
In KCMO, the cost of healthcare, groceries, and housing are lower compared to other parts of the state, though healthcare is higher than the national average. However, the cost of transportation and other miscellaneous expenses in the city have lower average costs than that of the rest of Missouri.
Breaking down the numbers
Hypothetically speaking, if you live in a household that brings in $65,000 annually, your max monthly budget for rent and utilities would be about $1,625 (30% of your monthly gross income). The average monthly rent for an apartment in KC is $1,256 — nearing the top of your budget.
Meanwhile, if you’re wondering how much you can currently afford to spend on buying a home in Kansas City, try using SmartAsset’s cost calculator. Factors like your marital status, annual pre-tax income, down payment, and monthly debt, will help determine that figure. According to BestPlaces, the median home cost in Kansas City is $222,100.
While we’re crunching numbers, let’s also take a look at the chart below to see how Kansas City’s cost of living compares to that of St. Louis.
Interested in seeing KC’s cost of living compared to cities in other states? We played around on NerdWallet’s cost of living calculator, where you can put in any city along with your current pre-tax household income to find out what other cities you could actually afford to live in.
We took a look at the cost of living in Kansas City compared to Denver. Here’s what we found:
- The cost of living is 32% higher in Denver.
- To maintain our standard of living, we would need to bring in $74,915 to our Denver household.
- The median cost for a two-bedroom apartment is $1,538, which is $354 more than KC.
Local housing + developments
KCMO has entities such as the Affordable Housing Trust Fund + other government-funded programs to help develop more affordable units.
There are also a number of local development firms working on apartments seemingly all the time — from PC Homes LLC’s The Dotte at Metro North in the Northland to the affordable housing development from Community LINC Housing + its associates near Troost Avenue.
