Smart Movers Club

    Moving to Kansas City, MO

    Is Kansas City a good place to live?

    Watch Kansas City

    Kansas City ranks #20 of 29 Missouri cities with 25,000+ people on the Smart Movers livability score (40/100), which weighs home affordability, unemployment, education and population growth. Population grew 0.4% in the latest Census year.

    Median home value
    $227,000
    +8.7% vs prior year
    Median rent
    $1,186
    per month
    Household income
    $67,449
    median
    Unemployment
    4.7%
    lower is better

    Cost of living in Kansas City

    The median home value in Kansas City is $227,000 and median rent is $1,186 a month, against a median household income of $67,449. Homes cost about 3.4× a year of income (under 3× is considered affordable).

    Kansas City crime rate

    City-level FBI figures vary by agency; across Missouri the 2025 rate was 426 violent and 1,689 property crimes per 100,000 people — #16 highest of 50 states. The full report breaks down local trends.

    Moving to Kansas City, MO

    Kansas City has about 508,233 residents, 4.7% unemployment and 24% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher.

    Compare Kansas City with

    Kansas City vs St. LouisKansas City vs SpringfieldKansas City vs ColumbiaKansas City vs IndependenceKansas City vs Lee's SummitKansas City vs O'FallonKansas City vs St. JosephKansas City vs St. Charles

    More: Where to move in Missouri · Best counties in Missouri

    Sources: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year estimates (2023, compared with 2022); FBI Crime Data Explorer.

    Home listings, local news, migration, schools, resources and the Smart Movers Grade & Verdict.

    See the full Smart Movers Club report