Kansas City offers all the excitement and convenience of a major cosmopolitan area, combined with a healthy balance of Midwestern flavor and friendliness.
Kansas City, Missouri, has a population of 475,000 and is at the heart of a metro area with more than 2 million residents. Many new Kansas Citians hail from smaller cities and towns in the Midwest, but just as many transplants come here from major metropolitan areas, drawn by the area’s affordability, quality of life, and cultural amenities. In fact, the second largest market for net migration to the Kansas City region is the Los Angeles / Long Beach / Santa Ana area, and the fourth largest market for net migration is Chicago.
If you are considering a move, here are some of the reasons Kansas City is a great place to live.
Low cost of living & housing options
Kansas City consistently ranks among the nation’s most affordable metro areas, as indicated by average housing costs and overall cost of living. Plus, Kansas City offers great housing for every lifestyle, from quiet, tree-lined neighborhoods to vibrant downtown living and nightlife.
- The Greater Kansas City area rated a 97.6 on the cost of living index from the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER) for 1st quarter 2010. This index assesses inter-city differences in the cost of six major components of consumer expenditures: grocery items, housing, utilities, transportation, health care, and miscellaneous goods and services.
- In first quarter 2010, the median sales price for a single-family home in the Kansas City metro area was $130,700, compared to a nationwide average of $166,100, according to the National Association of Realtors.
- Not only is housing affordable, but Kansas City, Missouri, also offers residents a wide range of housing and lifestyle options, from downtown lofts to beautiful homes in family-friendly neighborhoods. The city is characterized by well-established, neighborhoods that are anchored by schools, churches, and businesses.
Transportation
Commuting to and from work in Kansas City – and getting around town for shopping, family activities, and social outings – offers a powerful contrast to the gridlock typical of many large cities. And when you need to fly, for work or pleasure, Kansas City International Airport can get you where you need to go.
- Greater Kansas City is one of the least congested major urban areas in the nation, according to the annual Texas Transportation Institute study of urban mobility.
- In the Kansas City metro area, about 45% of workers drive less than 20 minutes to work, and according to a recent Forbes study, Kansas City’s average commute is eighth best in the U.S.
- Kansas City, Missouri, has an extensive network of parkways, making the commute to work easy on the eye, as well as a relaxing drive. For Kansas Citians, it’s not just how quickly you arrive, but also the beauty of the drive.
- Kansas City International Airport is served by 11 major airlines offering 200 daily departures, non-stop flights to nearly 50 destinations, and a low incidence of flight delays (fewer than 1 per 1,000 flights). Our central location allows for nonstop air travel – in three hours or less – to top destinations on both coasts.
- In 2009, J.D. Power & Associates ranked Kansas City International the highest in the nation among mid-sized airports for customer experience, and airport accessibility, check-in/baggage check and security screenings.
Primary and secondary education
For families with school-age children, Kansas City offers a wide array of choices, and many schools and school districts in the city and the metro area have received national recognition.
- Kansas City, MO, encompasses portions of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties, and is served by multiple school districts – including the Center, Hickman Mills, Kansas City, North Kansas City, Liberty, North Kansas City, Park Hill, Platte County R-3, and Raytown districts. A number of innovative charter schools also serve the city, including 12 charter schools sponsored by the School of Education at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.
- Kansas City, MO, is home to several outstanding private schools, including Pembroke Hill School and The Barstow School, which are both coed; Rockhurst High School, a Jesuit boys school; and St. Teresa’s Academy, a Catholic girls school.
- The metro area has about 570 public schools and 170 private and parochial schools.
- Each year, Newsweek ranks the best high schools in the country based on how hard school staffs work to challenge students with advanced placement college-level courses and tests. Just over 1,600 schools (only 6 percent of all public schools in the U.S.) made the list in 2010. Nine Kansas City area schools made the list, including Lincoln College Preparatory Academy in Kansas City, MO, which was ranked at No. 72 in the nation.
- In its 2007 Education Quotient rankings, Expansion Management Magazine ranked six area school districts, including Park Hill, as Gold Medal Winners, and three area districts, including North Kansas City, as Blue Ribbon Winners.
Higher education
Whether you want to take a few classes to hone your career skills or pursue an advanced degree, you will be able to find a school that’s right for you in Kansas City.
- Kansas City, MO, is served by the Metropolitan Community College, which has five campuses offering a range of job training programs, continuing education, certifications, and two-year degrees.
- The University of Missouri – Kansas City (UMKC) is an urban university with an enrollment of more than 15,000 students, offering both bachelor and post-graduate degree programs. Whether you’re living on campus or commuting, UMKC offers many programs with evening, weekend, and distance education classes to accommodate working professionals.
- In addition to UMKC, there are many four-year colleges and universities in the metro area and nearby communities, with many programs catering to the needs of working professionals. Rockhurst University offers an Executive MBA program, and the Graduate School for Park University (which has its main campus in Parkville, MO) offers classes in downtown Kansas City.
- Fifteen institutions in the metro area offer graduate degrees in numerous disciplines. The University of Kansas and the University of Missouri also offer professional degrees in law, medicine, dentistry, and pharmacy. Degrees in osteopathic medicine are offered by the Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences.
Accessible healthcare
More than 20 hospitals serve the metro area. Hospitals located within Kansas City, MO, include Children’s Mercy Hospitals and Clinics, Research Medical Center, St. Joseph Medical Center, St. Luke’s Hospital, and Truman Medical Center.
- In 2003, St. Luke’s Hospital received the prestigious Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, which recognizes excellence in performance. St. Luke’s, which is located just north of the Country Club Plaza, is home to the Mid America Heart and Vascular Institute and the Mid America Brain and Stroke Institute and is part of the St. Luke’s Health System, which operates seven hospitals in Greater Kansas City.
- Children’s Mercy Hospitals and Clinics, located near Crown Center, is one of the nation’s top pediatric hospitals. In its 2010-2011 ranking of America’s Best Children’s Hospitals, which includes the top 30 pediatric hospitals in 10 major sub-specialties, U.S. News & World Report ranked Children’s Mercy in five sub-specialties: Kidney, Diabetes & Endocrine Disorders, Orthopedics, Urology, and Gastroenterology.
- Just across the state line is the University of Kansas Hospital, which was ranked as No. 29 in the nation for in Ear, Nose and Throat and No. 30 for Pulmonology by U.S. News & World Report in its 2010-2011 rankings of America’s Best Hospitals.
