Advantages & Disadvantages of Moving to Kansas City

You consider moving to Kansas City but want to get additional information on the lifestyle, infrastructure, property prices, quality of life and much more?

Great! Stick with me since I will show you all the pros and cons of living in Kansas City in the following chapters.

Table of Contents

Living in Kansas City – Overview

ClimateSummers in Kansas City are hot and wet while winters are cold, windy and snowy.
HousingProperty prices and rents are still fairly low and housing shortage is not a big problem in Kansas City yet.
IncomeMedian income in Kansas City is slightly below national average.
CrimeCrime rates in Kansas City are significantly above national average and many people don’t feel safe in this city anymore.
EducationWhile education levels are solid, it is still hard to find world-class education in Kansas City.
Job MarketUnemployment rate in Kansas City is pretty low and many people find decent jobs relatively quickly.
CultureKansas City is a multicultural place where you can meet people from many different nationalities and can have many interesting conversations.
Leisure ActivitiesFishing, hunting, hiking and camping are just some of the things you can do in and around Kansas City.
LandscapeKansas City is surrounded by nice lakes and forests so that you can spend lots of time in nature.
InfrastructureKansas City has decent public transport and solid medical infrastructure.
Level of ToleranceKansas City is one of the most tolerant places in Missouri.
NightlifeNightlife in Kansas City is not as great as in other major cities.
Total Population521,316 inhabitants.
advantages and disadvantages of living in kansas city

Advantages of Living in Kansas City

  1. Decent public transport in Kansas City
  2. Good medical infrastructure in Kansas City
  3. Property prices are still affordable for the general public
  4. Rents in Kansas City are reasonably low
  5. Kansas City is not the most crowded city
  6. You will have many recreational spaces to relax
  7. You can spend lots of time in nature
  8. Many leisure activities to choose from in Kansas City
  9. Living costs in Kansas City are fairly low
  10. Overall financial pressure is rather limited
  11. Low unemployment rate in Kansas City
  12. People in Kansas City are friendly
  13. Kansas City is a tolerant place
  14. You can meet people from all over the world
  15. Kansas City has a decent art scene
  16. Many museums to visit in Kansas City
  17. Kansas City has interesting architecture
  18. You don’t have to deal with traffic jams often
  19. You will find everything you need to live a comfortable life
  20. Kansas City has an international airport
  21. Population in Kansas City is growing significantly
  22. Decent future outlook for Kansas City

Decent public transport in Kansas City

One advantage of living in Kansas City is that the region has pretty decent public transport and if you live close enough to the city center, you can get around by bus in a reliable manner without having to rely on your car as much as in many other cities which can be great for your finances and our environment at the same time.

Good medical infrastructure in Kansas City

You will also find good doctors and hospitals in Kansas City and in case of medical emergency, you will find many specialists taking care of you and trying to cure your disease or health condition as best as possible so that you can recover soon.

Property prices are still affordable for the general public

Another upside to living in Kansas City is that property prices are still affordable for the general public and many people can therefore buy a home at a rather low price and don’t have to spend as much money on their mortgage as people moving to San Francisco or other more expensive regions.

Rents in Kansas City are reasonably low

Moving to Kansas City can also make sense if you don’t want to buy a home but rather want to rent since rents are still pretty affordable compared to other major cities and you will therefore not have to spend a high fraction of your disposable income on housing.

Kansas City is not the most crowded city

You should also know that Kansas City is not the most crowded region and this gives you the opportunity to hang out in public without running into people on a regular basis and you will also find many places where you can just sit down alone and think about your life in case you have to make important decisions and don’t want to get distracted by other people.

You will have many recreational spaces to relax

Another benefit of living in Kansas City is that there are many recreational places to relax and to unplug from your stressful life.

In fact, you will find many parks and other green spaces where you can reload your batteries for the stressful times yet to come.

You can spend lots of time in nature

Since Kansas City is surrounded by nice lakes and forests, you can also go fishing, swimming, hunting, hiking and do many other things in nature.

Not only can this be great to relax, but it also gives you the chance to teach your kids a lot about nature and about how important it is to protect our environment to make our planet a livable place for the next generations.

Many leisure activities to choose from in Kansas City

Apart from spending time in nature, there are many other things you can do in your leisure in Kansas City.

For instance, you can go to the movies, hang out in a book store, play bowling or do many other activities you are used to from other big cities.

Living costs in Kansas City are fairly low

Another upside to moving to Kansas City is that living costs are pretty low compared to other metropolitan regions and you can therefore afford more nice things with the same income than in other major cities.

Overall financial pressure is rather limited

Since living and housing costs in Kansas City are rather low, overall financial pressure is also pretty limited and people therefore don’t have to work much overtime in Kansas City while they are still able to afford a decent lifestyle.

Low unemployment rate in Kansas City

Another benefit of moving to Kansas City is that unemployment rate is fairly low and many people find pretty decent jobs in this city within a reasonable period of time.

In turn, you don’t have to worry about getting laid off much since even in case this happens, chances are that you will find a new job soon.

People in Kansas City are friendly

You should also know that people in Kansas are friendly and outgoing and you will therefore have a pretty easy time socializing in this interesting place and you can also make many good friends in the long run.

Kansas City is a tolerant place

Another benefit of moving to Kansas City is that it is a pretty tolerant region and no matter where you come from, you will be welcome as long as you are friendly and tolerant and also willing to adapt to local customs at least a little bit.

You can meet people from all over the world

Since Kansas City is a tolerant place, it attracts many people from all over the world and is a pretty multicultural city where you can hang out with people with many different nationalities and by talking to those people, you can learn a lot about how life works and will also become more tolerant in the long run.

Kansas City has a decent art scene

Kansas City is also well-known for its art scene and if you are an artist or just interested in art in general, you will find many great people to hang out with in this regard.

Many museums to visit in Kansas City

Not only will you find a decent art scene in Kansas City, but there are also many museums and galleries you can visit and you will also never run out of exhibitions.

Kansas City has interesting architecture

There are also many interesting buildings in Kansas City and if you are interested in architecture or even an architect who searches for inspiration, Kansas City can be an interesting place to stay for you.

You don’t have to deal with traffic jams often

Since Kansas City is not the most crowded place, traffic jams are not a big problem yet and you will therefore be able to get around by car in an efficient manner without having to waste as much time in traffic as people living in Los Angeles or other more crowded places often have to do.

You will find everything you need to live a comfortable life

Since Kansas City is a major region and also provides decent public infrastructure, you will find most things for daily life at almost every corner and can therefore get everything you need to live a convenient life in this city.

Kansas City has an international airport

Kansas City can also be a great place to stay for people who want to travel the world since it has an international airport and you can therefore fly to many different places of our planet in an efficient manner.

Population in Kansas City is growing significantly

You should also note that population in Kansas City is growing and this usually indicates that a region becomes increasingly popular and many people from other states may also move to Kansas City in the future.

Decent future outlook for Kansas City

Since Kansas City becomes increasingly popular among many people all over the US and is also the biggest city in Missouri, it will stay an important region for many decades and you therefore don’t have to worry that too many people will leave the city anytime soon.

As you can see, there are many reasons to move to Kansas City.

However, it is still not all upside and we also have to talk about all the drawbacks of living in Kansas City so that you can get a more realistic picture of reality and will be better able to decide whether you still want to move to Kansas City or rather want to live in a different region instead.

Disadvantages of Living in Kansas City

  1. Kansas City has high crime rates
  2. Kansas City is not a bike-friendly region
  3. Income level in Kansas City is rather low
  4. Air quality in Kansas City is not great
  5. Poverty is a significant problem in Kansas City
  6. Increasing level of inequality in Kansas City
  7. Cold winters may be annoying
  8. You may not spend as much time outdoors as in other regions
  9. Kansas City is not located at the coast
  10. Kansas City is not the most exciting place
  11. You may miss the feeling of big city life
  12. Not many fancy shopping opportunities in Kansas City
  13. Hard to meet influential people in Kansas City
  14. You may get bored living in Kansas City in the long run

Kansas City has high crime rates

One disadvantage of living in Kansas City is that the region is known for its high crime rate and many people don’t feel safe in Kansas City anymore.

Moreover, also your friends from other cities may worry about your well-being quite frequently.

Kansas City is not a bike-friendly region

You should also know that Kansas City is not the most bike-friendly region and instead of getting around by bicycle in an efficient manner, you may rather have to rely on your car or alternative means of transport and this may hurt your overall fitness level in the long run.

Income level in Kansas City is rather low

Another problem with living in Kansas City is that income levels are pretty low and people in Kansas City make far less money compared to people living in New York City on average.

Consequently, if your goal is to get rich, you should not move to Kansas City but rather go for a bigger metropolitan area with higher income levels instead.

Air quality in Kansas City is not great

You should also know that air quality in Kansas City is not great at all and this will not only lower your overall quality of life but may also cause serious health problems in the long run.

Poverty is a significant problem in Kansas City

Many people in Kansas City also live below the poverty line and this may not only increase crime rates even further but may also lead to all sorts of social problems in the long run.

Increasing level of inequality in Kansas City

Another disadvantage of living in Kansas City is that you will also have to deal with increasing levels of inequality and with many desperate people who don’t know how to pay their bills anymore and many of those people also end up homeless in the streets in the long run.

Cold winters may be annoying

While you can experience real seasons which can be quite interesting in Kansas City, you should also know that it can get pretty cold during winters and if you rather want to enjoy the heat all year long, you should move to El Paso or other warmer regions instead of moving to Kansas City.

You may not spend as much time outdoors as in other regions

Due to rather cold winters, you may also not spend as much time outdoors compared to people living in warmer regions and this may adversely affect your overall quality of life in the long run.

Kansas City is not located at the coast

Another downside to moving to Kansas City is that the city is also not located at the coast and while your friends living in Long Beach or other places on the coast will be able to go surfing and spend fun times in this regard, you will just not have this luxury in Kansas City.

Kansas City is not the most exciting place

You should also be aware of the fact that Kansas City is not the most exciting place to live in and if you want to have action 24/7 and want to be at the center of the universe, you should move to a bigger and more glamorous city instead.

You may miss the feeling of big city life

You should also not expect the same feeling of big city life in Kansas City as in NYC or other major regions and may get pretty disappointed in this regard in the long run.

Not many fancy shopping opportunities in Kansas City

Another disadvantage of moving to Kansas City is that fancy shopping opportunities are rather limited and if you are a shopping queen and need many fancy stores to be happy, moving to Kansas City may not be a great idea for you at all.

Hard to meet influential people in Kansas City

Since Kansas City is not the most popular place to stay, it is also hard to meet celebrities or other influential people and you may therefore have a pretty hard time building a strong business network in this area.

You may get bored living in Kansas City in the long run

Since Kansas City is not the most exciting place and you will not have as much action as in bigger metropolitan areas, you may also get bored with your life in Kansas City if you are the kind of person who needs adrenaline all day long.

Top 10 Moving To Kansas City Pros & Cons – Summary List

Living in Kansas City ProsLiving in Kansas City Cons
Living costs in Kansas City are rather lowHigh crime rates in Kansas City
Buying a home is still affordable for the average personNot many fancy shopping opportunities
Rents are reasonably low as wellKansas City is not located at the coast
Kansas City is a tolerant placeIncome level is pretty low
You can meet many interesting peopleMany people live below the poverty line
Kansas City has decent public transportIncreasing level of inequality
Good medical infrastructure in Kansas CityKansas City is not the most glamorous place
You can enjoy the comfort of a big cityHard to meet celebrities in Kansas City
You can spend lots of time in natureHard to build a strong business network
Population in Kansas City is growingYou may get bored in Kansas City in the long run

Is Kansas City A Good Place To Live?

While living and housing costs are fairly low in Kansas City and you will find everything you need for a convenient life, you should also know that Kansas City is not the safest place and you may also get bored in this city in the long run since there is not as much action as in other bigger metropolitan regions.

Alternative Cities To Live In

If you don’t want to move to Kansas City anymore, you should also have a look at the following articles:

Advantages and disadvantages of living in Louisville

Advantages and disadvantages of living in Tucson

Advantages and disadvantages of living in Albuquerque

Sources

https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/kansascitycitymissouri

About the author

This site is about living, moving and traveling to various parts of our fascinating planet.

My name is Andreas and when I was younger, I traveled the world and learned a lot about different cultures and countries.

Thus, I want to share my experiences with you so that you can benefit from them and avoid common mistakes in this regard.

In my articles, you will find everything you need to find the best location for a happy and successful life.

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