Kansas City vs St. Louis
Kansas City, Missouri versus St. Louis, Missouri: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Kansas City edges out St. Louis on overall objective livability (53 vs 42 of 100), though each leads on different factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Kansas City | St. Louis |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $65k | $53k |
| Cost of Living | $47k | $42k |
| Home Value | $209k | $174k |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | $938 |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $1k |
| Property Tax Rate | 1.16% | 1.08% |
| Income Tax | 4.80% | 5.80% |
| Sales Tax | 8.39% | 8.39% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 11.29% | 12.13% |
| Unemployment | 4.8% | 5.4% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 31°F | 32°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 81°F | 79°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 38.1 in | 43.9 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 11.0 in | 13.8 in |
| Sunny Days | 260 days | 231 days |
| Summer Humidity | 67°F | 68°F |
| Comfortable Days | 77 days | 70 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 35.4 | 78.7 |
| Air Quality | 49 AQI | 58 AQI |
| School Quality | 74.1 | 71.4 |
| Violent Crime | 537/100k | 2499/100k |
| Property Crime | 303/100k | 7315/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 505,958 | 298,018 |
| Median Age | 35.4 | 36.5 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.57 | 0.59 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.94 | 0.95 |
| Political Leaning | D+32 | D+67 |
| White (%) | 55.2% | 44.6% |
| Black (%) | 26.0% | 43.7% |
| Hispanic (%) | 11.1% | 4.3% |
| Asian (%) | 2.7% | 3.5% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 5.1% | 3.9% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 22 min | 23 min |
| Walkability | 16.9/20 | 13.3/20 |
| Airport Distance | 16 mi | 10 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 87.6% | 83.0% |
| Amenities Nearby | 17.75 | 29.86 |
| Park & Nature Access | Moderate | Moderate |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Kansas City or St. Louis more affordable?
- St. Louis has the lower cost of living: its index is $42k, compared with Kansas City's $47k and St. Louis's $42k. Median rent is $1k in Kansas City versus $938 in St. Louis.
- Is Kansas City or St. Louis safer?
- Kansas City has the lower violent crime rate. Kansas City reports 537/100k and St. Louis reports 2499/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Kansas City or St. Louis?
- The median home value is $209k in Kansas City and $174k in St. Louis, so homes are more affordable in St. Louis.