Ideal CityOpen the map

Lee's Summit vs Springfield

Lee's Summit, Missouri versus Springfield, Missouri: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.

Overall livability

Lee's Summit

Solid · objective livability51/100

Springfield

Mixed · objective livability49/100

Lee's Summit and Springfield score about the same overall (51 vs 49 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.

Factor-by-factor comparison

FactorLee's SummitSpringfield
Affordability
Median Household Income$103k$43k
Cost of Living$48k$43k
Home Value$291k$146k
Monthly Rent$1k$878
Monthly Owner Costs$2k$1k
Property Tax Rate1.24%0.84%
Income Tax4.80%4.80%
Sales Tax8.39%8.39%
Estimated total tax burden11.07%10.40%
Unemployment3.8%4.8%
Weather
Winter Temp (Jan)31°F33°F
Summer Temp (Jul)79°F78°F
Annual Precipitation43.9 in46.5 in
Annual Snowfall8.6 in13.7 in
Sunny Days260 days252 days
Summer Humidity67°F67°F
Comfortable Days76 days73 days
Safety & Wellbeing
Natural Disaster Risk36.744.2
Air Quality43 AQI49 AQI
School Quality77.063.1
Violent Crime801/100k3362/100k
Property Crime2098/100k4926/100k
Community
Population101,728168,873
Median Age38.633.3
Racial Diversity0.330.25
Male/Female Ratio0.950.96
Political LeaningD+22R+21
White (%)79.2%84.1%
Black (%)8.8%4.2%
Hispanic (%)4.9%4.6%
Asian (%)2.1%1.8%
Other / Multiracial (%)5.1%5.2%
Getting Around
Commute Time26 min18 min
Walkability9.3/209.5/20
Airport Distance31 mi159 mi
Lifestyle & Connectivity
Broadband Access94.4%78.3%
Amenities Nearby12.2924.87
Park & Nature AccessExcellentExcellent

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 Lee's Summit or Springfield more affordable?
Springfield has the lower cost of living: its index is $43k, compared with Lee's Summit's $48k and Springfield's $43k. Median rent is $1k in Lee's Summit versus $878 in Springfield.
Is Lee's Summit or Springfield safer?
Lee's Summit has the lower violent crime rate. Lee's Summit reports 801/100k and Springfield reports 3362/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
Are homes cheaper in Lee's Summit or Springfield?
The median home value is $291k in Lee's Summit and $146k in Springfield, so homes are more affordable in Springfield.
See each on the map

Explore Lee's Summit →Explore Springfield →

Full profiles