Kansas City vs Springfield
The short version
- Springfield is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 4% lower than in the Kansas City area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $167,400 in Kansas City and $177,700 in Springfield.
- Households earn more in Kansas City ($62,401 vs $49,311 median).
- Springfield has the warmer winter: January highs of 44°F vs 40°F.
- Commutes are shorter in Springfield (18 vs 22 minutes each way).
Side by side
| Kansas City, KS | Springfield, MO | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 157,805 | 169,847 |
| Growth since 2020 | +0.8% | +0.4% |
| People per square mile | 1,265 | 2,039 |
| Median age | 33.9 | 33.7 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 21% | 31% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $62,401 | $49,311 |
| Median home value | $167,400 | $177,700 |
| Home value to income | 2.7× | 3.6× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,123 | $964 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 92.5 | 88.6 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 86.6 | 65.6 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $69,400 | $66,400 |
| Homeowners | 61% | 44% |
| Top state income tax | 5.58% | 4.7% |
| Combined sales tax | 8.71% | 8.44% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 22.4 | 17.6 |
| Work from home | 9% | 10% |
| Take public transit | 1% | 1% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 5.8% | 4.3% |
| Poverty rate | 16% | 18.4% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 40° / 22° | 44° / 24° |
| July high / low | 90° / 72° | 90° / 69° |
| Precipitation per year | 38 in | 45 in |
| Snowfall per year | 11 in | 14 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 47 | 40 |
| Nights below freezing | 93 | 95 |
| Comfortable months | 3 | 3 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively Moderate | Relatively Moderate |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 89.4 | 90.1 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 49% | 63% |
| Home prices, past year | +3.2% | +4% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +42.4% | +47.8% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: Kansas City: April and September to October. Springfield: June and September to October.
Full monthly tables: Kansas City weather by month and Springfield weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $69,400 in Kansas City and $66,400 in Springfield. Moving from Kansas City to Springfield, you would need about $71,800 to match a $75,000 salary.
Which would you pick?
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