Kansas City vs St. Louis
The short version
- Kansas City is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 3% lower than in the St. Louis area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $167,400 in Kansas City and $197,500 in St. Louis.
- Households earn more in Kansas City ($62,401 vs $56,160 median).
- Kansas City is growing faster: +0.8% since 2020 vs -7.7%.
Side by side
| Kansas City, KS | St. Louis, MO | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 157,805 | 278,144 |
| Growth since 2020 | +0.8% | -7.7% |
| People per square mile | 1,265 | 4,507 |
| Median age | 33.9 | 36.8 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 21% | 41% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $62,401 | $56,160 |
| Median home value | $167,400 | $197,500 |
| Home value to income | 2.7× | 3.5× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,123 | $997 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 92.5 | 95.1 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 86.6 | 79.0 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $69,400 | $71,300 |
| Homeowners | 61% | 45% |
| Top state income tax | 5.58% | 4.7% |
| Combined sales tax | 8.71% | 8.44% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 22.4 | 22.1 |
| Work from home | 9% | 17% |
| Take public transit | 1% | 6% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 5.8% | 5% |
| Poverty rate | 16% | 20.6% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 40° / 22° | 40° / 24° |
| July high / low | 90° / 72° | 90° / 71° |
| Precipitation per year | 38 in | 42 in |
| Snowfall per year | 11 in | 17 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 47 | 47 |
| Nights below freezing | 93 | 85 |
| Comfortable months | 3 | 3 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively Moderate | Relatively High |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 89.4 | 98.7 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 49% | 31% |
| Home prices, past year | +3.2% | +4.1% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +42.4% | +40.5% |
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. St. Louis: June and September to October.
Full monthly tables: Kansas City weather by month and St. Louis 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 $71,300 in St. Louis. Moving from Kansas City to St. Louis, you would need about $77,100 to match a $75,000 salary.
Which would you pick?
One vote per person. Results show after you vote.