Kansas City vs Phoenix
The short version
- Kansas City is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 10% lower than in the Phoenix area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $242,900 in Kansas City and $420,700 in Phoenix.
- Households earn more in Phoenix ($81,332 vs $69,166 median).
- Phoenix has the warmer winter: January highs of 68°F vs 40°F.
- Kansas City gets far more snow: 11 inches a year vs 0.
- Phoenix has more scorching days: 173 a year at 90°F or hotter vs 47.
- Commutes are shorter in Kansas City (22 vs 26 minutes each way).
Side by side
| Kansas City, MO | Phoenix, AZ | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 521,220 | 1,665,481 |
| Growth since 2020 | +2.6% | +3.6% |
| People per square mile | 1,657 | 3,213 |
| Median age | 35.8 | 34.9 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 38% | 34% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $69,166 | $81,332 |
| Median home value | $242,900 | $420,700 |
| Home value to income | 3.5× | 5.2× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,238 | $1,582 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 92.5 | 103.3 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 86.6 | 121.2 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $69,400 | $77,500 |
| Homeowners | 55% | 57% |
| Top state income tax | 4.7% | 2.5% |
| Combined sales tax | 8.44% | 8.54% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 21.7 | 25.6 |
| Work from home | 17% | 19% |
| Take public transit | 2% | 2% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 4.4% | 5% |
| Poverty rate | 14.6% | 13.7% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 40° / 22° | 68° / 46° |
| July high / low | 90° / 72° | 107° / 85° |
| Precipitation per year | 38 in | 7 in |
| Snowfall per year | 11 in | 0 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 47 | 173 |
| Nights below freezing | 93 | 1 |
| Comfortable months | 3 | 6 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively High | Very High |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 96.5 | 99.9 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 49% | 7% |
| Home prices, past year | +3.2% | +0.8% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +42.4% | +35.8% |
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. Phoenix: November to April.
Full monthly tables: Kansas City weather by month and Phoenix 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 $77,500 in Phoenix. Moving from Kansas City to Phoenix, you would need about $83,700 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Kansas City and Phoenix
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from Kansas City and Phoenix.
Which would you pick?
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