Key Communities
From vibrant, buzzing cities to laid-back small burgs, the Kansas City region offers a diverse range of settings for settings up shop or calling home.
KC’s access to land, and lots of it, has given rise to a rich variety of distinctive communities. As a result, residents can choose from a wide variety of amenities and services in areas that best fit their lifestyle.
Best of Neighboring Kansas Communities
In terms of personal income, Johnson County, Kan., is one of the top areas in the nation. As of 2011, Johnson County had 20 cities and was the most populous county in the state, and one of the most affluent in America. The area boasts higher-than-average median incomes, growing populations and a thriving economy.
The second-largest city in Kansas, Overland Park, supports 175,000 residents. It is home to more than 3,800 companies, with a labor force employment of 90.3 percent. Along with the perks of metro-area setting, the suburb has made the outdoors accessible to residents through more than 80 miles of hiking and biking trails.
Close by are Leawood, Lenexa, Olathe and Shawnee, all with growing populations, thriving business sectors and local governments that have successfully managed their growth to produce balance among the residential, commercial and industrial legs of their property tax bases.
Heart of Kansas City
If you’re looking for historic sites, you might want to check out Jackson County, Mo. From Fort Osage to Missouri Town, the area covers a span of history from 1826, when it was authorized as the “County of Jackson.” Eastern Jackson County includes many livable cities that mix history and easy access to Kansas City with their own unique style.
The largest of those is Independence which, in fact, remains the county seat, a role it held throughout the settling of the region. Although those functions have moved west into neighboring Kansas City, Independence is still vibrant, supporting more than 3,700 businesses. With planned development along the Little Blue Parkway, the city anticipates adding 20,000 residents and increased commercial development by 2020. To the south are the communities of Blue Springs and Lee’s Summit. Growth in Blue Springs includes the announced development of the 250-acre science and technology Missouri Innovation Park, seen as a key to extending life-sciences sector growth in the region.
Lee’s Summit’s 65 square miles include satellite campus operations of the Univ. of Central Missouri, 26 parks and more than 8,000 businesses. Joining Olathe, Overland Park and Independence, Lee’s Summit is on track to become the next 100,000-resident community added to a ring of them around KC’s core.
Nearby Neighbors
For still more options, Lawrence and Topeka, Kan., are within an hour’s drive, easily accessible to the KC area, a long-time bastion of industrial might with a nascent retail and residential core blossoming on its western border.
Lawrence, known for the 25,000 students who attend the University of Kansas, mixes college-town atmosphere with a thriving residential and commercial center. Topeka, the state capital, also mixes education with commerce as it is home to Washburn University, the Kaw Area Technical School and a thriving business community. Serving a population of more than 120,000 with a low ACCRA 2012 cost of living of 92, Topeka also operates at the center of a seven-county regional area of more than 300,000 residents in northeast Kansas—more than 10 percent of the state’s population.
Smaller communities include Atchison, to the north, home of Benedictine College, and Leavenworth, a full-service community with historic Fort Leavenworth, its military college and the Big House. North of the metro area is St. Joseph, population 76,000, known for its skilled manufacturing base and work force, as well as its extensive participation in the animal-health corridor. Among its diversified businesses is its largest employer, Heartland Health System, whose recent affiliation with the world-renowned Mayo Clinic adds new depth to that asset.