Between 1980 and 2000, demolitions of housing units in Wyandotte County outnumbered construction of new units by 3,700. Particularly hard hit was housing in the eastern portion of the county. But that trend is clearly changing.

Wyandotte is now projecting it will see a net increase of 630 residential units between 2000 and 2010, and that there will be 1,306 more units by 2030. This growth may seem small compared to other counties in the Kansas City area, but for this tiny county the news is huge.

Of course, Wyandotte’s western portion is poised to see the greatest increases in housing, due both to the availability of land and the stimulus of the Kansas Speedway and its surrounding Tourism District. Thirty years from now, the area is projected to have more than 9,500 housing units, triple from 30 years ago. More than 60% of new housing starts since January 2001 have occurred in the Piper School district.

In fact, single-family housing starts across Kansas City, Kan., are at their highest level since the 1970s. According to a July report from the Home Builders Association of Greater Kansas City, permit activity for Wyandotte County is up more than 30% so far this year, compared to a 27% increase in Clay County, 21% increase in Jackson County, and declines of 5 % and 1% for Johnson and Platte counties, respectively.

The values of Wyandotte County homes are rising, too. According to the county appraiser, the average price of a new home in the county was $108,100 in 1999, $135,900 in 2000 and $163,500 in 2001, an increase exceeding 20% each of the last two years. The increase in the resale value of existing homes averaged 9.5% annually for the last three years. Still, Wyandotte offers some of the most affordable housing in the metro area.

Regardless if it’s east or west, single- or multifamily, plenty of opportunities exist for residential developers in Wyandotte County.