Kansas City vs St. Louis

Side-by-side comparison of Kansas City, MO and St. Louis, MO — population, economics, education, health, hospitals, climate, and cost of living from official U.S. government data.

Kansas City
Missouri
Pop: 475K
Income: $68,577
Home: $230,500
St. Louis
Missouri
Pop: 280K
Income: $56,160
Home: $197,500

Population

Population
475K
Population
280K
Median Age
37 yrs
Median Age
36.8 yrs
10-Year Pop Growth
N/A
10-Year Pop Growth
N/A

Economics

Median Household Income
$68,577
Median Household Income
$56,160
Median Home Value
$230,500
Median Home Value
$197,500
Median Rent
$1,197
Median Rent
$997
Poverty Rate
14.1%
Poverty Rate
20.6%
Unemployment Rate
4.6%
Unemployment Rate
5%
10-Year Income Growth
N/A
10-Year Income Growth
N/A

Education & Work

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
34%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
41.1%
Work From Home
15.8%
Work From Home
17%
Public Transit
1.4%
Public Transit
5.7%

Health (CDC PLACES)

Frequent Mental Distress
18.9%
Frequent Mental Distress
18.2%
Obesity
37.2%
Obesity
37%
Physical Inactivity
30.9%
Physical Inactivity
27%
Smoking
15.8%
Smoking
16.5%
Lack of Health Insurance
10%
Lack of Health Insurance
9.2%

Healthcare

Hospitals
12
Hospitals
4
Avg Hospital Rating
3.2/5
Avg Hospital Rating
2.5/5

Demographics

Kansas City Population
White 61.5%
African American 22.2%
Asian 1.8%
Two or More Races 3.1%
St. Louis Population
White 45.5%
African American 42.3%
Asian 3.5%
Two or More Races 3.4%

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Data Sources

Population and economic data from the Census Bureau American Community Survey (2022 5-year estimates). Health data from the CDC PLACES (2023). Hospital data from CMS Hospital Compare (2024). Climate data from NOAA Climate Normals (1991–2020). Cost of living from BEA Regional Price Parities via FRED.