Head to head
Kansas City, MO vs Louisville, KY
Louisville is cheaper — estimated essentials for a single person run about $89/mo less, and living comfortably there takes roughly $500 less in annual salary (taxes included).
It flips for a family. For two adults with a pre-schooler and a school-age child, Kansas City is the cheaper of the two — rent scales to household size using each city's own bedroom spread, and childcare varies even more sharply between cities than rent does.
| Metric | Kansas City69 | Louisville76 |
|---|---|---|
| Est. monthly cost (single) | $3,819 | $3,730 |
| Est. monthly cost (family of 4, incl. childcare) | $8,719 | $8,988 |
| Salary for comfort | $70,500/yr | $70,000/yr |
| Typical rent | $1,358 | $1,272 |
| Median home value | $227,000 | $221,500 |
| Median household income | $67,449 | $64,731 |
| Unemployment | 3.6% | 3.9% |
| Housing score | 79 | 79 |
| Jobs score | 84 | 81 |
| Safety score | 16 | 56 |
| Climate score | 96 | 99 |
| Amenities score | 54 | 43 |
| Population | 508.2K | 627.2K |
| Summer high / winter low | 90° / 22° | 89° / 27° |
Fit scores use the reference profile (single, $6,700/mo gross, default weights). Green marks the better value per row.
Kansas City, MO
Louisville, KY