City Profile

Leawood, Kansas

USA · Comprehensive city data and intelligence

Overall Score

Leawood, Kansas is a premier upscale suburban community located in Johnson County, part of the Kansas City metropolitan area. Established initially as an agricultural area and developed extensively by Oscar G. Weber in the late 1940s, the city has evolved into one of the most affluent and desirable places to live in the Midwest. Known for its meticulously planned neighborhoods, lush green spaces, and stringent architectural controls, Leawood offers residents a peaceful, high-income suburban lifestyle paired with immediate access to big-city amenities. People frequently move to Leawood for its top-tier public school system, exceptionally low crime rates, and beautiful residential properties that range from stately traditional homes to modern luxury developments.

About Kansas

Kansas, known as the "Sunflower State," offers a blend of rural charm and urban development, characterized by friendly communities and a relaxed pace of life. Its economy is diverse, with major industries including agriculture (a leading producer of wheat, corn, and sorghum), aerospace, advanced manufacturing, and professional services. Living in Kansas is generally affordable, with a cost of living approximately 10-15% lower than the national average, particularly for housing. The state experiences four distinct seasons with warm to hot summers, mild to cold winters, and moderate humidity, though it is prone to severe weather like thunderstorms and tornadoes, especially in spring and early summer.

34,650

Population

$95K

Avg Salary

125

Cost Index

64.5

Quality Score

How this 65/100 was calculated five components, with every reading behind them

Component	Readings used	Points	Weight	Contributes
Safety	Safety score: 92 / 100	92.0	30%	27.6
Affordability	Cost of living index (100 = national baseline): 125.0	12.5	25%	3.1
Economy & jobs	Median household income: $165,000 Income needed to live here: $75,000 Unemployment rate: 2.8%	95.0	20%	19.0
Growth	Population growth rate: 0.5% Job growth rate: 1.8%	46.8	15%	7.0
Business climate assessment	Business climate assessment: 78 / 100	78.0	10%	7.8
Overall score				64.5

Provenance. These figures were produced by the research pass recorded as Tier 1 (fast) (q=52, partial — below threshold), last refreshed 16 October 2026. They are researched estimates drawn from public sources, not a licensed data feed.

Each component is scored against fixed published endpoints, so this number is comparable with any other city and does not move as the dataset grows. Scoring framework 2026.10 — full methodology, weights and accepted ranges.

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Performance

Quality Scores

Business

Livability

Affordability

Growth

Expenses

Cost of Living

The cost of living in Leawood is significantly higher than the national average and stands well above the rest of the state of Kansas. This elevation is primarily driven by high housing costs, premier real estate valuations, and the upscale nature of local retail centers like Town Center Plaza and Park Place. Property taxes and consumer goods also reflect the high median income and affluent demographic profile of the municipality. While everyday goods and utilities align closely with regional suburban norms, housing and specialized services push the overall cost index well past standard benchmarks.

Average Rent

$1,750/mo

Groceries

$480/mo

Transport

$140/mo

Utilities

$190/mo

Healthcare

$230/mo

Gym membership (monthly)

$65.00

Cinema ticket

$15.00

Restaurant meal (mid-range)

$25.00

Monthly groceries

$480.00

Doctor visit (without insurance)

$160.00

Income

Salary Insights

Leawood benefits from a robust local economy anchored by professional, scientific, and technical services, finance, healthcare, and corporate headquarters. While many residents commute into nearby Kansas City for major employment hubs, Leawood itself hosts numerous corporate offices, high-end retail districts, and boutique financial firms. The city's entrepreneurial climate is strong, supported by a highly educated workforce and favorable local business initiatives. Remote work is also prevalent among the city's white-collar professionals, taking advantage of the area's reliable digital infrastructure and quiet upscale neighborhoods.

The average salary in Leawood is $95,000 per year. You would need approximately $75,000 to live comfortably.

Employment

Top Industries

Retail Trade +1.10% Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services +2.20% Educational Services +1.40% Healthcare and Social Assistance +2.50% Finance and Insurance +1.90%

Weather

Climate

🌡️

57°F

Avg Temp

☀️

86°F

Summer High

❄️

22°F

Winter Low

🌧️

39.80"

Annual Rain

💧

68.00%

Humidity

🌤️

270

Sunny Days

Mobility

Transport

Leawood is primarily a car-dependent suburban community where the vast majority of residents rely on personal vehicles for daily commutes and errands. Major thoroughfares like Mission Road, Roe Avenue, and Interstate 435 provide seamless connectivity to the rest of the Kansas City metropolitan area. Public transit options are sparse, though regional bus services operate commuter routes nearby. Walkability varies, with high pedestrian friendliness concentrated primarily around commercial mixed-use developments rather than traditional subdivisions.

21 min

Avg Commute

32.00/10

Transit Score

42.00/10

Walkability

High

Car Dependency

At a Glance

Pros & Cons

Advantages

Consistently ranked among the safest cities in Kansas with violent crime rates well below the national average.

Home to top-performing public schools within the Blue Valley and Shawnee Mission school districts.

Exceptional median household income exceeding $160,000 per year per U.S. Census Bureau data.

Abundant green spaces, including over a dozen public parks and extensive hike-and-bike trail networks.

Premier shopping and dining destinations like Town Center Plaza and Park Place.

Drawbacks

Significantly higher cost of living and housing prices compared to the national average and Kansas state norms.

High level of car dependency with limited public transportation infrastructure within residential zones.

High property tax burdens associated with high municipal real estate valuations.

Limited inventory of affordable starter homes for first-time buyers within city limits.

Competitive real estate market driven by high demand for top school districts.

Head to Head

Compare Leawood

Leawood VS Kansas City Leawood VS Grants Pass Leawood VS Cincinnati Leawood VS Binghamton

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Community Q&A

Questions about Leawood

What people ask about living in and moving to Leawood, Kansas.

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FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Urblytica benchmarks its Cost of Living Index against a United States national average baseline of 100. A score of 115 means a city is approximately 15% more expensive than the national average, while a score of 85 indicates it is 15% more affordable. This composite calculation is weighted across six primary expenditure categories: housing, utilities, grocery items, transportation, healthcare, and miscellaneous goods.

Urblytica aggregates housing data from multiple authoritative sources, including Multiple Listing Service (MLS) feeds, municipal property tax registries, the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS), and verified historical deed transactions. This multi-tier aggregation ensures precision in tracking median home values and rental rates.

A municipality must meet minimum data-density thresholds—including consistent reporting population samples from the U.S. Census and active residential or commercial real estate transaction feeds—to ensure statistical significance before a complete scoring profile is published.

When primary agencies (such as the Bureau of Labor Statistics or U.S. Census Bureau) issue historical data revisions or benchmark corrections, Urblytica's data pipeline automatically re-indexes affected historical archives to maintain longitudinal trend accuracy.

U.S. affordability calculations incorporate federal income tax brackets, state-specific income tax rates, and local municipal tax variations to evaluate the true net tax drag on median household earnings across different states and cities.

Local county and municipal property tax millage rates are factored directly into the housing component of the cost-of-living index to reflect recurring annual tax burdens for homeowners.

The platform aggregates state sales taxes alongside county and city surtaxes to measure consumer basket purchasing power parity accurately across different retail jurisdictions.

Utility calculations apply regional seasonal consumption weightings, incorporating high summer air conditioning loads in southern states and heavy winter heating demands in northern states.

The index tracks average out-of-pocket healthcare expenses, routine outpatient visit costs, and regional health insurance premium benchmarks published by federal health agencies.

Educational metrics aggregate state standardized testing benchmarks, student-to-teacher ratios, high school graduation rates, and per-pupil expenditure data published by state departments of education.

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