The Town Files

North Kansas City, Missouri

City in Clay County · population 4,467 (2020 Census)

Map: where North Kansas City is in MissouriNorth Kansas City
Median home
$197,500
Household income
$49,682
Jan low / Jul high
22° / 90°
Snow a year
11 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
30
Median age
41.3

North Kansas City is a city of 4,467 people in Clay County, Missouri. The median home is worth $197,500, above the typical Missouri town ($153,900). It ranks better for young professionals than 100% of Missouri towns, hipper than 98% of Missouri towns, better for first-time buyers than 97% of Missouri towns.

North Kansas City in our rankings:

How North Kansas City ranks

Percentile among Missouri towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Missouri towns.

North Kansas City lifestyle rankings vs other Missouri townsRetirement53rd pctFamiliesbottomQuiet53rd pctWalkability83rd pctFirst-time buyers97th pctYoung professionals100th pctVibrancy97th pctHip & trendy98th pctCollege town3rd pctUpscale77th pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCycling94th pctTransit94th pctDriving17th pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in North Kansas City is worth $197,500, above the typical Missouri town ($153,900). Homes cost about 4.0 times the median household income of $49,682, which is more affordable than 7% of Missouri towns. Median rent is $1,188 a month. 25.9% of households own their home.

North Kansas City vs Clay County vs typical Missouri townNorth Kansas CityClay CountyTypical Missouri townHome value$197,500$275,600$153,900Household income$49,682$88,468$56,368Monthly rent$1,188$1,243$855
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Missouri towns with 500+ people.
HousingNorth Kansas CityTypical Missouri town
Median home value$197,500$153,900
Median rent$1,188$855
Median household income$49,682$56,368
Home value ÷ income4.0×2.7×
Homeownership25.9%67.4%
Median year built19721972
Seasonal / vacation homes0.0%—

Who lives in North Kansas City

PeopleNorth Kansas CityTypical Missouri town
Median age41.338.6
Age 65 and over22.7%17.7%
Under 1813.3%—
Bachelor's degree or higher35.0%18.9%
Below the poverty line9.1%14.6%
Veterans6.7%—
Born outside the U.S.2.7%—
Work from home8.4%7.9%
Average commute16.5 min23.1 min
Homes with broadband80.5%88.7%

Weather in North Kansas City

July highs average 90.2°F and January lows 22.2°F. About 38.1 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 11.0 inches of snow (typical Missouri town: 11.1 in). Expect about 47 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 93 nights at or below freezing.

North Kansas City monthly temperatures and precipitation20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°100°32° freezing40°22°Jan45°26°Feb57°36°Mar67°46°Apr76°57°May86°67°Jun90°72°Jul89°70°Aug80°61°Sep68°49°Oct55°36°Nov44°27°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue1.03.41.53.22.10.43.90.15.15.34.44.73.83.20.31.80.11.33.5
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Kansas City Downtown Ap station (2.2 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

30 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of North Kansas City since 1950, compared with 23 for the typical Missouri town. 12 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F4, struck on May 4, 2003 about 3.9 miles from the town center. The most recent was on June 3, 2025.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of North Kansas City by decade51950s91960s11970s21980s21990s82000s12010s22020s
NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 376 times; the largest was 3.00 inches on May 30, 1985.

Severe weather in Clay County since 1996

Storm events in Clay County since 1996 by typeHail337Heat19Flood66Drought21Tornado18High Wind6Ice Storm10Heavy Snow9
NOAA Storm Events Database, Clay County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 4 deaths recorded.

Clay County has been included in 25 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, drought, tornado.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
March 26, 2020BiologicalDR-4490: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3482: Covid-19
July 9, 2019Severe StormDR-4451: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding
August 7, 2015Severe StormDR-4238: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding
June 30, 2011FloodEM-3325: Flooding

Jobs and pay in Clay County

Clay County had 111,855 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $63,093 a year. Unemployment was 2.7% in 2023; in North Kansas City itself the ACS puts it at 9.5%.

Largest industries in Clay CountyManufacturing16,391 jobs · $88,565Retail12,920 jobs · $38,407Health care & social assistan…10,854 jobs · $63,848Hotels & restaurants10,558 jobs · $26,351Transportation & warehousing8,269 jobs · $55,019Administrative & support6,472 jobs · $46,514
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Clay County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%2000200420082012201620202023Clay 2.7%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near North Kansas City

North Kansas City questions

Is North Kansas City, Missouri a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, North Kansas City scores better for retirees than 53% of Missouri towns and quieter than 53%. 22.7% of residents are 65 or older (median age 41.3).

How much does a house cost in North Kansas City?

The median owner-occupied home in North Kansas City is valued at $197,500 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $49,682, so homes cost about 4.0 times income. Median rent is $1,188 a month.

What is the weather like in North Kansas City?

July highs average 90.2°F and January lows 22.2°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 38.1 inches of precipitation a year and 11.0 inches of snow.

Does North Kansas City get tornadoes?

30 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of North Kansas City since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F4 on May 4, 2003. The typical Missouri town has had 23.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to North Kansas City's Census boundary (GEOID 2953102). Comparisons use the median of Missouri towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center. Data snapshot 2026-11-13.