Kansas City may not come to mind when you think tech hub. But as skyrocketing housing costs make traditional tech centers like Silicon Valley, San Francisco, Seattle and New York out of reach for even STEM folks, other urban areas are on the rise.  Thanks to the advent of cloud computing, work forces can be more decentralized than ever before. And Kansas City, with its central location and affordable housing stock is reaping the benefits.

And by the way, as Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz famously says, “Toto, I have a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore,” the Kansas City we’re talking about isn’t in Kansas. The city is in two states. But the urban engine of economic development is firing up in Kansas City, Missouri.

Kansas City MO: Number 1 Affordable City for Tech Jobs

Kansas City MO ranked in first place in a survey that rated best cities for tech jobs where you can also afford to live. The author crunched data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics for job trends, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for rent costs and the prices of goods and services from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.

Kansas City MO earned first place because of its higher than average number of tech jobs, low cost of goods and services and affordable rents. Rent for a one-bedroom apartment was listed as $681, about one-third the cost of a similar unit in San Francisco.  The median cost of a home is $109,000. You could add another zero for the San Francisco Bay Area equivalent.

Well-known companies headquartered in Kansas City include Sprint, H & R Block, Hallmark and Garmin International. And according to the region’s economic development website, Kansas City recently attracted 500 new companies and created 60,000 new jobs.

Property Crime in Kansas City Metro Area in Line with U.S. Average

Kansas City, like many older U.S. cities, went through a steep decline in the 1960s and 1970s. That was when traditional factories and freight train transport began to fade and populations chose to move to newer suburbs.

Current trends for tech jobs and the revitalization of urban centers including micro-breweries, art galleries and coffee houses are renewing the city. Crime for the Kansas City Metro Area are only slightly above average for property crime but higher for all of Kansas City.

For the metro area Kansas City, Missouri, property crime, on a scale from 1 (lowest) to 100, is 44 states Best Places, a website that tracks data from U.S. cities. Property crimes include the offenses such as burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, and arson. The object of these types of offenses is primarily the taking of money or property. There is no force or threat of force against the victims. The US average for property crime in cities and towns is 38.1.  The property crime rate for all of Kansas City, Mo is 66.

Unfortunately, violent crime including murder, aggravated assault and robbery stands at 91 on a scale of 1 to 100 for Kansas City, MO but is only 42 for the Kansas City Metro Area. The U.S. average is 31.1. However, with future job growth predicted at 42.81% and salaries higher than the U.S. averages, it can be hoped that property crime rates will improve.