What changes when you move from St. Louis to Kansas City? Not your state income tax, since both metros sit in Missouri. Magnolia KC Group, the Compass-affiliated team led by Jennifer Weaver in Overland Park, helps St. Louis families weigh the two new questions: the Kansas City, Missouri 1% earnings tax and whether to buy on the Kansas side.
Quick Takeaways
- St. Louis sent 839 households to the Kansas City metro in the IRS Statistics of Income migration file covering 2022 to 2023, the largest out-of-metro Missouri origin and the third largest origin overall.
- Missouri income tax follows you. The top rate is 4.70% over $9,436 in 2026, with a standard deduction of $16,100 single and $32,200 joint, and Amendment 5, which would have eliminated the income tax, failed on August 4, 2026.
- Kansas City, Missouri levies a 1% earnings tax on residents and on nonresidents for income earned inside city limits, renewed April 7, 2026 with more than 75% voting yes. A Johnson County resident working in Johnson County pays none of it.
- Crossing to Kansas raises income tax to 5.20% up to $46,000 joint and 5.58% above, but lowers the residential assessment ratio from 19% of true value to 11.5% of appraised value.
- The Kansas City metro median existing single-family price was $370,600 in Q2 2026 (NAR), against a Johnson County median sale price of $505,500 in July 2026 (Heartland MLS).
How many people actually move from St. Louis to Kansas City?
St. Louis sent 839 households to the Kansas City metro in the IRS migration file covering 2022 to 2023. Only Lawrence at 1,471 and Wichita at 953 sent more, which makes St. Louis the largest source outside the immediate commuting region and larger than Dallas-Fort Worth at 608 or Denver at 501.
A St. Louis family is not making a leap into an unfamiliar state, so the decisions are narrower and more financial than they are for an out-of-state buyer.
How do St. Louis, Kansas City and Johnson County compare side by side?
Some cells below say no verified figure is published here. That is deliberate: Magnolia KC Group publishes only numbers it can source and date, and this guide's source set has no 2026 St. Louis metro figure for those rows.
Metric (source, period) | St. Louis metro | Kansas City metro | Johnson County, KS |
|---|---|---|---|
Median existing single-family price (NAR, Q2 2026) | No verified figure published here | $370,600 | $505,500 median sale price (Heartland MLS, July 2026) |
Cost of living composite (MERIC Q1 2026, US = 100, state-level) | Missouri 88.6 | Missouri 88.6 / Kansas 87.6 | Kansas 87.6 |
State income tax, 2026 | Missouri 4.70% top over $9,436 | Missouri 4.70% top; Kansas 5.20% / 5.58% | Kansas 5.20% to $46,000 joint, 5.58% above |
Local earnings tax | No verified figure published here | Kansas City, MO charges 1% on residents and on nonresidents earning in the city | None for a Johnson County resident working in Johnson County |
Residential assessment ratio | Missouri, 19% of true value | Missouri 19%; Kansas 11.5% | Kansas, 11.5% of appraised value |
Annual vehicle tax | Missouri, 33.33% of value | Missouri 33.33% of value; Kansas collects at tag renewal | Kansas collects at tag renewal |
Effective property tax, owner-occupied (ACS 2024) | No verified figure published here | 1.08% | 1.09% |
Mean commute to work, any destination (ACS) | No verified figure published here | 23.7 min | 21.4 min |
Will you pay the Kansas City earnings tax?
This is the most under-covered dollar item in Kansas City relocation content. Kansas City, Missouri charges a 1% earnings tax on residents for all earned income, and on nonresidents for income earned inside city limits. Voters renewed it on April 7, 2026 with more than 75% voting yes, so it is not going away.
Three situations cover most St. Louis arrivals. Live and work in Kansas City, Missouri and you pay on everything you earn. Work inside city limits but live elsewhere and you pay on the income earned there. Live and work in Johnson County and you pay none.
The earnings tax is small as a percentage, but it applies to gross earned income every year you stay, which makes it a permanent line rather than a closing cost.
Should a St. Louis family buy on the Kansas side?
The trade is legible once you separate the pieces. Kansas taxes income at 5.20% up to $23,000 single and $46,000 joint, then 5.58% above, which is higher than Missouri's 4.70% top rate over $9,436. Kansas assesses residential property at 11.5% of appraised value while Missouri assesses at 19% of true value, and Missouri bills vehicles annually at 33.33% of value in December, a bill that catches transplants off guard. Kansas taxes vehicles as well, but collects at tag renewal.
Effective property tax rates land close together. Johnson County sits at 1.09%, Jackson County, Missouri at 1.11%, Clay at 1.04% and Platte at 0.99% (ACS-derived), so the four core counties are within 12 basis points of one another.
Sales tax splits by city. Combined Kansas rates effective July 1, 2026 run from 8.975% in Prairie Village to 9.475% in Olathe (Kansas Department of Revenue Publication 1700), and Kansas charges 0% state sales tax on groceries. On the Missouri side, Kansas City in Jackson County is 8.975%, Lee's Summit 8.475% and Parkville 7.975%.
What do homes cost across the metro?
The Kansas City metro median sale price was $349,900 in July 2026, up 3.9% year over year, with an existing-home median of $332,000 and a new-construction median of $539,224 (KCRAR and Heartland MLS Monthly Indicators). Metro days on market ran 36 with 2.6 months of inventory, and closed sales were 3,886, up 5.1%.
Johnson County runs hotter and higher. It closed 1,118 sales in July 2026, up 15.6%, at a median of $505,500, up 5.3%, with 29 days on market, 2.1 months of supply, 101.6% of list price received and 49.8% of homes selling above list. Price per square foot was $213 in Johnson County against $170 in Kansas City, Missouri (Redfin, three months ending June 2026), roughly a 25% per-foot premium for the Kansas side.
On the Missouri side, Kansas City posted a median sale price of $309,282, up 4.8%, with 19 days on market (Redfin, three months ending June 2026). Buyers who want character housing often start in Brookside or along Ward Parkway.
How do the schools compare?
Johnson County districts publish strong verified numbers. Blue Valley USD 229 serves more than 22,000 students with a 97.1% graduation rate for the Class of 2025 and ranks #1 in Kansas per Niche 2026, with no IB program. De Soto USD 232 enrolled 7,071 students in 2025-26 with a 97.5% graduation rate, the highest in Johnson County, and passed a $99.8 million bond on March 3, 2026. Olathe USD 233 serves nearly 28,000 with a 94.6% graduation rate and passed a $389 million bond the same day with 63% support. Shawnee Mission USD 512 reports more than 27,000 students with a 90.8% graduation rate, offers the IB Diploma at Shawnee Mission East and Northwest, and has an active boundary study with recommendations due October 26, 2026.
On the Missouri side, Kansas City Public Schools enrolls more than 16,000, has been fully accredited since January 2022, reported an 88.6% graduation rate in 2025 against 72.2% in 2022, and passed a $474 million bond in April 2025. Park Hill serves 11,860 students PreK-12, North Kansas City more than 21,800 with an IB program at North Kansas City High, and Lee's Summit R-7 about 17,925 with IB at Lee's Summit North and the Summit Technology Academy.
Overland Park is served by four districts and Lenexa by three, so confirm any address with the Johnson County AIMS School Locator at ims.jocogov.org/schoollocator/ rather than trusting a listing sheet.
How does Magnolia KC Group help a St. Louis family?
Magnolia KC Group was founded in 2025 in Overland Park as an all-female, female-founded Compass-affiliated team of 10. The team closed $56 million in 2025 sales, grew 37% year over year, and recorded 74 transactions year to date in 2026 with $40.1 million in broker-verified closed volume from January 1 to July 17, 2026. Real Trends ranked the team #8 in Kansas City for sales volume and #10 among small teams in Kansas in June 2026.
Jennifer Weaver ranks in the top 1% of individual agents in the Kansas City metro with more than $275 million in personal career sales volume, on pace toward $300 million by the end of 2026. For a St. Louis family, the useful part is the two-state comparison done in dollars rather than opinions, then a home search built on verified attendance boundaries. Staging is included on every Magnolia listing at no extra charge, with a $200K home and a $2M home handled the same way, which is rare among Kansas City teams.
Related reading: the best Kansas City neighborhoods for every type of buyer, why Johnson County is the metro's most in-demand market, the Brookside guide, and Overland Park versus Leawood.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does my Missouri income tax change if I move to Kansas City?
No, as long as you stay in Missouri. The Missouri top rate is 4.70% over $9,436 in 2026 with a standard deduction of $16,100 single and $32,200 joint. Amendment 5, which would have eliminated the state income tax, failed on August 4, 2026.
Do I pay the Kansas City earnings tax if I live in the suburbs?
Only on income you earn inside Kansas City, Missouri limits. Nonresidents pay the 1% on income earned in the city, and residents pay it on all earned income. A Johnson County resident whose job is also in Johnson County pays none of it.
Is Johnson County more expensive than the Missouri side?
Yes, per square foot. Johnson County ran $213 against $170 in Kansas City, Missouri (Redfin, three months ending June 2026), roughly a 25% premium. The Johnson County median sale price was $505,500 in July 2026 (Heartland MLS) against a metro median of $349,900 (KCRAR).
Are property taxes higher in Kansas than in Missouri?
The effective rates are close. Johnson County is 1.09%, Jackson County 1.11%, Clay 1.04% and Platte 0.99% (ACS-derived). The bigger structural difference is the assessment ratio, 11.5% of appraised value in Kansas against 19% of true value in Missouri, plus Missouri's annual vehicle tax at 33.33% of value.
How fast should I expect to move once I start looking?
Faster than most St. Louis sellers plan for. Johnson County averaged 29 days on market with 2.1 months of supply in July 2026, and 49.8% of homes sold above list at 101.6% of list price (Heartland MLS).
Ready to compare both sides of the state line?
Give Magnolia KC Group your job address and your budget, and the team will show you what the earnings tax, the assessment ratio and the price per square foot add up to on each side. Reach Jennifer Weaver and the Magnolia KC Group team at magnoliakcgroup.com before you commit to a side.