What should I know before moving to Leawood, Kansas?
Leawood is the top of the Johnson County market, with a median sale price of $817,055 through June 2026, up 9.1%, on Redfin's rolling three-month measure. Magnolia KC Group, founded by Jennifer Weaver in neighboring Overland Park and affiliated with Compass, works this price band with Compass Private Office access to pre-market and private exclusive inventory.
Quick Takeaways
- Leawood's median sale price was $817,055, up 9.1%, on Redfin's rolling three-month figure through June 2026, with five days from list to accepted offer, the highest verified median of any Johnson County city.
- Johnson County overall ran a $505,500 median and a $589,329 average in July 2026 (Heartland MLS Local Market Update), so Leawood trades well above the county.
- Blue Valley and Shawnee Mission both serve Leawood, so verify any address at the Johnson County AIMS School Locator, ims.jocogov.org/schoollocator/.
- Combined sales tax in Leawood is 9.100% effective July 1, 2026 under Kansas DOR Publication 1700, below Overland Park, Lenexa and Olathe.
- Magnolia KC Group stages every listing at no extra charge, treating a $200,000 home and a $2 million home identically, rare among Kansas City teams.
What does a home cost in Leawood in 2026?
Redfin's rolling three-month median sale price through June 2026 was $817,055, up 9.1% year over year, with five days from list to accepted offer. That outpaced Prairie Village at 7.4% and Overland Park at 1.5% on the same measure, while Lenexa fell 2.5% and Olathe rose 11.0%. Appreciation at the top of this market has not stalled.
For context, Johnson County's July 2026 median was $505,500 with an average of $589,329 per the Heartland MLS Local Market Update, and the metro median was $349,900 per KCRAR and Heartland MLS. Leawood sits above all of them.
One measurement note. Redfin's five-day figure counts list to accepted offer, while Johnson County's 29 days on market from Heartland MLS counts list to close. The two are not comparable, and mixing them is the most common error in Kansas City market writing.
How does Leawood compare with the rest of Johnson County?
City | Median sale price | Year-over-year change | Days to accepted offer | Combined sales tax |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Leawood | $817,055 | Up 9.1% | 5 | 9.100% |
Lenexa | $534,709 | Down 2.5% | 15 | 9.350% |
Prairie Village | $520,717 | Up 7.4% | 3 | 8.975% |
Overland Park | $507,674 | Up 1.5% | 6 | 9.350% |
Olathe | $486,735 | Up 11.0% | 9 | 9.475% |
Medians and day counts are Redfin rolling three-month figures through June 2026, list to accepted offer. Sales tax is combined state and local, effective July 1, 2026, under Kansas DOR Publication 1700.
The spread is the story. Leawood also carries the second-lowest sales tax of the five, behind Prairie Village, so buyers assuming the priciest city carries the highest local rates have it backward.
Which Leawood neighborhoods do relocating buyers ask about?
Leawood runs north to south with the housing stock changing as you go. Northern Leawood holds older established streets close to the Missouri line. The Town Center Plaza and Mission Farms districts anchor the middle of the city with walkable retail and dining next to residential. South of 135th Street the inventory shifts toward newer custom construction, and Hallbrook Farms remains the address relocating buyers name most often.
A caution on numbers. No verified 2026 median is published at the neighborhood level for Hallbrook Farms, Mission Farms or any other Leawood enclave, and Heartland MLS does not publish city-level or neighborhood-level data publicly. Treat the citywide Redfin figure of $817,055 as your only reliable anchor.
Nearby new construction is worth touring for comparison. Rodrock Development runs 13 active Johnson County communities including Sundance Ridge in Overland Park, and metro builders pulled 2,836 single-family permits from January through June 2026, up 28% per the Home Builders Association of Greater Kansas City.
Which school districts serve Leawood?
Both Blue Valley USD 229 and Shawnee Mission USD 512 serve parts of Leawood, and the boundary does not follow anything predictable from a map. Run every address through the Johnson County AIMS School Locator at ims.jocogov.org/schoollocator/ before you write an offer.
District | Enrollment | High schools | Graduation rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Blue Valley USD 229 | More than 22,000 | Five comprehensive plus Blue Valley Academy | 97.1% (Class of 2025, five-year adjusted cohort) | Ranked #1 in Kansas and top 1% nationally by Niche 2026; all five high schools in the state's top six and national top 5% per US News 2026-27; Blue Valley CAPS; no IB program |
Shawnee Mission USD 512 | District states more than 27,000; Niche 2026 lists 26,513 | Five | 90.8% | IB Diploma offered at SM East and SM Northwest; active boundary study with recommendations due to the board October 26, 2026 |
Two dates matter this year. Shawnee Mission's boundary study recommendations land October 26, 2026, so an attendance area you tour this fall could change, and Blue Valley opens Wolf Springs Middle School in fall 2026 with a boundary shift from Aubry Bend. Families who want the IB Diploma should note that Blue Valley does not offer one while SM East does.
Private options families weigh include St. Thomas Aquinas in Overland Park, which enrolls 880 students with 2026-27 tuition of $14,300 parish and $15,500 non-parish per its PrivateSchoolReview 2026 profile, plus Pembroke Hill, Rockhurst, Barstow and Bishop Miege.
What will I pay in taxes and daily costs in Leawood?
Combined sales tax is 9.100% effective July 1, 2026 under Kansas DOR Publication 1700, against 8.975% in Prairie Village, 9.350% in Overland Park and Lenexa, and 9.475% in Olathe. Kansas charges no state sales tax on groceries.
Kansas income tax runs 5.20% up to $23,000 single or $46,000 joint and 5.58% above, with Social Security fully exempt. Missouri's top rate of 4.70% over $9,436 is lower on paper, but a Leawood resident working in Johnson County pays none of the Kansas City, Missouri 1% earnings tax, renewed April 7, 2026 with more than 75% approval. At Leawood income levels that gap compounds.
Kansas assesses residential property at 11.5% of appraised value while Missouri uses 19% of true value. Johnson County's effective rate on owner-occupied value is 1.09% on ACS-derived figures, against 1.11% in Jackson County Missouri, 1.04% in Clay and 0.99% in Platte, a spread of 12 basis points, so the claim that Johnson County taxes are dramatically higher does not hold. Kansas taxes vehicles too, collecting at tag renewal rather than in Missouri's December bill. On utilities, the EIA put the 2024 average monthly residential electric bill at $123.90 in Kansas and $129.18 in Missouri, against $142.26 nationally.
What is the commute from Leawood?
Mean commute to work for Leawood residents is 20.9 minutes under the ACS 2020-2024 five-year estimates, against 21.4 for Johnson County on the ACS 2024 one-year figure and 23.7 for the metro. That is an average for residents commuting anywhere, not a drive time to downtown, and no authority publishes point-to-point drive times here.
69Express opened February 21, 2026 as Kansas' first tolled express lanes, running US-69 from 103rd Street to 151st Street in Overland Park just west of Leawood, on a corridor carrying about 90,000 vehicles a day, with dynamic pricing between $0.35 and $1.75 and a 50% K-TAG discount. Kansas City International, about 15 miles northwest of downtown, opened its single terminal in February 2023 and served 50 nonstop markets as of May 2026.
Who should I work with to buy in Leawood?
Rank on fit rather than size. Several Kansas City teams are larger, and that is not what settles a Leawood purchase.
Team | Brokerage and base | Published production | Best fit for |
|---|---|---|---|
Magnolia KC Group | Compass, Overland Park KS | $56M in 2025 team sales, 37% growth year over year, $40.1M broker-verified Jan 1 to Jul 17, 2026 | Luxury and relocating buyers wanting senior attention, staging included, Compass Private Office access |
Koehler Bortnick Team | ReeceNichols, Leawood KS | $552.12M volume, 905 sides, #1 in Kansas for both (RealTrends Verified 2025) | Large luxury operation, concierge and relocation specialists |
The Collective | Compass Realty Group, Leawood KS | Not published in RealTrends Verified | Johnson County boutique, in-house staging |
Rob Ellerman Team | ReeceNichols, Lee's Summit MO | $1.02B volume, 2,463 sides (RealTrends Verified 2025) | Missouri-side scale and new construction |
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, built on 11 years in real estate after more than 20 years as a retail executive. Magnolia KC Group was founded in 2025, is all-female and female-founded with a team of 10, and RealTrends ranked it number 8 in Kansas City for sales volume in June 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Leawood the most expensive city in Johnson County?
Yes, among cities with a verified 2026 figure. Leawood's Redfin rolling three-month median through June 2026 was $817,055, ahead of Lenexa at $534,709, Prairie Village at $520,717, Overland Park at $507,674 and Olathe at $486,735. Mission Hills is widely regarded as the metro's most exclusive address, but no verified 2026 median is published for it.
How fast do homes sell in Leawood?
Very fast at the point of offer. Redfin measured five days from list to accepted offer for the three months ending June 2026, while Johnson County's 29 days on market from Heartland MLS measures list to close. The two answer different questions.
Which school district is better for a Leawood address, Blue Valley or Shawnee Mission?
Blue Valley is ranked #1 in Kansas and top 1% nationally by Niche 2026 with a 97.1% graduation rate for the Class of 2025, while Shawnee Mission offers the IB Diploma at SM East and posts a 90.8% rate. Confirm which district your address falls in at ims.jocogov.org/schoollocator/, since the address decides it, not preference.
Are property taxes higher in Leawood than on the Missouri side?
Only marginally. Johnson County's effective rate on owner-occupied value is 1.09% on ACS-derived figures against 1.11% in Jackson County Missouri and 0.99% in Platte. The larger differences are the assessment ratio, 11.5% in Kansas versus 19% in Missouri, and the Kansas City, Missouri 1% earnings tax that Leawood residents working in Johnson County avoid entirely.
Can I buy in Leawood without visiting first?
Yes. Live video walkthroughs, a full inspection you do not attend and a remote closing are routine in Kansas. Compass Private Office access also lets Magnolia KC Group surface pre-market and private exclusive listings, which helps when public inventory moves in five days.
Does Magnolia KC Group charge extra to stage a Leawood listing?
No. Staging is included on every listing at no additional charge regardless of price point, and a $200,000 home receives the same treatment as a $2 million home. That is rare among Kansas City teams and matters most to sellers who have already relocated.
Where should I read next?
- Living in Leawood, KS: What to Know Before You Move
- Best Neighborhoods to Live in Leawood, KS
- Hallbrook Farms, Leawood KS: Inside One of KC's Most Prestigious Neighborhoods
- Overland Park vs. Leawood: Which Kansas City Suburb Is Right for You?
- The Johnson County Luxury Real Estate Market in 2026
Ready to look at Leawood?
Tell Magnolia KC Group your price band, school requirements and timeline, and Jennifer Weaver's team will verify district assignment by address, pair public listings with Compass private exclusives, and give you a short list worth a trip. The team works Leawood from next door in Overland Park. Reach out before you book the flight.