5 Top Kansas City Neighborhoods For Black Singles, Young Professionals & Families – Missouri
The best neighborhood for black families in Kansas City offers plenty of educational prospects for the kids, safety, and working opportunities for professionals.
With a population sitting at 500,000, you may feel like Kansas City is on the borders of over-population. However, there are plenty of neighborhoods offering comfortable living experiences for singles and young families alike.
Let’s take a close look at the best Kansas City neighborhoods for black families.
Contents
3 Best Kansas City Suburbs For Black Families
For black families, the best Kansas city neighborhoods have to provide a mix of safety, entertainment, and kid-appropriate attractions.
Leawood
Leawood is in the southern part of Kansas City, about ten miles away from the city. You’ll like this part of Kansas City because of the safe and serene environment.
In the Leawood neighborhood, you and your family have great options to spend time together. There are many parks and nature centers within driving distance.
You can visit the Hallbrook Country Club or the Prairie Oak Nature Center for picnics and a range of recreational activities.
Although it’s not in the main area of Kansas City, Leawood is home to middle-class and upper-class personalities. The numbers say most homes in Leawood earn over $150,000.
Because you can get to the city center within twenty minutes, Leawood suburb is ideal for black professionals who divide their time between family and working in the city center.
Getting a home in Leawood may cost you a small fortune. On average, you’ll need to spend $400,000 to own a home in this suburb.
Generally, Leawood’s living costs are on the high side, but it’s not a situation without its pluses.
You wouldn’t need to check out multiple schools before finding one for the kids. Plus, the schools in Leawood offer your kids sound education within reach.
Safety, entertainment, friendly environment, and proximity to the city — these are some of the perks of living in Leawood.
Overland Park
With a population of nearly 200,000, Overland Park is one of the best neighborhoods in Kansas City.
A primary selling point for Overland Park is its closeness to the major commercial hubs in Kansas City. If you work in or near the Kansas City center, you’ll get to your workplace in 15-18 minutes.
Another reason for the rapid population growth of Overland Park is the low crime rate. Most people expect diverse crime incidents in the suburb because of its high population numbers.
Surprisingly, the city has a low crime making it safe for a typical black family.
Overland Park is safer than 30% of cities in the United States, with a crime rate of 19 occurrences per 1000 residents.
Another reason Overland Park is an excellent neighborhood for black families is the affordable housing scene. $350,000 to $370,000 is enough to buy a decent-sized family home in Overland Park.
While the cost of living is reasonable, the caliber of people living in Overland Park isn’t low. Averagely, most homes in Overland Park earn more than $80,000 every year.
Entertainment doesn’t suffer in Overland Park too!
For black families looking to keep up an active social life, the suburb is home to attractions like the Overland Park Arboretum, the Johnson County Museum, the Oakpark Mall, and Topgolf.
With your safety, education, and entertainment confirmed, Overland Park remains one of the best Kansas neighborhoods for African American families.
Lee’s Summit
Lee’s Summit is another great place to live in Kansas City if you have a black family. In terms of housing, Lee’s Summit is the most affordable suburb on this list.
You don’t need up to $250,000 to own a home in Lee’s Summit. While housing may seem affordable, it does not reflect the class of people living in Lee’s Summit.
On average, the earnings in Lee’s Summit are about $90,000 yearly. And, you’re only 25 minutes away from happenings and jobs in the Kansas City Centre.
Lee’s Summit offers a quiet suburban lifestyle and nearness to a huge metropolitan center.
While the winters can be cold and the summers hot, this suburb can boast well-kept roads and natural parks. It’s a tight-knit community that has the ears of its local government.
Plus, it’s got an excellent schooling district. There are 27 public schools in Lee’s Summit R-VII School District. With a test ranking in the top 10% of schools in the state of Missouri, your kids will get the best education.
Attractions like Paradise Park, Longview Lake, and Sky Zone Trampoline Park offer families different attractions to visit together.
2 Best Kansas City Neighborhoods For Young Black Professionals & Singles
For singles professionals looking for networking opportunities and like-minded dating partners, the choice of neighborhood is limited.
You’ll want all-rounder neighborhoods with great facilities in three key areas — jobs, entertainment, and affordable housing.
With that in mind, here are the top suburbs for young black professionals and singles;
Blue Springs
Just 22 minutes away from Kansas City, the Blue Springs neighborhood is ideal for young professionals commuting for work.
Plus, it’s hugely affordable. The average cost of a home in Blue Springs is $166,000. For a single, young professional, the average rent price of $971 is sweet music to the ears.
With a crime rate of 23 incidents for every 1000 residents, Blue Springs is relatively safe.
On the weekends, you can cool off at any of over 50 parks present within the neighborhood.
Whether you’re in the park for an open-air stroll or jogging, you’ll get to meet new people. Fortunately, the population of Blue Springs is over 50,000, so you have the advantage of choice.
Blue Springs has clubs like the Hideout, the Ibex Climbing Gym, and the Lunar Bowling Alley if you’re really looking to have a good time.
Or you can enjoy a quiet afternoon at Burr Oak Woods Conservation Area and Lake Remembrance.
Olathe
Olathe is a large suburb in Kansas City, and while it’s one of the best neighborhoods for black families, it’s also great for singles.
The population in Olathe is almost 140,000. With about 30% of the population in the 25-44 age group and 32% of the population owning a Bachelor’s degree, there are plenty of networking opportunities.
For young singles looking to move to Olathe permanently, housing is affordable. The average value of homes in Olathe is $238,100, while decent apartments come at an average price of $1,019.
The entertainment options in Olathe are pretty impressive. There’s the Gametime Bar & Grill, which offers live music. Single professionals can also enjoy a good time with friends at partners at Nine Zero One Igloo Bar or the Piano Room.
Is Kansas City Safe?
One of the biggest issues to consider before moving to a city is safety. Thanks to its sheer size, it’s quite impossible for crime to be absent in Kansas City.
But, the numbers show that Kansas City is safe.
According to Statista, the crime rate in Kansas City is around 411 in every 100,000 population. That means in a city like Overland Park, you’ll have only about 800 reports of crime, which is very low.
Another report shows the state of Missouri has a peace index of 3.21 on a scale of 1-4.5, which indicates it’s very peaceful.
What Is Kansas City’s Demographic?
Kansas City is the biggest city in Missouri and the thirty-eighth biggest in the United States of America. Per mile, you’ll come across over 1500 people in Kansas City.
The city has a pretty even gender demographic with a female population of 51%. 60% of its residents are white.
Black families and single people can look forward to joining a community comprising 28% of residents in Kansas City. The Hispanics make up 10% of the population.
Best Kansas City Neighborhoods For Black People, Conclusion
Kansas City is home to the best bubbly neighborhoods perfect for black families.
A relatively safe city, Kansas City is also home to suburbs with affordable housing picks for the young, single professional.
Whether you want family stability or professional opportunities, Kansas City is the place for you!