12 Bad Things About Kansas City: Here's Why You Won't Agree to Live There

Every once in a while, we all desire to move to a new city. We could reinvent ourselves, create a new life, make new friends and find happiness on a clean slate.

You might want to hold your horses if that city is Kansas. Located at the center of America, most brochures and leaflets will make you feel it is the go-to of all American cities. Unfortunately, not all that glitters is gold. Kansas is undoubtedly not all that. It is an average rural American city that could be more welcoming to visitors looking to settle down.

Whether you are touring, visiting, or moving to Kansas, here are twelve bad things about the city.

12. The Worst place to be single.

If you're looking for love, there is undoubtedly a better place for you. People in Kansas City tend to stick to strict friendship circles, most of which they have cultivated since childhood, so good luck trying to be the newbie in such a circle. Did we mention most marriages are from within these circles? Talk about keeping it in the neighborhood. 

So next time you are in Kansas and want a good time with a stranger, it may be easier to start your engine and drive eight hours to Chicago.

11. High crime rate.

For nearly three decades, the city has ranked among the cities with the highest crime rates in America. Violent crimes are almost four times the national average, and murder rates are a staggering six times the national average. It makes you wonder how much rural charm (if any) exists in this crime-ridden American city.

10. High water bills.

If being single forever or getting murdered doesn't scare you, the high cost of water might be the nudge you need to admit this city should not top the list. The national average monthly water bill is around 40 to 50 dollars.

The problem with Kansas City is that you will pay about three times that amount per month. If you think that is not nice, get this! The cost of water is steadily shooting higher. Now, that money should go somewhere helpful and not disappear into the bureaucratic abyss. How about moving to a different city and saving that money for a tropical vacation?

Kansas City has some of the worst sewage and drainage systems in the United States. The Federal Government has agreed to use the money people are paying monthly for water towards a 5-billion-dollar effort to improve the city’s infrastructure.

While you may be footing the bill, it may comfort you to learn that you are building the future (unless you eventually wander to another city).

9. Extreme weather.

Living in Kansas means you will always have to be on guard. Seated in the tornado alley Kansas is one of the places in the USA with frequent tornadoes. A blink of an eye is all it will take to wonder why you are going about your day one minute, and the next, cars and roofs are swirling above eye level. Most people have too much going on to deal with random extreme weather events lingering closer than usual in the realm of possibility.

According to National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration data, Kansas averages 98 tornadoes annually and experienced 63 twisters in 2022. The city is also prone to many lightning strikes, and deadly ones, for that matter. Yikes!

If that sounds unpleasant, we are sorry to let you know it gets worse! The city experiences very Icy winters and extremely humid summers. Not only will your hair hate it here, but these conditions may, at times, escalate to life-threatening situations. If you are a fan of predictability, Kansas will take you on a wilder ride than you would like.

8. High taxes.

A city as popular as this one is expected to have high taxes. But you may be surprised to hear that Kansas City has its own earnings tax that citizens are forced to pay, which comes out to one percent of their earnings. Kansas ranks higher on the taxation scale when compared to other rural American cities of its kind. It has one of the highest income tax rates in the entire USA, as high as 27% for incomes of $15000 and above.

7. Segregation.

Yes, you heard right, Kansas is one of the (many) American cities with inherited segregation problems. Looking at a map of the city's demographics, it becomes pretty apparent most of the white population lives in wealthy suburban areas, while the colored community lives on the wrong side of the tracks.

This is due to the historical fact that the Kansas City school board took so long to desegregate schools. This led to the two dominant races in this rural American city being segregated even longer than in other places. 

6. Lame and intense sports rivalry.

So, a Missouri-Kansas rivalry sounds pretty stupid, but aren’t all sports rivalries? Everyone in Kansas City will have to deal with some very intense team spirit antic. Though pride in your state is not bad, there is no need to take it to dramatic extents, Something that sports fans often do. You can feel proud without comparing.

Dating back to the pre-civil war era when enslavers in Missouri and anti-slavery abolitionists regularly quarreled over slavery in the Kansas Territory, there is still bad blood between the city's two sides. Pro Tip: Don’t argue over which side has the better barbeque. It is a quick way to make enemies.

5. Religious fundamentalism.

It is in the middle of rural America, so you should expect to find extreme religious opinions in many places. Like most rural cities that are dominantly white, evangelical Christianity is dominant, and this comes with hardline stands on different social issues. If you do not conform, it may be challenging to pass a corner without being preached at or judged. So good luck being a free thinker in this city.

4. Bad transport.

There is a long list of reasons why transport sucks in this city. Let's start with the airport, situated over 20 miles from the city. It is a nightmare to catch a flight when you are late, and you are a last-minute person you are likely to miss your flight.

Road planning is also a nightmare. Though traffic crawls in the inner city, there isn’t much traffic in most areas. Kansas has some of the nation's most colorful drivers. If you have thin skin, ensure you stay in your car and shut your mouth during road rage-inducing situations. 

3. Bad business environment.

While the industries and wheat farms create a good job market, the city policies do not favor new businesses. The local population is also hostile towards new companies and outsiders, making it a hellhole for entrepreneurs. Poor banking and lack of support from the financial sector make it very difficult to secure business loans.

2. Housing Specials Attached to Some Real Estate

While everyone is buzzing about how cheap it is to own a house in Kansas, be careful when buying a house because most homes have home specials attached to them. This creates extra costs in the long term, making your stay in this city a living hell.

1. Boring nightlife.

Party animals should never move to Kansas. Not only is the number of nightclubs limited, but the music choice could be more exciting and flexible beyond the local taste. If you think you are having a bad day, try clubbing with a bunch of sweaty rural Americans in a joint that closes right after midnight. In case you didn't know, most nightclubs in Kansas City shut down at 1:00 A.M. Why even call yourself a nightclub if you shut down at peak nighttime hours? How misleading!

If these reasons don’t convince you not to consider Kansas City, I hope they will help you when you are in the most boring city in America.

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