What it's like to live in Leawood
Leawood is a small city in Kansas with unemployment below the national average, household incomes running above the national average, crime rates well below the national average, and commutes that run shorter than most cities. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Leawood deals with rent well above the national average, home prices well above the national average, and cold winters.
The good
- Low unemployment
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Low crime rates
- Short commutes
- Highly educated workforce
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- High home prices
- Cold winters
How Leawood compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Leawood
Based on Leawood's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,966
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $79,320 a year
- 45% of Leawood renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$131,760
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $65,880
- Homes cost 3.5× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 40% above US
$1,983/mo median rent
Rent is expensive here, at $1,983 a month median and well above the national average. This is the kind of city where housing costs deserve serious budgeting before committing to a move. Home prices are steep, with a median around $658,800. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.
Median home value $658,800 · 45% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▼ 21% below US
3.4% unemployment
Unemployment here is 3.4%, a little below the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 79% below US
71 violent crimes per 100k
Safety is genuinely one of the selling points here. Both violent and property crime run well below the national average, the kind of numbers that fade into the background after a week of living somewhere.
Property crime 993/100k · Leawood Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 20% below US
21 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 20.9 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 7 in 10 workers drive to work; 26% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 86°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 24°F and snow a regular occurrence.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
2 hospitals
There are 2 Medicare-certified hospitals inside city limits.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▲ 105% above US
74% bachelor's degree or higher
This is a highly educated city, with over half the adult population holding a college degree. That tends to shape the job market and the broader culture, and it's a solid indicator of a strong professional scene.
Schools
6 public schools inside the boundary
There are 6 public schools inside the boundary and 3 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 14:1, well below the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Harry S Truman National Historic Site (6 miles away). There are 3 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Leawood's strongest points are unemployment below the national average and household incomes running above the national average; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and home prices well above the national average. A year of median rent ($1,983/mo) equals 13% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit job seekers, anyone prioritizing low crime, and remote workers (26% of workers here already work from home). It may be a harder fit for renters on a tight budget.
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