What it's like to live in Kearney
Kearney is a small city in Missouri with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, household incomes running above the national average, and crime rates well below the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Kearney deals with cold winters and a car-dependent commute, with few people using transit.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Low crime rates
- Growing population
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Cold winters
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Kearney compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Kearney
Based on Kearney's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,502
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $50,040 a year
- 42% of Kearney renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$59,680
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $29,840
- Homes cost 2.9× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 11% below US
$1,251/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,251 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $298,400. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $298,400 · 42% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
3.8% county unemployment
Unemployment in Clay County is 3.8%, close to the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Clay County (county-wide)
Safety▼ 73% below US
88 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 447/100k · Kearney Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
24 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 23.5 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 15% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 86°F, and winters are cold and harsh, with lows dropping to 20°F. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforceNear US average
37% bachelor's degree or higher
Education levels run about average, with 37% college-educated. It's a mix of white-collar and blue-collar work, which can be an asset or a limitation depending on the field.
Schools
9 public schools inside the boundary
There are 9 public schools inside the boundary. 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 (31 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Kearney's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are cold winters and a car-dependent commute, with few people using transit. A year of median rent ($1,251/mo) equals 14% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget, anyone prioritizing low crime, and remote workers (15% of workers here already work from home).
Other places near Kearney
All Missouri guides →Moving to Excelsior Springs →
6 mi away · pop. 10,484
Rent $975/mo · Income $72,609
Compare with Kearney →Moving to Smithville →
12 mi away · pop. 10,705
Rent $1,323/mo · Income $101,165
Compare with Kearney →Not sure Kearney is the one?
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