20 Reasons NOT to Move to Kansas City: A Local Response

Recently, a YouTuber with a massive audience released a video titled “20 Reasons NOT to Move to or Retire in Kansas City, Missouri.” Videos like that do well. Fear-driven content always does.

But as someone who has helped hundreds of people move to, from, and around the Kansas City metro, I want to slow things down and talk about what those criticisms actually mean in real life.

Kansas City is not perfect. No city is. But many of the reasons people list for not moving here are outdated, exaggerated, or lack context. So let’s walk through the major points and separate real issues from internet noise.

You’ll Still Need a Car (True, With Context)

Kansas City is spread out. For most of the metro, you will need a car. That part is true.

What gets left out is how manageable driving actually is here. The region is not constrained by mountains or coastlines. You can travel across most of the metro in about 30 minutes, even if that drive covers 25 to 30 miles.

Traffic is mild compared to cities like Denver, Los Angeles, or New York. Commutes are predictable. Parking is easy. Stress levels are lower.

Public transit is also improving. The Main Street streetcar extension recently opened, and there are now parts of the city where living without a car is realistic in a way it wasn’t five or ten years ago.

Most people will still drive, but driving here is not the burden it’s made out to be.

Potholes and Roads (True in Parts of KCMO)

Kansas City, Missouri does struggle with road maintenance, especially in the urban core.

This is largely due to decades of post-war annexation that left the city responsible for maintaining far more infrastructure than its tax base can easily support. That reality still shows.

The important context is that conditions vary widely. Suburbs generally have excellent roads. The difference is obvious when you cross State Line Road from Missouri into Kansas.

The city has resurfaced hundreds of miles of roads in recent years, including major corridors that were neglected for decades. It is not fixed yet, but it is improving.

Weather and Seasonal Extremes

Kansas City has four distinct seasons. That comes with trade-offs.

Summers are humid. Winters can be cold. Energy bills fluctuate, but gas and electric costs typically peak in different seasons, not at the same time.

Humidity is real, especially for people coming from dry climates like Colorado. Tree cover and neighborhood choice make a noticeable difference.

January and February are the hardest months. If you can tolerate those, the rest of the year