Key Kansas City Housing Statistics (2026)
- 1980: Median year built for the KC metro's 978,202 housing units — half the metro's housing predates 1980 (2024 American Community Survey)
- $314,300: Median owner-occupied home value in the KC metro, about 90% of the national figure (2024 ACS)
- 1970 & 1960: Median year built in Jackson County, MO and Wyandotte County, KS — the metro's oldest stock (2024 ACS)
- $432,600: Median home value in Johnson County, KS, the metro's highest (2024 ACS)
- ~2.27 million: KC metro population as of July 2025 (US Census Bureau via FRED)
- +61,561 (+2.81%): Metro population growth from 2020 to 2024, over a third of it in 2023-24 (Census estimates via Axios)
- 2,576: Single-family permits metro-wide, January-July 2025, up ~2% year over year (KCHBA)
- 42 years: Median age of US owner-occupied homes, the national backdrop to KC's older-than-average stock (NAHB / 2024 ACS)
National remodeling statistics get quoted everywhere. Local ones are harder to find, so we compiled the Kansas City metro's housing data in one place: how old our homes are by county, what they're worth, how fast the metro is growing, and how much new construction is (and isn't) refreshing the stock.
Unless noted otherwise, county and metro figures below come from the US Census Bureau's 2024 American Community Survey 1-year estimates (via Census Reporter). Journalists and researchers are welcome to cite this page with a link back.
The Metro at a Glance
The Kansas City, MO-KS metropolitan area counted 2,254,288 residents, 978,202 housing units, a median household income of $83,785, and a median home value of $314,300 in the 2024 ACS. The Census Bureau's mid-year estimate series (via FRED) put the metro at roughly 2.27 million by July 2025.
Growth is accelerating. Per Census estimates reported by Axios Kansas City, the metro added 61,561 people (+2.81 percent) between 2020 and 2024, and more than a third of that, 24,817 people (+1.11 percent), arrived between 2023 and 2024 alone.
Home Values by County
The metro's headline value hides a wide county spread. Values below are median owner-occupied home values from the 2024 ACS:
| County | Median Home Value | Median Household Income |
|---|---|---|
| Johnson County, KS | $432,600 | $108,512 |
| Platte County, MO | $379,700 | $87,749 |
| Clay County, MO | $297,900 | $87,408 |
| Jackson County, MO | $252,400 | $70,625 |
| Wyandotte County, KS | $202,100 | $65,291 |
| KC Metro (MO-KS) | $314,300 | $83,785 |
Source: US Census Bureau, 2024 American Community Survey 1-year estimates, via Census Reporter county profiles (linked in Sources).
How Old Is Kansas City's Housing Stock?
This is the single most important remodeling statistic in the metro: the median Kansas City metro housing unit was built in 1980, which means half of the metro's 978,202 housing units, about 489,000 homes, are more than 45 years old (2024 ACS). That sits right on the national trend line: NAHB's analysis of the same survey puts the median US owner-occupied home at 42 years old, up from 31 in 2005.
Share of Housing Built Before 1980, by County
Source: US Census Bureau, 2024 ACS 1-year estimates (via Census Reporter)
| County | Median Year Built | Built Before 1980 | Total Housing Units |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wyandotte County, KS | 1960 | 74.9% (51,854) | 69,225 |
| Jackson County, MO | 1970 | 63.9% (218,149) | 341,216 |
| Clay County, MO | 1986 | 43.1% (47,189) | 109,445 |
| Johnson County, KS | 1990 | 34.8% (92,775) | 266,400 |
| Platte County, MO | 1992 | 32.0% (15,192) | 47,464 |
| KC Metro (MO-KS) | 1980 | 50.0% (489,092) | 978,202 |
The pattern is a textbook ring: the urban core counties, Wyandotte and Jackson, hold the oldest housing (median years built of 1960 and 1970), while the growth counties, Platte, Johnson, and Clay, skew two to three decades newer. In practice, that means core-county homeowners are dealing with 1950s-70s kitchens, baths, wiring, and unfinished basements, while suburban 1980s-90s homes are now hitting the 30-to-45-year mark when roofs, kitchens, and primary baths come due for their first full renovation.
Building Permit Activity
New construction is steady but small relative to the existing stock. According to the Home Builders Association of Greater Kansas City's permit reports, the metro logged 2,576 single-family permits in the first seven months of 2025, up about 2 percent from 2,520 a year earlier. Late-2025 monthly totals ran 323 to 425 single-family permits, and in November 2025 the most active cities were Kansas City, MO (67 permits), Olathe (66), Basehor (55), Overland Park (40), and Kansas City, KS (33).
Do the math against the housing stock: a few thousand new homes a year against roughly 978,000 existing units refreshes well under 1 percent of the stock annually. The metro's housing gets older on net every year, and the renovation backlog compounds.
What This Means for Remodeling Demand
Kansas City has a long track record here. As far back as 2018, Harvard's Joint Center for Housing Studies projected homeowner improvement spending to grow 10 percent or more in 11 major metros, led by Kansas City. The national forces behind that projection have only strengthened since: JCHS's latest LIRA projection puts national homeowner improvement and repair spending near $518 billion for 2026, and Redfin reports 80.3 percent of mortgaged homeowners hold a rate below 6 percent, with the median owner now staying put 11.8 years, nearly double 2005 levels.
Put the local pieces together: half the metro's homes predate 1980, values have climbed to a median of $314,300 (giving owners equity to borrow against), the population is growing faster than it did in the 2010s, and new construction replaces under 1 percent of the stock a year. That is a structural recipe for remodeling demand, not a fad.
For the national numbers behind this page, see our home remodeling statistics and trends hub and our breakdown of remodeling ROI statistics by project. And if this data has you planning a project in one of these counties, start with our guide on how to choose a remodeling contractor in Kansas City.
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is the typical home in the Kansas City metro?
The median housing unit in the Kansas City, MO-KS metro was built in 1980, meaning half of the metro's roughly 978,000 housing units are more than 45 years old, according to 2024 American Community Survey data. It varies sharply by county: the median Jackson County, MO home dates to 1970 and Wyandotte County, KS to 1960, while newer-growth Platte County (1992), Johnson County, KS (1990), and Clay County (1986) skew younger.
What is the median home value in Kansas City?
The median owner-occupied home value in the Kansas City, MO-KS metro area was $314,300 per the 2024 American Community Survey, roughly 90% of the national figure. By county it ranges from $202,100 in Wyandotte County, KS and $252,400 in Jackson County, MO up to $379,700 in Platte County, MO and $432,600 in Johnson County, KS.
Is the Kansas City metro growing?
Yes. The Census Bureau put the Kansas City metro at about 2.27 million residents as of July 2025. The metro added 61,561 people (+2.81%) between 2020 and 2024, with more than a third of that growth, 24,817 people (+1.11%), coming between 2023 and 2024 alone, per Census estimates reported by Axios Kansas City.
How many new homes are built in Kansas City each year?
The Home Builders Association of Greater Kansas City counted 2,576 single-family permits across the metro in the first seven months of 2025, up about 2% from 2,520 over the same period of 2024. Monthly totals in late 2025 ran in the low-to-mid 300s to low 400s. New construction of a few thousand homes a year cannot meaningfully refresh a stock of nearly a million units, which keeps remodeling demand high.
Why does Kansas City have strong remodeling demand?
Three verified drivers: age, equity, and lock-in. Half of the metro's housing predates 1980 (2024 ACS), matching the national trend where the median owner-occupied home is 42 years old per NAHB. Redfin reports 80.3% of mortgaged US homeowners hold a rate below 6%, encouraging owners to improve rather than move, and the median homeowner now stays put 11.8 years, nearly double 2005 levels. Older homes plus owners who stay longer equals remodeling work.
Sources
- US Census Bureau, 2024 American Community Survey 1-year estimates, via Census Reporter: KC Metro, Jackson County, MO, Clay County, MO, Platte County, MO, Johnson County, KS, Wyandotte County, KS (home values, incomes, year built, housing units)
- US Census Bureau, Resident Population in Kansas City, MO-KS MSA (via FRED) (2025 population)
- Axios Kansas City, Kansas City is growing faster than in previous years (Census population estimates)
- Home Builders Association of Greater Kansas City, Monthly Permit Reports (single-family permit volumes)
- NAHB, How Old Is Today's Housing Stock? (national median home age, 2024 ACS)
- Harvard JCHS, Metro remodeling projections (2018) and LIRA, January 2026
- Redfin, Mortgage Rate Lock-In, Q2 2025 and Homeowner Tenure
About the Author
Bob Coulston, Owner of Coulston Construction
Bob is a 4th generation contractor who founded Coulston Construction 15 years ago. His team of 30+ employees has completed over 500 remodeling projects across Jackson, Clay, Platte, and Johnson counties, from midcentury ranch renovations to suburban kitchen and bath updates. The company maintains a 5.0 Google rating with 500+ reviews and an A+ BBB rating.
Learn more about Bob →