KC By the Numbers
KC Ratings & Rankings for 2010
KC ranks among best cities for working mothers
Forbes.com ranked Kansas City 39th out of 50 for best metropolitan cities to work and raise children. The study accounted for women’s earnings, unemployment rates, crime levels, school systems, health care, and cost of living. Kansas City ranked high in all six categories earning its spot on Forbes list of “Best Places for Working Mothers.” Forbes.com, August 2010.
Sprint Center ranks No. 3 in nation for busiest arena
Pollstar Magazine ranked Kansas City’s Sprint Center as the nation’s third busiest arena and sixth busiest arena worldwide in its 2010 Mid-Year report. “In the 33 months since Sprint Center opened, Kansas City continues to demonstrate that the Heart of America has a diverse and vibrant appetite for live entertainment,” said Brenda Tinnen, AEG Kansas City general manager and senior vice president. According to Pollstar Magazine, the top 10 North American concert tours have performed at Sprint Center this year. July 2010.
Kansas City ranks among top 10 cities for young adults
According to a study conducted by Kiplinger.com, Kansas City ranks among the top 10 cities for young adults. Below-average rent, low cost of living and short commute times were listed as strong reasons why KC made the list. The downtown redevelopment and innovative jobs in business, research and technology also made Kansas City stand out as a location for young adults. July 2010.
Kansas City among top 10 most tattooed cities in America
According to totalbeauty.com, Kansas City has more tattoo shops per 100,000 people than most other U.S. cities. Kansas City ranked above many larger metros, including Los Angeles, for this edgy art form. Totalbeauty.com, August 2010.
KC Ranks high for volunteerism
A report from the Corporation of National and Community Service ranked Kansas City 8 out of 51 big cities for highest percentage of residents volunteering. The report, based on a survey of 100,000 people, determined Kansas City had a 32 percent volunteerism rate. Corporation of National & Community Service, June 2010.
KC Architecture ranks among world’s most modern marvels
VanityFair.com ranked Nelson Atkins Museum of Art’s Bloch Building among the 22 most important architectural structures built after 1980. This ranking was based on 52 architectural expert opinions, leading t 132 structures put to vote. The 22 most popular structures were listed in order on the web site. Steven Holl’s addition to the Nelson lit up the no. 18 spot. VanityFair.com, July 2010.
KC Communities rank among “Best Places to Live”
CNNMoney.com ranked Overland Park (no. 7) and Shawnee (no. 17) on its 2010 list of “Best Places to Live.” Factors included housing costs, educational systems, leisure, culture and overall quality of life. Overland Park was most noted for its top-rated public school systems, and Shawnee stood out for its wide variety of entertainment along with its 560 acres of parkland. Nearby Missouri cities, including Lee’s Summit (no. 27) and Blue Springs (no. 49), were also ranked within the top 50. Blue Springs was noted for its proximity to Kansas City along with the highest math and reading scores in the state. Lee’s Summit ranked for its redeveloped downtown and exceptional school system. Money.CNN.com, July 2010.
Topeka is named one of the “10 Best Cities for the Next Decade”
Kiplinger Magazine ranked Topeka on its list for its low housing costs, a thriving University and reliable hospitals. Topeka is among one of the few cities with unemployment rates still below 7 percent, compared to most other cities which are well into the double digits.
Kiplinger Magazine, June 2010
KC stands out for its quality of life
Portfolio.com/bizjournals ranked Kansas City 21st among 67 metros considered in its quality of life analysis. The ranking considered factors such as the education systems, cost of living, the economy and housing stock of each city. Kansas City ranked 5th for rent affordability and 13th for shortest commute time to work. Also, 90 percent of Kansas City citizens above the age of 25 have received a high-school diploma. Portfolio.com/bizjournals, June 2010
Lawrence Ranks among Best Cities for College Grads
The Daily Beast ranked Lawrence no. 13 on its list of “Best Cities for College Grads.” 350 metro areas were analyzed before The Daily Beast selected its 25 cities. The rankings were based on nine statistical factors, including rental housing, singles in the area and youth-oriented amenities. Lawrence ranks high in each of these categories and has come to be known as the “best lil’ college town,” drawing young adults from all over the country to enjoy a lifestyle filled with live music, micro-brews and an eclectic array of art. The Daily Beast, June 2010.
Kansas Stands out in a Tough Economic Year
Southern Business and Development Magazine named Kansas as one of this year’s top performers due to its job attraction and business deals completed in 2009. Kansas received an honorable mention ranking (no. 3) under Louisiana (No. 1) and Tennessee (No. 2) on the SB&D list for “Outstanding Economic Development.” Kansas had a great year in 2009 due to exceptional deals by General Motors, U.S. Bank and J.P. Morgan resulting in over 2,000 jobs and $50 million in total investment for Kansas residents. Southern Business and Development Magazine, June 2010.
Kansas City is Surviving the Recession
Kansas City is named by Yahoo Finance as one of the 20 cities surviving the recession. KC stood out for securing jobs reasonably well during the recession, stabilizing home prices and its three-year job growth forecast. Yahoo Finance, May 2010
Time magazine names KC show Venice “Best Musical of the Year.”
It took a trip outside New York to Kansas City, Mo. to find this noteworthy show. Named as a rap-musical version of Othello, this local production stood out for its ambitious and expansive production. It combines elements of Shakespeare, Greek tragedy, Brechtian allegory and futuristic political fable, all enhanced by rap narration and a rock-influenced score. The article claims this collaborative effort between Eric Rosen, artistic director of the Kansas City Repertory Theatre, and composer-performer Matt Sax, could be the next major-American musical. Time magazine, May 2010
KC is among America’s most underrated cities
Yahoo! Travel named KC on its list of “America’s Top 10 Underrated Cities.” KC stood out for its lifestyle and cultural assets, which includes its newly revitalized downtown and thriving jazz scene, museum attractions, fine restaurants and theme parks. KC was among cities like Portland, Houston and Sacramento. Yahoo! Travel, May 2010
Kansas City is in the Top 20 for Easiest Job Searches
Job search engine JuJu.com listed Kansas City no. 16 on its “Job Search Difficulty Index for Major Cities.” KC has roughly four unemployed people for every advertised job; a much lower number compared to Detroit and St. Louis, which have 13 and 12 unemployed people per advertised job. The index was calculated by dividing the number of unemployed workers in each metro area, as reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, by the number of jobs in Juju's index of millions of online jobs in the U.S. Read the full story, May 2010
KC Communities Rank Among “Best Cities for Moms"
The Daily Beast ranked Overland Park (no. 8) and Kansas City (no. 31) on its list of “Best Cities for Moms.” Several factors including mothers-per-capita, educational quality, child and maternity care availability were considered. Overland Park stood out for its top-rated public schools and KC was noted for its availability of maternity health specialists. Read the full story, May 2010
KC is Green
American City Business Journals ranked Kansas City 16th on its “Green City Index.” The index ranked 43 metro areas on their “greenness,” and took into account 20 different “green” indicators such as adoption of green technology, utilization of environmentally sound practices and air and water quality. KC ranked in the top 10 for several travel factors including use of excess fuels, congestion and travel delay and air quality. Read the full story, April 2010
KC is a Top-Ten Moving Destination
U-Haul International Inc. ranked Kansas City ninth on its list of “Top U.S. Destination Cities.” The U-Haul National Migration Trend Report reflects nationwide statistics from more than 1 million U-Haul truck transactions in 2009. The rankings consider every city in the nation and are based on destinations for movers traveling farther than 50 miles. KC was flanked by no. 8 Sacrament and no. 10 Denver. Read the full story, April 2010
Kansas City Area’s Population Grows According to Estimated Census Data
According to a recent release provided by the Census Bureau, Kansas City ranked 29th out of the nation’s 365 metro areas. The area’s estimated 15-county population grew nearly 13 percent in the last decade, beating the national average of 8.8 percent and growing faster than St. Louis and Minneapolis-St. Paul. Since 2000, Kansas City has grown from 1,836,038 people to 2,067,585. The 12.6 percent growth increase puts KC into position to pass 26th ranked Cleveland whose population has dropped 2.6 percent. Kansas City Star, March 2010
Brookings Institution puts KC among 20 Strongest U.S. Metros
In a study of quarterly indicators of economic recession and recovery in the nation's 100 largest metro areas, the Kansas City region is cited as one of the 20 strongest metros during the recession. The study, titled MetroMonitor's Overall Performance Index, combines metropolitan rankings on four key indicators: percent employment change from peak quarter to 4th quarter 2009, percentage point change in unemployment rate from December 2008 to December 2009, percent GMP change from peak quarter to 4th quarter 2009 and percent change in House Price Index from 4th quarter 2008 to 4th quarter 2009. Read the full report
KC Ranks 26th in the Best Markets for Young Adults
In a Portfolio.com/bizjournals study, Kansas City ranked as the 26th best market in the U.S. for young adults. Portfolio.com ranked the 67 most populated metropolitan areas in the country based on ten factors including employment, per capita income, and population growth. Kansas City’s highest individual rankings were annual rate of employment growth and share of adults aged 18-34 with Bachelor’s degrees. Read the full story, March 2010
Kansas City Ranks 5th for Telecommuting
According to Microsoft, Kansas City ranks fifth in the country for telecommuting among medium and large-sized cities. The study surveyed 3,600 employees in 36 cities on the benefits of telecommuting. Of those surveyed in Kansas City 58 percent said they were more productive from home. Microsoft Corporation News Center, March 2010
KC Ranks #10 on Cities Where the Recession is Easing
Forbes magazine ranked Kansas City #10 on its Cities Where the Recession Is Easing list. The list ranked cities from the 40 largest metropolitan statistical areas based on unemployment, job growth, single-family home price, metro GDP and a 3-year job forecast. Kansas City ranked #14 for unemployment, #7 for job growth from 2007-2009, #20 for single-family home price, #27 for gross domestic product, and #14 for projected 3-year job growth. Forbes, March 2010
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