In this article, we will be talking about one of our favorite cities — Kansas City! If you love sports, music, or both then KC is the place for you. Or maybe you are just looking to move here because you read this article and want to start your mission as a real estate agent in the area. Either way, these tips will still apply to you once you have researched and decided where to live.
We will talk about how liberal Kansas City can sometimes feel like, but that’s not always the case. We will also discuss some things that might make living in America’s most conservative city seem appealing. So get ready to learn something new!
I hope you enjoy reading my low key humor and insights about life in Kansas City. If there’s anything you’d like me to add or take away from this writing, please leave a comment below.
The Democratic Party dominates politics
This is not always the case in America, but it’s true here in KC! Since 1989, every mayor of Kansas City has been a Democrat (with one brief interruption). There have only been three non-Democratic mayors since then – Kirk Smith was Independent in 2003, Mark Johnson was Republican from 2005 to 2010, and Tony Rizzo was also independent before he was voted out of office last year.
The Democrats currently hold all but two seats in city council. All nine members of the minority party are easily elected each election cycle. Even when there is an open seat, almost everyone runs as a Democrat.
This dominance isn’t just seen at the top level either, but throughout the whole political structure. At the federal level, most politicians are represented by the Democratic Party. In fact, only five countries in the world have more than the GOP as their dominant national party.
At the state level, eight of the ten largest states in population are Republican, while only two are Democratic. Only Maine and Nebraska have even remotely competitive elections where both major parties run candidates.
Overall, this means that if you want to get something done in Washington or Jefferson County, you will need to be a part of the Democratic Party. It also mean that if you don’t like how things are going in government, you will probably find yourself with few options outside of changing who is in charge.
Most of the city’s major sports teams are called the Chiefs
The Kansas City area is known for being very liberal. This is made clear by how most of the team names refer to the community they represent!
The Kansas City Royals actually use the word “liberal” in their name! Their official title is, “Liberal League Champions.” A lot of people probably didn’t realize this until now.
A few years ago though, before they won the World Series, the Royals went through what some referred to as a “Royals Revival.” They replaced their uniforms and logo, and even took down the goalpost at home games!
What was the new look? Well it had lots of stripes, like those you would find on a dress shirt, and there were colors that seemed specific to just one organization (like red for the Cardinals or blue for the Brewers). It looked kind of like an Adidas jersey with all white striping.
The Royals won the World Series in 1985
This is not to say that the people of Missouri or Kansas are all like the Royals, but it is clear that they enjoy spending money quite liberally. According to an article published by Business Insider, Kansas City has some of the most expensive cities in America.
The average cost of living in Kansas City makes it one of the more expensive large metropolitan areas in the country. Some of these expenses include food, gasoline, and residential rent.
Overall, the average person in KC spends about 1,800 dollars per month, which is above the national average of 1,500. A lot of this extra expense goes towards entertainment, shopping, and traveling outside of the area.
This can be very difficult for individuals who do not spend a significant amount of time in the city due to jobs, or personal reasons. It also contributes heavily to income inequality as the wealthy residents have access to better services and amenities than those who live in less affluent neighborhoods.
The Jazz won the NBA Championship in 1979
This is not to say that the people of Kansas City do not like their sports teams. It is just that they are more focused on finding ways to enjoy them than celebrating big achievements.
The most popular team in Kansas City is, without any debate, the Chiefs football franchise. They have been playing professional football since 1947 and have had nineteen championship seasons (thirteen as an undefeated champion).
However, aside from one brief run in the late 1990s, the Jazz has never made it past the first round of the playoffs. In fact, the last time they even qualified for the postseason was 1998!
This does not seem very successful to those who watch basketball so often. Many fans grow impatient when players struggle with skill or momentum seems to be slowing down.
When you add up all these failures, some may conclude that the city of Kansas City doesn’t care much about pro-sports.
The Chiefs won the Super Bowl in 1969
So, how liberal is Kansas City? Let’s look at some numbers!
The most recent data we have comes from 2014, when ESPN compiled an index to determine which cities are the most “liberal” in America. Using statistics such as average income per person, percentage of people that voted for Barack Obama in the presidential election, and number of times politicians use the word “conservative” during speeches, the site determined that Honolulu was the most liberal city in America.
The University of Missouri is in Kansas City
Ever since I moved to Columbia, Missouri from New York, one thing has struck me about this city consistently – it’s incredibly liberal.
Not only are there an abundance of liberals here, but they’re very open about their liberalism as well. You will never meet anyone who isn’t politically active in some way, nor do they ever play into the stereotype of “liberal college student” that most people have.
I was walking down the street the other day when my nose was perkied up. There were several men talking outside a house, so I listened for a minute before getting closer. They were arguing about whether or not homosexuals should be allowed to teach children.
One of them said something along the lines of teaching kids that homosexuality is okay makes it easier to accept homosexual adults as teachers. To which the other man replied with how important it is to teach our youth morals and what types of relationships are healthy.
After listening to both sides for a few minutes more, I decided to stick around and see where things went. It was then that I noticed someone across the street watching us intently. At first I thought he was just another passerby, but his appearance made me wonder otherwise.
He wore black pants, a white dress shirt, and had short hair cut tight against his head. He also appeared to have no shoes on, although I could hear him clapping loudly next door.
The Pop Warner Little Scholars league is based there
The Kansas City area has some of the most liberal communities in America. Not only are people very open-minded, but they also actively participate in community service projects and charities.
The city was named after Alexander Graham Bell who invented the telephone. Therefore, it is known as “the city that saved civilization by creating one”.
Notably, Missouri became a state in 1819 with only 7% of land owners being rich or wealthy.
There are a number of famous landmarks
The most well known sites in Kansas City include Sprint Center, Kauffman Stadium, Union Station, Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, Power & Light District, Truman Medical Centers, the Country Club Plaza, Crown Hills Cemetery, Jackson County Fairgrounds, Arrowhead Stadium, Stiefel Sports Gallery, KCPT Channel 13, and the list goes on!
Kansas City is home to some incredible attractions for tourists to see and experience. Some may know about them, while others remain unknown unless you live here. No matter what your interest, there’s sure to be something for you!
Sprint Center is an excellent way to start exploring our city because it is free to attend. It features concerts throughout the year with major artists such as Justin Timberlake, Ariana Grande, Taylor Swift, and many more!
Truman Medical Center is also quite popular among locals and visitors. Many go just to say they visited us! Not only does TMH offer quality healthcare services, but it also houses one of the largest medical museums in America.
Not too far from either of these two places is Kemper Arena- home to the University of Missouri Tigers basketball team and the upcoming NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship game! This will definitely get people into the spirit of KC!!!
Another site that has become very popular is Power & Light District. This is where all of the downtown area main streets converge.
