The price of a place: How income shapes where we live

Three years ago, MARC analyzed where in the Kansas City region essential workers could afford to live. What we found indicated that most of these residents, making anywhere from $25,000 a year to $75,000, could not afford to live in the communities where they worked. Finding housing that meets your needs close to employment has become even more difficult since this last analysis, evidenced by a 7% increase in cost-burdened households or those spending more than 30% of their gross income on housing.

To help better understand how the national cost crisis is impacting residents in our region, the MARC team recently looked at common personas and paired these with prevalent jobs in our communities and where they could afford to live. These five households reflect the lives of Kansas City region residents many of us recognize as family members, friends or neighbors – but, as this analysis shows, they often face limited housing options.