Kansas City: Kansas or Missouri? (Overland, Buffalo: sales, home, neighborhoods)

[JacksonJeep]

Hello,

My partner and I are highly considering relocating to the Kansas City area from Buffalo, NY. I was just wondering what people think of living in Missouri or Kansas. Which side of the border is better? The job I am looking at is in Overland Park, so would it be better to live in the state I work, or do a lot of people work in one state and live in the other? How does that work with taxes? Sorry for all the question, just very curious.

Thanks, An eager young professional.

[northbound74]

They're both about the same. Others will scream otherwise.
I'd say live in the state you work in. It's a little less confusing come tax time. A lot of people commute one way or the other.
There's a very wide range of neighborhoods and housing styles available in good areas, so picking what you like best and then going from there wouldn't be a bad idea either.

[kcmo]

If you want urban, you will have to live in MO. If you want suburban, you can live in MO or KS, but may as well live in KS since you work there.

So it would just depend on the kind of lifestyle you want. Taxes are generally a wash.

[Adoptstrays]

If you live inside the city limits of Kansas City or work there, you will have to pay earnings tax, which is 1% of your wages. One of the many reasons I moved out of KC to Gardner, KS. I also work in Leawood, which is one second from Overland Park, lol. Much, much nicer and quieter area. The lack of police sirens 24/7 is awesome.

[ykamom]

Originally Posted by Adoptstrays

If you live inside the city limits of Kansas City or work there, you will have to pay earnings tax, which is 1% of your wages. One of the many reasons I moved out of KC to Gardner, KS. I also work in Leawood, which is one second from Overland Park, lol. Much, much nicer and quieter area. The lack of police sirens 24/7 is awesome.

You moved over 1% of your earnings? Seriously? I guess you do say it was one of many reasons, but still, 1% hardly seems very significant.

Police sirens, I guess that's a different story. I can understand craving silence.

[kcmo]

Originally Posted by ykamom

You moved over 1% of your earnings? Seriously? I guess you do say it was one of many reasons, but still, 1% hardly seems very significant.

Now that person commutes clear from Gardner to Leawood where the commuting cost alone have to wipe out any savings. I wish people would just admit that they simply prefer Gardner and its more country/rural lifestyle to KCMO's more urban lifestyle instead of using the stupid etax as an excuse.

The etax is not an issue, I don't know why many people try to make it into one. Why would you move over something as silly as an earnings tax, especially when there are no actual savings and even if there was, it would be so tiny you would never feel it.

KS state taxes alone wipe out any etax savings, by a long shot. Then you will pay more in gas taxes, higher property taxes, sales taxes etc. No more free trash collection, trash fees alone will wipe out half your etax savings. Not to mention a possible longer commute going with traffic, so more gas, more stress.

But lets just say for the fun of it, that moving from KCMO to Garder was going save you the etax. Lets say you make 50 grand. How many years of not paying the etax will it take just to pay for the move to Gardner?

None it makes sense. The financial aspects of moving to avoid the etax just have nothing to back it up.

But that's not even what perplexes me. Just the "thought" of avoiding a specific area because of an etax is mind boggling. You are only alive once and I would hope that a person or family would not avoid living in an area they desire or a lifestyle they desire or home they like over something as insignificant as the kcmo etax.

But I guess people do cause I hear this argument all the time. I don't believe it though. I still think it's just a good excuse and a reason to simply rag on kcmo.

If kcmo did not have an etax, I guarantee you it would make absolutely no difference in your choice to move to something as different from KCMO as Gardner is.

I would love to hear why I'm wrong on this, I really would.

[northbound74]

The earnings tax is minimal. Th extra property taxes, gas taxes, and sales taxes in KS more than make up for it.
Even with its incredible sprawl, one good thing about KC is that you never have to live more than 10 minutes or so from work unless you just really want to. Even if you work in east KC, there's always west KC or the nice eastern suburbs that are within 15-20 minutes.

[Samantha S]

Originally Posted by kcmo

I would love to hear why I'm wrong on this, I really would.

You're WRONG!!!



Not really, even a broken clock is right twice a day!

I can't help you on this one. Taxes are pretty much a wash. We've covered this ad nauseum.

Now, does the OP want to live in Paradise? Or a craphole?

(I'm KIDDING!!!!!)

OP, you will have to say what you are looking for in terms of a neighborhood. KC has something for everyone! Welcome!

[cp1969]

Originally Posted by kcmo

The etax is not an issue, I don't know why many people try to make it into one.

Maybe it isn't for you but it is for a lot of people. It isn't so much the loss of 1% as it is the whole taxation without representation thing.

Some people take that very seriously. More so 234 years ago. They really got their panties in a wad about it.

[luzianne]

Well, Overland Park isn't always on the list of Best Places To Live for no reason. I don't know why anyone would move to the area to take a job in Overland Park and then live in Kansas City, Missouri, when Overland Park is so nice, unless they just prefer urban living to suburban living. Urban living doesn't appeal to me AT ALL.