Kansas City Apartments by Neighborhoods

When looking for Kansas City apartments, there are several neighborhoods that you could be looking at. Kansas City is made up of many suburbs, and they all have a variety of apartments to rent.

Downtown Kansas City has plenty of cultural options, from the Sprint Center offering concerts to the soon to be finished Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts offering the fine arts. If you’re looking at apartment listings in the downtown area, as with most metropolitan downtown areas you will be finding primarily lofts for rent. From the River Market area to the Library Lofts, you can find a wide range of rents and amenities. But parking is at a premium, and finding a nearby grocery store can be a challenge.

Downtown merges into the midtown area, which then merges into the Plaza. The midtown area, due to its proximity to the University of Missouri-Kansas City, has a lot of student housing available, while the Plaza tends to have the high-end market apartments.

If you are more interested in the outer regions when looking at apartment rentals, you’re in luck.

North of the River, called that because of its location north of the Missouri River, encompasses parts of Kansas City as well as the suburb cities of Parkville, Riverside, and if you’re okay with the commute even Liberty and Excelsior Springs. You can find a wide range of housing available here, from the more upscale The Crossing at Barry Road apartments that are near the Zona Rosa shopping center to more lower-end apartments such as Mark IV in Parkville.

The Kansas City, Kansas and Wyandotte County areas, while undergoing a bit of a revitalization, is a place to avoid if you are not comfortable with the higher crime rates the area has. However, the suburbs of Bonner Springs and Fort Leavenworth, thanks to both the Army base and the correctional facility, has plenty of housing with a wide range of rents.

If you don’t mind sticker shock but don’t like the idea of living on the Plaza, the Johnson County, Kansas area is the place for you. With home to both Johnson County Community College and the Carlsen Center, you have plenty of options for cultural activities. One of the most affluent suburbs in the region, most apartments land in the lower $1,000 per month range. However, you can find cheaper places in the $500 range.

The eastern side of is made up primarily of historic Independence (home of Harry Truman) and Blue Springs. Home to Kauffman Stadium, you can find rents in the $500 to $700 range if you don’t mind the commute.

Each neighborhood has its own charms and potential issues. If you want to stay in a certain neighborhood, be willing to figure out what needs you can compromise on. You will want to know what your needs are before choosing a Kansas City apartment to rent, whether it’s commute, school districts, your budget, or even local options such as nearby grocery stores.