8 Domains Where Kansas City Falls Behind
Housing is just one piece of the puzzle. True community transformation requires addressing interconnected challenges across every domain of life.
Housing
Affordable housing shortage deepens as costs outpace incomes.
KC extremely low-income households paying 50%+ of income on housing
Source: NLIHC Gap Report 2024; MARC
Health
Life expectancy varies dramatically by neighborhood and race.
Between highest and lowest KC zip codes — increased from 12 years in 2016
Source: KC CHIP 2022-2027; National Equity Atlas
Economic Security
Wealth gap widens as financial literacy remains limited.
White households hold 10x more wealth than Black households nationally
Source: Census Bureau; Brookings Institution
Education
Achievement gaps persist as students fall behind grade level.
KC 3rd graders proficient — missed 85% target by nearly half
Source: KC CHIP; Education Recovery Scorecard
Technology
Digital divide limits access to opportunity for low-income families.
Kansas households under $20K income without high-speed internet
Source: Kansas Health Institute; KC Fed
Civic Engagement
Young voters and minorities remain underrepresented at the ballot box.
Kansas young adults voting rate — among widest age gaps in nation
Source: KLC Journal; KC Media Collective
Environment
Environmental racism concentrates pollution in BIPOC communities.
Armourdale residents vs. Johnson County due to pollution exposure
Source: CleanAirNow; Union of Concerned Scientists
Purpose and Well-being
Mental health crisis deepens while access to care remains limited.
Dead last in nation for mental health prevalence plus access to care
Source: Mental Health America; KS Mental Health Coalition
Food Deserts Expanding
KC food deserts follow the exact pattern of 1930s redlining maps — communities historically denied investment now lack basic grocery access.
Recent grocery closures (Sun Fresh, Merc Co-op) return thousands to food desert status. Food insecurity reduces life expectancy by 2.29 years.
Source: USDA 2024; The Beacon; American Cancer Society
Redlining Legacy
Census tracts redlined as hazardous in the 1930s are now:
107-149%
more likely to be food deserts today
Higher rates
of Type 2 diabetes and chronic disease
Concentrated
pollution from rail yards and industry
Lowest
life expectancy zip codes in the metro
"The bubbles overlap exactly — food insecurity, diabetes, pollution, low life expectancy. Pull out the old redlining maps and it is the same pattern."
These Challenges Are Interconnected
You cannot solve housing without addressing economic security. You cannot improve health without tackling environmental justice. You cannot build opportunity without education and technology access. True transformation requires a holistic approach.
8 Domains Data Sources
Housing:
National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC) Gap Report 2024 - Mid-America Regional Council (MARC) Research
Health:
Kansas City Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) 2022-2027 - National Equity Atlas - Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Economic:
U.S. Census Bureau - MARC Equity Profile - Data USA - WalletHub Wealth Gap Study - Brookings Institution
Education:
Education Recovery Scorecard (Harvard/Stanford) 2025 - NAEP - Kansas CHIP
Technology:
Kansas Health Institute Digital Divide Dashboard - Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City
Civic:
KLC Journal - Kansas City Media Collective 2024 Voter Guide Report
Environment:
CleanAirNow - Union of Concerned Scientists Environmental Racism in the Heartland - EPA Region 7
Mental Health:
Mental Health America State Rankings 2023-2024 - Kansas Mental Health Coalition - SAMHSA
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