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Explore Kansas City’s best: housing, travel, schools, and more

Stories by Kansas City Star journalists, with AI summarization

Kansas City stands out in several national rankings across quality-of-life categories. Travel + Leisure recognized Kansas City International Airport among the top 10 airports nationally, partly due to its modern terminal and traveler amenities. The region’s appeal for homebuyers continues, with Zillow ranking Kansas City as a top market for first-time buyers, highlighting affordable neighborhoods like Waldo and Midtown.

The BBC listed Kansas City among the world’s 25 best places to visit in 2025, noting its arts scene and urban revitalization projects like the forthcoming Museum of Barbecue. Additionally, Blue Valley schools dominate recent education rankings, and the National Association of Realtors and Zillow call the city a hot housing market for 2025.

Much of the downtown skyline was lit red in honor of the AFC Champion Chiefs on Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024, in Kansas City. By Nick Wagner

NO. 1: ZILLOW RANKS KANSAS CITY AS TOP MARKET FOR FIRST-TIME HOMEBUYERS IN 2024

A real estate agent said that some of the most affordable areas for first-time home buyers right now are in and around Kansas City. | Published April 15, 2024 | Read Full Story by Joseph Hernandez

City Market and Boulevard Brewing are represented at the new $1.5 billion single terminal at Kansas City International Airport, which opened to travelers Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2023. By Tammy Ljungblad

NO. 2: KCI VOTED ONE OF THE 10 BEST AIRPORTS IN THE COUNTRY BY TRAVELERS. SEE THE FULL LIST

Kansas City’s new terminal opened last year, bringing record numbers of travelers. Now it’s getting national recognition. | Published July 10, 2024 | Read Full Story

A 16-year-old suspected of making social media threats against Blue Valley North High School students was arrested Sunday evening.

NO. 3: THESE ARE THE KANSAS CITY AREA’S TOP 10 SCHOOLS, NEW RANKING SAYS. DID YOURS MAKE IT?

The school ranking site used student reviews, test scores and other factors to rate the top 10 public high schools in the KC area for 2025. See which ones made the list. | Published October 7, 2024 | Read Full Story by Joseph Hernandez

The Kansas City skyline is seen from Penn Valley Park on Wednesday, May 8, 2024. By Emily Curiel

NO. 4: NEW STUDIES SAY KANSAS CITY IS ONE OF THE TOP HOUSING MARKETS IN THE U.S. FOR 2025

The report also predicts that home prices will continue to increase in 2025, but at a slower pace compared to previous years. | Published January 9, 2025 | Read Full Story by Joseph Hernandez

The third version of the Kansas City Current wrapped streetcar rolled into the Union Station stop Friday for its unveiling ceremony. By Roy Inman

NO. 5: KANSAS CITY MAKES INTERNATIONAL LIST OF TOP 25 PLACES TO TRAVEL IN 2025. FIND OUT WHY

Other destinations on the list include Panama, Jordan and Uzbekistan. | Published January 17, 2025 | Read Full Story

The summary above was drafted with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists in our News division. All stories listed were reported, written and edited by McClatchy journalists.