Do you make a living wage in Kansas City? See how much you need in 2026
You still need to make quite a bit of money to afford the basics in Kansas City, new data shows.
Each year, the MIT Living Wage calculator shares the amount of money a typical worker would need to make to afford their family’s basic needs.
MIT defines the living wage as “the hourly rate that an individual in a household must earn to support themselves and/or their family, working full-time, or 2,080 hours per year.”
Missouri’s minimum wage increased to $15 an hour on Jan. 1, 2026, after voters approved minimum wage increases in November 2024 with almost 58% of votes. But is that enough to afford to live in Kansas City?
Here’s what the data shows.
What is considered a living wage in Kansas City in 2026?
The living wage for a single person living in Kansas City in 2026 is $22.97 an hour, according to MIT. This is almost $8 more than the state’s minimum wage and a $0.22 increase over last year’s living wage in Kansas City.
A single person is defined as someone who lives alone and has no children. The living wages increase as more people are included in the calculations.
A single person who has one child would need to make $39.50 an hour, a single person with two children would need to make $51.56 and if they have three children, they’d need to make $63.70 to earn a living wage in Kansas City.
Living wages and annual incomes also vary if there are more adults in the household who work:
- 2 adults (1 working), 0 children: $31.39
- 2 adults (1 working), 1 child: $36.93
- 2 adults (1 working), 2 children: $39.90
- 2 adults (1 working), 3 children: $46.27
- 2 adults (both working), 0 children: $15.66
- 2 adults (both working), 1 child: $22.65
- 2 adults (both working), 2 children: $27.66
- 2 adults (both working), 3 children: $33.12
What is the living wage around the metro?
Wyandotte County is the cheapest to live in of the five counties in the Kansas City metropolitan area, while Johnson County is the most expensive, according to the MIT living wage calculator.
Here’s how much a single person with no children would need to make hourly to earn a living wage in each one:
- Wyandotte County: $21.72
- Jackson County: $22.15
- Clay County: $23.00
- Platte County: $23.53
- Johnson County: $24.41
In addition, here are the living wages for single people with no kids in the whole state:
This story was originally published March 8, 2026 at 5:00 AM.
