Up North dispatch: These two Northland cities are booming. Why?
Editor’s note: The following is from this week’s Up North newsletter, published weekly on Mondays. You can sign up here to get them delivered to your inbox.
Good afternoon, Northland!
I hope you all had a great holiday weekend! I’m Jenna Ebbers, back with your roundup of the biggest Northland stories from the past week.
Today, we’re diving into how two Northland communities have seen large rates of growth since 2020.
Over the past five years, communities across the Northland have grown significantly as new developments continue to expand, businesses open up and families flock to the area for the school districts.
The latest census data shows nearly every municipality in Clay and Platte counties has grown in population since 2020, some by only 1%, while others increased by upwards of 14%.
But two communities have seen more growth than any other city up north, with populations rising by more than 20%.
“There’s a lot of good momentum,” one Northland mayor told me for the story. “It’s a cool place to be.”
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What’s new in the Northland?
😡 A KC councilman representing the Northland was under fire for how he let constituents know about Vice President JD Vance’s visit to KC.
🚲 Pedestrians and cyclists can now cruise safely through a Northland trail after years spent facing heavy traffic and dangerous sidewalks on a part of the path.
🏥Some residents could lose in-network coverage at North Kansas City Health after talks stalled between the facility and a widely used insurance company.
🐶 From grooming anxious puppies to caring for pets on wedding days, a local pet care business is expanding its reach to Parkville later this year.
My favorite reads
🌴 Waving palm trees and seeing aquamarine ocean waves just got a lot easier to visit thanks to a tropical new flight out of KCI. My colleague Rashad Alexander got the details.
🥩 This beloved KC-area BBQ restaurant is expanding with a new concept for locals: a neighborhood bar and grill. Our restaurant reporter Jenna Thompson has the story.
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That’s all for now! See you next week.
