Kansas City metro grew by nearly 25,000 in 2024
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
It seems like people want to live here. Photo: Michael Siluk/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
Kansas City's population grew more last year than in any of the previous four years, according to new census data.
Why it matters: The KC area's speedy growth might be good for the local economy, but it could put more strain on housing.
The big picture: Since 2020, the Kansas City metro has grown by 61,561 people (+2.81%). But more than a third of that growth happened in one year, with the addition of 24,817 people (+1.11%) between 2023 and 2024.
What they're saying: "This is undeniably good news," Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas wrote on X regarding KCMO's growth. "But we need to continue our ongoing work to repopulate the core of our city, particularly in east and south Kansas City, with infill housing development."
State of play: Kansas City's housing inventory plunged during the pandemic, but the number of house and condo listings has steadily increased since, according to Federal Reserve Economic Data.
- The metro is poised to add 3,646 apartments in 2025, according to apartment data company Yardi Matrix.
By the numbers: In the past four years, the metro's biggest raw number increases have been in Kansas City, Missouri (+8,048 people), and Olathe, Kansas (+7,745 people).
- The greatest percentage growth on the Missouri side has happened in North Kansas City (+20.7%), Parkville (+19.93%) and Riverside (+10.83%).
- Spring Hill (20.91%) and Gardner (9.65%) topped the growth rates on the Kansas side.
Zoom out: While KC's growth is significant, it doesn't come close to the fastest-growing cities in the country.
Stunning stats: In just one year, New York City grew by 87,184 people.
- Miami, which has a smaller population than KCMO, grew by 16,337.
- Both Jacksonville, Florida, and Fort Worth, Texas, "crossed the 1 million population threshold between 2023 and 2024," the Census Bureau notes.
The bottom line: With more residents in KC comes a greater need for housing, which major projects such as the Berkley Riverfront village and the West Bottoms plan hope to address.