Kansas City

Postcard with an image of a city landscape of Kansas City’s skyline on a transparent background

blue

Get smarter, faster on what matters in Kansas City with Travis Meier and Abbey Higginbotham.

Axios Kansas City

Standard

Kansas City Members

Membership

A daily look at the most significant and interesting stories affecting Kansas City.

Axios Kansas City Thought Bubble

Thought Bubble

Kansas City Alerts

Alert

Axios Kansas City Partners

KC's "Soccer Capital" claim has receipts

Leaders say it represents decades of investment that paid off big at the World Cup.

Sports

Kansas City has been calling itself the &quot;Soccer Capital of America&quot; for more than a decade, and despite skeptics and competition from other cities, KC&#x27;s claim runs deep.Why it matters: The phrase isn&#x27;t just a local boast or a title without teeth — it&#x27;s a trademarked slogan, and KC leaders say it represents decades of investment that paid off this summer.

Kansas fertility rates outpace the nation

Kansas sits inside a Plains corridor with the nation's highest fertility rates. Missouri tells a different story.

News

A corridor of Central Plains states that includes Kansas keeps posting higher fertility rates than the U.S. average, despite a decades-long national decline.Why it matters: Birth rates shape everything downstream, from school enrollment to workforce pipelines and political clout, and the metro&#x27;s two states are on different trajectories.<ul><li>Kansas sits inside the high-fertility corridor alongside the Dakotas, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas, while Missouri runs closer to the national average.</li></ul>Zoom in: Kansas&#x27; 2024 fertility rate of 58.3 births per 1,000 women ages 15-44 ranked 13th highest among states, per CDC data.<ul><li>Missouri&#x27;s was 55.9, still above the U.S. rate of 53.8.</li><li>Both are sliding. Kansas&#x27; rate was 71.3 in 2005 and Missouri&#x27;s was 65.9.</li></ul>Zoom out: South Dakota led the nation at 66.7 last year, followed by Nebraska at 62.9. The six-state corridor averaged 59.3, well above the U.S. rate.<ul><li>At the other end, D.C. was lowest overall at 39.8, with Vermont, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Oregon close behind.</li></ul>What they&#x27;re saying: &quot;Generally in demography we find more births where moms can (more) easily find higher-waged jobs,&quot; family demographer <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Jennifer Glass" data-vars-click-url="https://liberalarts.utexas.edu/prc/faculty/jg47972" data-vars-content-id="7aa52d6e-150e-42da-9470-103860367d67" data-vars-headline="Kansas fertility rates outpace the nation" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://liberalarts.utexas.edu/prc/faculty/jg47972" target="_blank">Jennifer Glass</a> tells Axios. &quot;The gender wage gap is lower in Dallas than in Detroit or Pittsburgh, for example.&quot;Researchers point to several other factors:Demographics: U.S. Census data show Texas and North Dakota rank behind only Utah among the nation&#x27;s youngest states, meaning more women are in their 20s and early 30s, when birth rates are highest.Child care: Glass notes these costs are comparably lower here, while they have soared in coastal states.Housing: <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Family-size homes" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/05/17/boomers-millennials-kids-homes" data-vars-content-id="7aa52d6e-150e-42da-9470-103860367d67" data-vars-headline="Kansas fertility rates outpace the nation" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/05/17/boomers-millennials-kids-homes" target="_self">Family-size homes</a> remain far more affordable across much of the Plains than on the coasts. <ul><li>Kansas City&#x27;s median sale price was $305,000 over the three months ending in May, per Redfin.</li></ul>Culture: Americans are partnering, marrying and <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="starting families later" data-vars-click-url="http://prb.org/news/are-americans-underbabied/" data-vars-content-id="7aa52d6e-150e-42da-9470-103860367d67" data-vars-headline="Kansas fertility rates outpace the nation" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="http://prb.org/news/are-americans-underbabied/" target="_blank">starting families later</a> than previous generations, especially in larger metropolitan areas.<ul><li>But rural regions and <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="more religious communities" data-vars-click-url="https://ifstudies.org/blog/first-in-family-red-states-pulling-ahead-on-marriage-and-kids" data-vars-content-id="7aa52d6e-150e-42da-9470-103860367d67" data-vars-headline="Kansas fertility rates outpace the nation" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://ifstudies.org/blog/first-in-family-red-states-pulling-ahead-on-marriage-and-kids" target="_blank">more religious communities</a> tend to see earlier marriage and childbearing, extending the years during which families might have additional children.</li></ul>Stunning stat: CDC data shows the average American woman is expected to have about 1.6 children over her lifetime. That is down from more than 7 children per woman in 1800.Reality check: Fertility rate and birth totals measure different things. Missouri recorded nearly twice as many total births as Kansas last year, 67,998 versus 33,984, simply because it has far more people.<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Go deeper" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/07/14/central-plains-states-buck-fertility-decline" data-vars-content-id="7aa52d6e-150e-42da-9470-103860367d67" data-vars-headline="Kansas fertility rates outpace the nation" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/07/14/central-plains-states-buck-fertility-decline" target="_self">Go deeper</a>

Gut-wrecking stomach bug is showing up in Kansas

Symptoms, which include "explosive" diarrhea, can last for a few days or even a month.

Cases of a gut-wrecking parasite are showing up in Kansas, part of a nationwide outbreak <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="health" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/health" data-vars-content-id="609bf31f-2af0-4b0e-8510-02262f3f759c" data-vars-headline="Gut-wrecking stomach bug is showing up in Kansas" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/health" target="_self">health</a> officials are investigating.The big picture: The gastrointestinal illness — called cyclosporiasis — is caused by a microscopic parasite spreading through contaminated food.

Americans are hanging out less. KC feels it too.

Average daily social time has dropped from 45 to 35 minutes in two decades, and the decline is steepest among young people. In KC, where 39% of residents live alone, some are pushing back.

Americans of every generation are <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="spending less time hanging out" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/05/13/americans-neighbors-socializing-less" data-vars-content-id="a88e4cf1-653f-4777-9fda-09bc86d2876d" data-vars-headline="Americans are hanging out less. KC feels it too." data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/05/13/americans-neighbors-socializing-less" target="_self">spending less time hanging out</a> than they were 20 years ago, per new American Time Use Survey <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="data" data-vars-click-url="https://www.bls.gov/tus/" data-vars-content-id="a88e4cf1-653f-4777-9fda-09bc86d2876d" data-vars-headline="Americans are hanging out less. KC feels it too." data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.bls.gov/tus/" target="_blank">data</a>.Why it matters: It&#x27;s a fundamental shift in how we live, with implications for everything from <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="what we believe" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2024/03/25/news-media-filter-bubble-different-realities" data-vars-content-id="a88e4cf1-653f-4777-9fda-09bc86d2876d" data-vars-headline="Americans are hanging out less. KC feels it too." data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2024/03/25/news-media-filter-bubble-different-realities" target="_self">what we believe</a> to <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="how long we live" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/05/03/surgeon-general-vivek-murthy-fights-loneliness" data-vars-content-id="a88e4cf1-653f-4777-9fda-09bc86d2876d" data-vars-headline="Americans are hanging out less. KC feels it too." data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/05/03/surgeon-general-vivek-murthy-fights-loneliness" target="_self">how long we live</a>.

KC "scored" all World Cup long

86% of KC singles say their dating lives heated up during the World Cup, the biggest jump of any U.S. host city.

Dating

Kansas City just beat every other U.S. World Cup host city in one unofficial competition: dating the visitors.Why it matters: Four years ago, a national ranking <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="named KC the worst city for dating in America" data-vars-click-url="https://www.kctv5.com/2022/04/19/kcmo-is-worst-city-dating-according-bestplaces/" data-vars-content-id="1736a878-3120-4f82-88f9-5da582c68055" data-vars-headline="KC &quot;scored&quot; all World Cup long" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.kctv5.com/2022/04/19/kcmo-is-worst-city-dating-according-bestplaces/" target="_blank">named KC the worst city for dating in America</a>, citing too few young singles spread across too much sprawl.<ul><li>Apparently, all we needed was the world to come to us.</li></ul>

KC has an LGBTQ+ "Shark Tank" for relationships

At "Where to Find Us," your best friend gets three to five minutes and a slideshow to sell you to a roomful of singles.

Things to Do

Imagine your best friend taking the stage in front of hundreds of people, slideshow ready, to pitch you as the city&#x27;s most eligible single. That&#x27;s a typical evening at a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="&quot;Where to Find Us" data-vars-click-url="https://www.instagram.com/wheretofindus.xo/" data-vars-content-id="3d51c966-0e16-4a81-b2ed-34b472ccbc19" data-vars-headline="KC has an LGBTQ+ &quot;Shark Tank&quot; for relationships" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.instagram.com/wheretofindus.xo/" target="_blank">&quot;Where to Find Us</a>&quot; event.Why it matters: Co-founders <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Lo Mchel" data-vars-click-url="https://www.instagram.com/lo.mchel/" data-vars-content-id="3d51c966-0e16-4a81-b2ed-34b472ccbc19" data-vars-headline="KC has an LGBTQ+ &quot;Shark Tank&quot; for relationships" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.instagram.com/lo.mchel/" target="_blank">Lo Mchel</a> and <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Tiffany Watts" data-vars-click-url="https://www.instagram.com/hookedonkc/" data-vars-content-id="3d51c966-0e16-4a81-b2ed-34b472ccbc19" data-vars-headline="KC has an LGBTQ+ &quot;Shark Tank&quot; for relationships" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.instagram.com/hookedonkc/" target="_blank">Tiffany Watts</a> started the show in 2024 to build a dating space for the LGBTQ+ community, not just one that lets them in.

The least romantic places to take a date in KC

From a windy Liberty Memorial to Trader Joe's chaos, KC dates get real.

👋🏼Abbey here. Kansas City has enough rooftop restaurants, steakhouses and cocktail bars with low lighting to convince anyone they&#x27;re in love. Try taking them somewhere mildly miserable instead to see if the love is real!

KC singles look offline and onstage for love

A live show gives Kansas City daters a shot at connection without the swipe.

Comedian Sarah O&#x27;Sullivan is flipping Kansas City&#x27;s rough dating scene into a live monthly show where strangers volunteer for public honesty, awkwardness and flirtation.Why it matters: KC has long been labeled a difficult city to date, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="ranked worst" data-vars-click-url="https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article260564207.html" data-vars-content-id="90ba0361-df00-4642-b03c-1c7d1f642963" data-vars-headline="KC singles look offline and onstage for love" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article260564207.html" target="_blank">ranked worst</a> in the country in 2022 by <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="BestPlaces" data-vars-click-url="https://www.bestplaces.net/docs/studies/datingcities_list.aspx" data-vars-content-id="90ba0361-df00-4642-b03c-1c7d1f642963" data-vars-headline="KC singles look offline and onstage for love" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.bestplaces.net/docs/studies/datingcities_list.aspx" target="_blank">BestPlaces</a>.

Dating

Singles want AI help — not AI partners

KC "scored" all World Cup long

KC has an LGBTQ+ "Shark Tank" for relationships

The least romantic places to take a date in KC

KC singles look offline and onstage for love