Independence, MO — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

All states·Missouri·Independence

Jackson County · Kansas City · population 121,629

First-time buyers
Independence, MO
Image: Wikipedia · Independence, Missouri
OverviewCost of livingMoving guide
View watchlist →
69
Rising
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Independence stands

At or near all-time high.

Median home $210,384
1-year +3.0%
5-yr CAGR +5.9%
vs 5-yr peak +0.0%
Population -0.3%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2026-04$210k$85k$130k$174k$219k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
40/100
Car-dependent
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
30/100
Minimal transit
Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.
💻
Remote work fit
82/100
Excellent for remote work
Composite of city size, housing cost, state tax structure, and region's remote-work track record.

Scores are heuristic estimates from population density, state, and known transit/walkable cities. Not based on a paid Walk Score / Transit Score API — see methodology for the formula.

Rent trajectory · last 5 years

Zillow ZORI · monthly
$1,334/mo$932$1,184$1,435202220242026

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)
Home valueRent133134100120140202220242026

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 13.1
Buy

At a 13.1 price-to-rent ratio, buying generally beats renting in Independence on a long-enough horizon. The headline math is that one year of mortgage payments approximates 13.1 years of rent — well below the 15+ threshold where ownership starts to dominate.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →
Home YoY
65 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
69 · w22%
Distance from peak
90 · w18%
Population growth
41 · w16%
Rent YoY
70 · w12%
Home 10-yr CAGR
84 · w10%
Long thesis

Independence has held up across the cycle: home values at $210,384 with +5.9% 5-year CAGR. The bull case is structural — population, location, employer base — and holds even if next year's print is soft.

Short thesis

Independence's bear case is the boring one: the cycle is real and any market that's run hard can stall. Watch for slowing population growth, rising days-on-market, or builder discounts as the early warning signals.

About Independence

Independence is a city in Jackson County, Missouri, with an estimated population of 121,629. It anchors the Kansas City metro area. The median home value in Independence is $210,384 as of 2026-04, up 3.0% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +5.9% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Independence average $1,334 per month, up 3.7% year-over-year. The composite momentum score is 69 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

▲ Bull case

●Affordable AND rising: median home $210,384 with positive recent direction — rare combination most of the country can’t offer.
●Healthy 5-year run: +5.9% annualized over 5 years, outpacing US inflation.
●Quiet strength: +3.0% over the trailing year — not a melt-up, but the market is bid.
●Held the highs: currently +0.0% from the 5-year peak — this market refused to give back gains.

▼ Bear case

○Local nuance: city-level data smooths over neighborhood differences. School zones, HOA rules, and street-level character matter — visit before deciding.

About Independence (Wikipedia)

Independence is a city mostly in, and one of two county seats of, Jackson County, Missouri, United States. It is a satellite city of Kansas City, Missouri, and is the largest suburb on the Missouri side of the Kansas City metropolitan area. In 2020, it had a total population of 123,011, making it the fifth-most populous city in Missouri. A small part of the city extends into Clay County.

Source: Wikipedia · this summary is contributed and licensed under CC-BY-SA.

City facts

MayorKevin King
Area78.42 sq mi
Elevation863 ft
FoundedMarch 29, 1827
Density1577.75/sq mi

Extracted from the Wikipedia infobox. Values may be slightly out of date relative to the latest sources.

Playbook

Buyer

You're not in a frenzy but you're not getting bargains either. Make a competitive offer with normal inspection terms. Don't lowball — the listing will move with or without you.

Seller

Price at fair market value; expect movement in 30-45 days. Don't get clever with terms (rent-back, contingencies) — buyers in a Rising market have options.

Investor

Appreciation tailwind exists but cash flow requires discipline on price. Run the numbers conservatively and confirm rent comps before committing.

Local safety & alerts

No active National Weather Service alerts for Jackson County right now.

NWS active alerts (MO)Missouri Emergency ManagementHow to prepare (NWS)

Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. Jackson County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.

Neighborhoods of Independence

40 tracked · ranked by median home value
1Rainbow$469,337+1.0%
2Highland Manor$326,088+1.7%
3Blackburn$295,057+1.5%
4Spring Branch$264,345+1.7%
5Blue Village$250,789+2.8%
6Bridger$246,847+0.7%
739th East$242,674+1.2%
8Sycamore$229,491+3.4%
9Glendale$225,828+1.8%
10Valley View$218,077+8.2%
11Chapel$209,210+3.2%
12Randall$208,328+5.6%
13Mill Creek$208,164+6.6%
14Pitcher$207,450+0.7%
15South Crysler$206,966+0.7%
16Hanthorn$203,070+4.0%
17McCoy$199,423+7.9%
18Luff$198,616+2.0%
19Clermont$197,219+2.6%
20Farview$190,673+4.9%
21Queen City$190,388+5.5%
22Rock Creek South$186,173+1.9%
23Santa Fe$184,694+7.2%
24Kentucky Hills$181,790+1.7%

See the full neighborhood ranking →

Cities like Independence

Springfield, MO69 · RisingColumbia, MO73 · RisingChesterfield, MO68 · RisingGrandview, MO72 · Rising

Run the numbers for Independence

ToolCan I afford Independence?Income → city shortlistToolROI on a Independence rentalCap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCRToolCompare Independence to anywhereSide-by-side up to 3 citiesToolIndependence cost-of-livingEquivalent income elsewhere

Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.

Climate & natural-disaster risk

Winter (Jan)
39° / 22°
avg high / low
Summer (Jul)
88° / 67°
avg high / low
Sunny days/yr
211
~58% of year
Annual precip
42″ rain
16″ snow
Disaster risk (1=very low, 5=very high)
Hurricane
Very low
Tornado
Very high
Wildfire
Very low
Earthquake
High
Flood
High

State-level averages from NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020) and FEMA National Risk Index. City-level conditions can vary significantly within a state.

Local sports teams

Major professional teams the Kansas City area cheers for. Detailed stats, schedules, and player pages on intherafters.com.

Current weather

Loading current conditions…

7-day forecast on weather.gov →

Find rentals & listings

Open current Independence listings on the major real-estate sites.

Links open the live search on the destination site — results are always current.

Local news & community

Updated 2026-05-21 from Google News + Reddit RSS. Headlines link to original sources.

Local economy & environment

Humidity
70%
Humid climate
Median household income
$65,900
Missouri state median
Top industries (state-level)
HealthcareManufacturingFinance

Humidity is annual average relative humidity (NOAA). Income is Census ACS 5-year estimate. Industries are largest employment sectors statewide (BLS); the local mix in a given city may vary.

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