How measuring metrics are determined.
All calculations are based on historical and societal averages from various sources. Averages were taken from the states of Kansas and Missouri, as well as the cities of Kansas City, MO, Kansas City, KS, and Overland Park, KS. All calculations are based on general assumptions as stated below.
Personal spending metrics are determined based on local, regional and national average adult spending habits for the various metrics. City spending is based on personal property tax revenue from owned homes (plus city earnings tax revenue of 1% of salaries for businesses located in Kansas City, MO). State spending is based on employee taxes as a percentage of salary plus business taxes as a percentage of net profit.
For businesses characterized as "manufacturing," employee salaries are calculated as 33% of gross income, and net profit is calculated as 12% of gross income. For businesses characterized as "service", employee salaries are calculated as 50% of gross income and net profit is calculated as 9% of gross income. For businesses located in Missouri, state business taxes are calculated at a rate of 4.22% of net profit. Kansas state business taxes are 0%. For businesses characterized as "manufacturing," it is estimated that 27% of employees are female and 73% are male. For businesses characterized as "service," it is estimated that 47% of employees are female and 53% are male. It is assumed that in the Kansas City metro area, 59.4% of residents own their home while 40.6% rent.
Personal spending metrics are as follows:
Median gross rent, Median monthly mortgage, Median home price, Average monthly grocery bill for a family of two (averaged between thrifty, moderate and liberal budgets), Average utilities per month, Average amount spent dining out, Average meal cost (average of the low end of inexpensive and the high end of mid-range), Average cost of a haircut (male and female), Average cost of manicures and pedicures, Average cost of and percentage of people with a gym membership, Cost per square foot for sidewalk repairs, Pet ownership/adoption statistics, Entertainment spending, Cost per gallon of gasoline in the Kansas City metro area
Local Budget metrics are as follows:
State spending is based on of budget allocated for various services, averaged between Kansas and Missouri - K-12 spending is averaged across school districts within a 30-mile radius of the Kansas City metro area in Kansas and Missouri, Higher education spending is based on of university budget allocated for various services averaged between University of Kansas, Kansas State University, University of Missouri System and Missouri State University , as reported in annual financial reports from 2014 or 2015, Kansas City, MO budget, Personal property tax rates
Other Kansas City Cost of Living details