City comparison
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Blacksburg | Kansas City | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,237/mo | $1,044/mo | 18.5% higher in A |
| Median home value | $387,700 | $133,800 | 189.8% higher in A |
| Median household income | $42,012 | $56,120 | 25.1% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 97.3 | 94.8 | 2.7% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 90.1 | 89.8 | ≈ equal |
| Transportation index | 99.2 | 94.4 | 5.1% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 97.5 | 95.1 | 2.5% higher in A |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Blacksburg, you'd need $99,967 in Kansas City to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Blacksburg and Kansas City have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. Housing costs are roughly 5% lower in Blacksburg than in Kansas City. If you earn $80,000 in Blacksburg, you'd need about $79,973 in Kansas City to keep the same standard of living.