Shawnee receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Raytown
Shawnee
Opportunity
70 · Top 22%
vs66 · Top 31%
Growth
52 · Top 47%
vs77 · Top 8%
Climate
72 · Top 43%
vs68 · Bottom 39%
Physical resilience
72 · Top 34%
vs83 · Top 19%
Housing affordability
93 · Top 26%
vs97 · Top 15%
Access
87 · Bottom 35%
vs90 · Bottom 45%
Economic stability
58 · Bottom 46%
vs81 · Top 6%
Measured values
| Metric | Raytown | Shawnee | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 29,445 | 68,542 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $68,840 | $109,940 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $36,203 | $54,157 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,965/sq mi | 1,633/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $182,900 | $359,700 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,218 | $1,322 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 65.1% | 73.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.6% | 3.6% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.5% | -2.3% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 22.0% | 53.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 12.5% | 5.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 10 | 563 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.3 | 8.2 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 900.0% | 176.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 88°F | 88°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 22°F | 21°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 38.3" | 37.7" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 25 mi | 20 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 24.8 min | 23.7 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 40.9 | 39.0 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Raytown
Elevated or high exposure: hail.
Shawnee
Elevated or high exposure: hail.
Full profiles: Raytown, MO · Shawnee, KS · How this is calculated: methodology