Best Kansas City suburbs for schools

Ranked almost entirely on the Schools category — within-state proficiency, student–teacher ratio, graduation rate and schools nearby — with the two poll questions about children and teenagers at 20% once a place has enough responses.

Updated Sep 2026·25 suburbs considered, 10 listed
1
Grain Valley, Missouri City Hall
Grain Valley$284k median · 25.8 min commute
Schools ACost of living C+Residents inactive
89
Schools score
overall 65 C+
2
Leawood$659k median · 20.9 min commute
Schools ACost of living D−Residents inactive
88
Schools score
overall 76 B
3
Kearney$298k median · 23.5 min commute
Schools ACost of living C+Residents inactive
88
Schools score
overall 66 C+
4
Downtown Smithville Historic District North view along Bridge Street. Note sign on building wall at left.
Smithville$291k median · 28.5 min commute
Schools A−Cost of living C+Residents inactive
87
Schools score
overall 63 C+
5
Overland Park$414k median · 19.7 min commute
Schools A−Cost of living C+Residents inactive
87
Schools score
overall 75 B
6
Kansas, Shawnee. Johnson County Museums: Museum of History. Entry sign.
Shawnee$360k median · 22.3 min commute
Schools A−Cost of living C+Residents inactive
86
Schools score
overall 69 B−
7
Blue Springs, Missouri City Hall
Blue Springs$263k median · 25.7 min commute
Schools A−Cost of living CResidents inactive
86
Schools score
overall 66 C+
8
Informational kiosk for downtown Lee's Summit on the corner of Main Street and Third Street, with storefronts of local businesses in the background
Lee's Summit$341k median · 25.2 min commute
Schools A−Cost of living CResidents inactive
84
Schools score
overall 69 B−
9
Olathe, Kansas
Olathe$365k median · 20.6 min commute
Schools A−Cost of living C+Residents inactive
84
Schools score
overall 73 B
10
Historic Clay County Court House in the Historic Square Liberty, Missouri
Liberty$283k median · 22.9 min commute
Schools A−Cost of living B−Residents inactive
83
Schools score
overall 66 C+
This list's weighting
Schools 80%Resident poll (Q5, Q6) 20%

Poll components only count for places with eight or more resident responses; for the others the remaining weights re-normalise to 100%.

Photos from Wikimedia Commons: Grain Valley (Rowen Hansen · CC BY-SA 4.0); Smithville (Jon Roanhaus · CC BY-SA 4.0); Shawnee (Brylie · CC BY-SA 3.0); Blue Springs (Rowen Hansen · CC BY-SA 4.0); Lee's Summit (Damiens the Regicide · CC0); Olathe (KS123 · CC BY-SA 4.0); Liberty (Chiefs190 · CC BY-SA 4.0).