Go with a plan.
Numbeo's Safety Index puts Kansas City at 41/100 for crime — that makes it read sketchier than United States's national picture overall (69/100 vs 73/100).
City page · part of United States
The one number a country page can't give you
What people who actually live in Kansas City report
Numbeo aggregates thousands of resident-submitted perception surveys into a per-city Crime Index (higher = worse) and its inverse, a Safety Index — the only real city-granularity crime signal feeding this page, alongside United States's national advisory, political, health, and police-trust data.
Crime Index
58.6
Safety Index
41.4
Sub-scores
Same real inputs as United States's national page, with crime swapped for Kansas City's own Numbeo number above.
Local know-how
Staying safe in Kansas City, specifically
- • The city's crime rate has risen rapidly since 2020.
- • Kansas City is one of the largest cities in the United States with no city jail which also lacks the ability under state law to automatically offload suspects to the county jail.
- • The time needed to drive suspects to and from jails over an hour away from KC means that holding cells in KC police stations are often full.
- • Like most major cities, the tourist and business areas (downtown and the Plaza) are generally safe day and night, but it is always best to be aware of your surroundings.
- • KC is in Tornado Alley, so make sure you check the local weather forecasts and make sure you understand what to do during a tornado.
Legal status (national law)
Legal in some states since 1962, nationwide since 2003+ UN decl. sign.
Source: Wikipedia — LGBTQ rights by country →Pack this, know this
The little things that trip people up
Plug & voltage
A / B · 120V
Driving side
right
Emergency
police: 911 / ambulance: 911 / fire: 911
Tipping
Tipping is widely practiced in the United States. Standards vary, but gratuities are always given to servers in restaurants and bars, taxi drivers, parking valets, and bellstaff in hotels. When traveling in the U.S., try to keep some $1 and $5 bills in your wallet for small tips.
SIM / Data
The three largest mobile phone networks in the U.S. are AT&T, Verizon Wireless, and T-Mobile. These all have good coverage of practically all urban/suburban and many rural areas of the country, although each network has strong and weak areas. There are many mobile virtual network operators (MVNO) that rebrand service on the major carriers' networks.
Cash vs. Card
The U.S. currency is the United States dollar ($), divided into 100 cents (¢). Foreign currencies are almost never accepted, though some major hotel chains may accept traveller's checks in other currencies. Some establishments close to the Canadian and Mexican borders accept their currencies, though usually at poor exchange rates. Japanese yen is sometimes accepted in Hawaii.
How this compares to United States
Numbeo's Safety Index puts Kansas City at 41/100 for crime — that makes it read sketchier than United States's national picture overall (69/100 vs 73/100).
See the full United States page and all receipts →