| Measure | IndependenceMissouri, United States Remove Independence | TopekaKansas, United States Remove Topeka |
|---|---|---|
| Scores (out of 10) | ||
| Overall score | 5.2 | 6.2 |
| Connector Score | 8.2 | 8.9 |
| Safety | 1.0 | 3.3 |
| Affordability | 7.6 | 7.7 |
| Transportation | 7.0 | 9.0 |
| Car-free friendliness | 4.5 | 7.0 |
| Walkability | 4.2 | 7.1 |
| Things to do | 5.2 | 6.0 |
| Food & dining | 4.5 | 4.3 |
| Places to stay | 6.0 | 5.8 |
| Nature & outdoors | 3.5 | 3.5 |
| Scenic value | 4.5 | 5.3 |
| Family friendliness | 3.7 | 6.2 |
| Solo-traveler friendliness | 3.3 | 5.2 |
| Nightlife | 4.2 | 4.1 |
| Remote-work friendliness | 6.0 | 5.9 |
| Road-trip convenience | 6.5 | 6.5 |
| Train-trip convenience | 6.1 | 8.0 |
| Bus-trip convenience | 1.5 | 7.3 |
| Cost (per person per day, USD) | ||
| Budget | $90 | $98 |
| Mid-range | $134 | $143 |
| Luxury | $230 | $225 |
| Living there | ||
| Cost of living index (national = 100) | 89 | 88 |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent | $975 | $825 |
| Median home price | $230,000 | $144,200 |
| Population | 122K | 126K |
| Getting there | ||
| Accessible by | Drive Train Airport | Drive Train Bus Airport |
| Car recommended | — | — |
| Travel time from Independence | — | 1 h 15 min details |
| Character | ||
| Best for | History | Car-free travel, History |
| Known for | Lakes & rivers, Museums & galleries, Historic sites, Live music, Shopping | Lakes & rivers, Museums & galleries, Historic sites, Live music, Shopping, Family & kids |
| When to go | Peak: Spring to fall and Santa-Cali-Gon Days | Peak: Periods are legislative session, major… |
Scores and costs are estimates from public data and our own research; check the city pages for sources and dates.