Overland Park Makes Three Best Places to Live in the US Lists

Overland Park, Kan., has been voted one of the best places to live in the US from not one, not two, but three respected sources. 

This year, Niche ranked Overland Park at number 9, best places to live in America, giving it an A+ overall score and A+ public school score. Last year, Money ranked Overland Park as the 29th best place to live, and in 2021, Livability ranked Overland Park as number three out of 100 best places to live in the US. So what are all the reasons that this Kansas town has earned such high rankings? Let’s break it down.

Still considered a suburb of the Kansas City metro, Overland Park is close enough to all the KC amenities we love on the Missouri side. However, it has its own draw and perks. Livability said it best that Overland Park is a good “balance of business and quality of life.”

Education

Overland Park’s education system is one of the best in the state. It has three main school districts: Shawnee Mission, Olathe and Blue Valley. Those districts are consistently ranked nationally in addition to receiving many other awards. Johnson County Community College is another local gem that has added much value to Overland Park.

Business

Photo by David McBee

Overland Park hosts many company headquarters like T-Mobile (previously Sprint), HCA Midwest, Black and Veatch, WellSky CEO and more. OP is also proud to boast a low unemployment rate – under 3%. Yet, among the high rises and corporate campuses, there is a big culture of family play.

Entertainment and Activities

The list here could get very long, but we’ll highlight just a few of the popular ways to play in Overland Park.

• Overland Park Arboretum & Botanical Gardens – 300 acres of gardens, ponds, trails, playgrounds and more; this beautiful outdoor paradise is home to 1700+ species of plants and miles of fun.

• 83 parks – These outdoor spaces contribute to the quality of life found in OP. Ways to get exercise, run your dogs, fish, bike, hike and more.

• Farmer’s Market – For over 40 years, the Overland Park farmer’s market has been a huge draw to people from all over. Located in downtown OP, dozens of vendors offer farm-to-table food including locally-grown produce and specialty items. Click here for the 2023 vendor list.

• OP’s Prairiefire District – Making Tripadvisor’s 2020 Travellers’ Choice list, this district boasts delicious dining, exciting shopping, museums and sports complexes. Speaking of sports complexes, Overland Park has also been rated by Livability.com as “the Top Soccer City in the country, with a $36 million soccer facility that’s considered one-of-a-kind.”
• Deanna Rose Children’s Farmstead – This popular destination for families isn’t just for the kids. This fun, frontier-like farmstead hosts 250 animals and birds to feed, milk and pet. It’s educational, interactive and a place you’ll want to visit more than once.

Where to Live

Last, but not least, the category that interested us the most is the living situation. There are countless beautiful homes in OVerland Park that range from WWII times to modern, luxury homes. On average, it is certainly a higher median income than the KC metro, which means home prices are above the KC metro average, as well.

With a population just under 200,000, the median household income is just over $100k. This means the median home price is over $100k of the KC Metro, coming in just under $420k. 

No wonder this amazing city is one of the best places to live in the US. The Dani Beyer Real Estate team is licensed in both Missouri and Kansas, and we’ve been expanding more of our listing and clientele into the Overland Park area. If you’re looking to buy a home in OP, take a look at the current listings here. If you’re curious what your OP home is worth, check out our free, online home estimator tool or give us a call to speak directly with an agent!