Kansas
A Gen Xer who moved to Phoenix from Kansas said while he's paying more for his house and summers are brutal, there's much more to do
- A Gen Xer moved last year from Overland Park, Kansas, to Phoenix for work.
- He’s paying more for his Phoenix home that’s half the size of his Kansas house.
- He said that while Phoenix summers are brutal, the weather is overall better than Kansas.
Ty, 59, has lived in Ohio, Florida, Kentucky, West Virginia, and Indiana while working at various insurance companies. He settled in Overland Park, Kansas, a city near Kansas City with about 200,000 residents.
While he enjoyed living in Kansas, he was ready to move on to a new work opportunity that would set him up well for retirement. Ty, who asked to use just his first name for privacy reasons, settled on Phoenix, and moved there in 2023. He said Phoenix met his retirement and professional goals, had a lot more to do, and had better weather for most of the year.
“A lot of people are coming into Phoenix from surrounding states and bringing in various cultures,” Ty said. “I like the activities that are available to you here in Phoenix, and if they’re not available, you can easily get on the roadway.”
Between 2021 and 2022, nearly 283,000 people moved to Arizona — over 74,000 of whom were from California, Census data revealed. In the second quarter of 2023, Phoenix ranked second in a Redfin analysis of the top 10 metro areas homebuyers are moving into. Almost 205,000 left Arizona during the same time period.
BI previously reported that home prices in Phoenix came down fast in mid-2023 after skyrocketing early in the pandemic. Zillow found that the average home value in Phoenix is $414,000, which was down 0.1% over the last year. Last year, the Phoenix housing market experienced the fewest sales since 2008.
Moving around the US
Ty was born and raised in central Ohio, where he found work at a large insurance company. As he built his way up, he accepted a promotion that allowed him to move to Florida with his family, where he lived in the early 2000s. He enjoyed Florida, though he accepted another promotion in Kentucky, then West Virginia, ultimately followed by one in the Indianapolis area — all with the same company.
“When I was younger in my career, I took the positions I needed to take to be somewhere I want to be,” Ty said.
In 2014, he moved to Overland Park, Kansas, for another work opportunity. He said the city was a great place to raise a family and was quite diverse. The area was a hub for healthcare, and the cost of living was lower than some other cities he lived in.
As he nears retirement, he said he was presented with a few options for where to move next both for work opportunities and retirement long-term. He decided between Phoenix, Nashville, and Tampa.
Phoenix suited his professional and retirement goals the best. While Kansas has an income tax of 5.7% on income above $30,000, Arizona has an income tax of 2.5%. While Florida has no income tax, he was drawn in more by the Phoenix area.
He knew housing would be more expensive in Phoenix, though. His home in Phoenix is about half the size and slightly more expensive than the $260,000 price tag of his Kansas home. Though he expects there’s still plenty of room for home value appreciation, and he said his home still comes in well below comparable prices in major California cities.
He knew it would somewhat balance out over the years though, as most of his daily expenses from food to auto and home insurance are cheaper in Phoenix.
“I was getting the overall reduction in the tax burden, the overall cost of living outside of housing was cheaper, my utilities are cheaper,” Ty said. “If you looked at the overall expenditures that I would have, it was 20% to 25% more, but in return, I was getting good year-round weather, ease of travel, looking into the lower future tax burden when I start to get into my 401(k).”
He’s seen prices for homes fall over the last year in Phoenix and nearby Scottsdale.
“With some recent stuff we’re hearing about the potential for mortgage rates going down, and with people having more confidence in the 401(k) economy, I think we’ve kind of seen the bottom of that and will start to see that go back up again,” Ty said.
Getting acclimated
While summers can get blistering hot in Phoenix — he moved in July 2023 when temperatures were among the highest ever recorded in the city — he views the weather as primarily a positive. He avoids the snowstorms he experienced in the Midwest, and he said temperatures in January are about 70 degrees during the day and in the 40s at night. The lack of humidity also makes the heat bearable, especially compared to Kansas, he said, though it’s taken him some time to get used to less frequent rain.
He enjoys how Phoenix is centrally located between California and other major cities in the state, such as Flagstaff. He’s noticed many new residents in Phoenix who have moved from neighboring states, which he didn’t observe as much in Kansas.
Phoenix is also opening up new technology facilities that will bring in a large influx of tech workers, he said. The city has also become an insurance and financial services hub that’s attracting younger professionals from other major cities.
Ty said that Phoenix is where he sees himself staying for the future, as he’s not ready to retire yet.
“I’m at a stage in my life where I’m not looking for that next career, but I’m also looking at what can I do to ensure I’m set up for the remainder of my life, and then I have something that I can pass on to generations in the family,” Ty said.
Have you recently moved to a new state? Reach out to this reporter at nsheidlower@businessinsider.com.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) – A Kansas City funeral home with a history of complaints is ordered to stop operating after an investigation found “continued violations.”
The Missouri State Board of Embalmers and Funeral Directors revoked the license for Savory and Sons Funeral Home. The funeral home is located near E. 43rd Street and Blue Ridge Boulevard in Kansas City, Mo.
The state provided information that shows the company received a probationary license in September 2020. The license was extended in July 2023, even after records show there was a second violation at the funeral home.
The Missouri State Board of Embalmers said it received further complaints about Savory and Sons, which caused it to hold a probationary hearing this week. The board said it decided to revoke the funeral home’s license after hearing testimony from people who complained about issues at the funeral home.
Some of the complaints include not receiving cremated remains of a family member, overcharging, and not receiving a death certificate.
The decision means Savory and Sons will no longer be able to hold funerals or practice as a funeral establishment in Missouri.
Due to the complaints about Savory and Sons, the Missouri Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Section is investigating the funeral home. Anyone who has issues with Savory and Sons is asked to call the attorney general’s consumer hotline at 800-392-8222.
Families with questions related to death certificates should contact the Missouri Electronic Vital Records support line at 573-751-6387. Select option 4.
The full findings of the investigation and the disciplinary order can be viewed below.
Copyright 2025 KCTV. All rights reserved.
KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Discussions are paving the way for community initiatives aimed at addressing housing and public transit needs in Kansas City, Kansas.
Several community leaders met Wednesday to talk about a new collaboration between ARES CDL Institute, Kansas City Kansas Community College, Turning Point Consulting and the Kansas Department for Children and Families.
Dr. Fabiola Riobé, a vice president at Kansas City Kansas Community College, emphasized the importance of collaboration in creating meaningful change.
Dale Messing/KSHB 41
“It’s only when we come together are we actually going to have something that pushes the needle forward,” she said.
This initiative stakeholders met about, including Mayor Tyrone Garner and a representative from U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, aims to provide Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) training to clients of the Housing Authority.
Dale Messing/KSHB 41
“Housing someone is not the end all,” said Andrea Tapia, executive director of the Kansas City, Kansas Housing Authority. “They still need wraparound services. There are still issues like transportation, issues like finding a job, childcare. All of those things still need to happen.”
Transportation is a central theme in the second initiative: the development of Redbud Reserve, a 192-unit garden-style affordable apartment community to be built on 10.63 acres at 6909 State Avenue.
Marian Development Group leads the project under Redbud Reserve LLC.
The Kansas City Transportation Authority’s (KCATA) Economic Development and Real Estate Committee approved the proposal, meaning that it now needs two votes of approval from the organization’s full board.
The first vote would take place on June 25 and the second vote on July 30.
“[The developer] helps build out transit infrastructure, and then we offer affordable housing to the region, and especially to our riders,” said Michael Riley, KCATA director of transit-oriented development and transit-oriented community.
The project, if approved, would be scheduled to begin in the fourth quarter of 2025 and end around the second quarter of 2027.
KCATA
It will also feature eight, three-story buildings, a clubhouse, playground and open spaces.
The vacant site is located within the RP-5 multifamily zoning district and has already received support from 8th District Commissioner Andrew Davis and KCKCC President Greg Mosier.
“This would be the first Transit-Oriented Community Development (TOCD) in Wyandotte County along the Bi-State Corridor supported by KCATA,” Riley said. “This would be pretty rare for KCK since it’s our first KCK facility.”
Riley says KCATA has approved eight TODC facilities in Kansas City, Missouri.
The development is expected to generate approximately $18 million in taxable construction purchases and long-term property tax revenue, while also increasing KCATA ridership.
Riley confirmed none of the cost comes from KCATA, which recently announced it was cutting the frequency of routes and service hours due to lack of funding.
Dale Messing/KSHB 41
“All that money comes from the developer, so for the most part, the developer brings the capital to us, they’ll help buy our bonds,” Riley said. “Our bonds help facilitate TOD, transit-oriented outcomes, and then they get the savings for the tax exemption.”
The $52.5 million development will be funded through various public-private partnerships, including 4% federal and state Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC), tax-exempt START conduit bonds, conventional debt, and sponsor equity.
Riley says the development team will fund the construction of a new bus stop and support KCATA’s Community Ambassadors program, which aims to enhance bus safety and provide social service support to riders in need.
Additionally, the developer has agreed to an impact payment contribution of $367,500 to Wyandotte County.
“I am excited about the prospect of this project, providing additional high-quality, safe, and affordable housing options for our students just across the street from the college,” said Mosier said in a release.
The first training event for the ARES CDL Institute project will take place on June 27 at Wyandotte Towers Community Center, 915 Washington Boulevard from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. for anyone looking to learn more about employment opportunities.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — People gathered in parts of downtown Kansas City, Missouri, Tuesday night holding signs of “solidarity.”
KSHB 41 News reporter Isabella Ledonne followed with protesters as they demonstrated underneath an Interstate 35 overpass just south of downtown near Kansas City’s Westside.
Protesters want ICE raids to stop
Demonstrators said they were showing support to their community in Kansas City and Los Angeles.
Parts of Los Angeles have been ground zero in a demonstration against federal government immigration enforcement efforts. Many in attendance on Tuesday in downtown Kansas City told KSHB 41 News they are immigrants themselves.
Jack McCormick
“I know what this feels like; it’s heartbreaking,” Kansas City protester Jessica Saucedo said. “I hate it. I don’t sleep.”
Protesters marched from the underpass east toward one of Kansas City’s iconic locations – the north lawn of the World War I Museum and Memorial.
KSHB
“I felt it was my right and my duty to come here as what I had to go through to come here and yell,” Saucedo said.
Leonardo Hernandez and Michelle Ramos explained public safety was top of mind, as numerous reports fled out of the protests in LA.
Jack McCormick
“I was a little nervous,” Hernandez said. “I’m not going to lie. I thought, you know, you never know what could happen at these events.”
Hernandez and Ramos told KSHB 41 reporter Isabella Ledonne they saw a fight break out between two men in the street, and they heard a firework explode.
“One little thing can trigger the whole crowd and we were doing a peaceful protest and that fight was so unnecessary,” Ramos said.
Jack McCormick
Even with that isolated incident, Hernandez said he’s glad he came out and share his voice.
“At the end of the day, what you are, what color it doesn’t matter, we’re here to support, make a change. Unity is very important,” he said.
Protesters marched around downtown for several hours on Tuesday evening, eventually blocking the intersection of Pershing and Main in front of Union Station. Several fireworks were set off in the evening, disrupting both lanes of traffic.
Jack McCormick
The crowd eventually dispersed around 11 p.m. on Tuesday. KCPD said no arrests were made, no injuries were reported and the demonstrations remained peaceful.
KSHB 41 reporter Isabella Ledonne reports on stories about government accountability. Share your story idea with Isabella.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
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