Kansas City's Major Employers & the Best Places to Rent Near Them | A Local Expert Guide

Hey, there! I’m Amber, your ApartmentHomeLiving.com local expert for Kansas City, and I’m back with my recommendations for top employers in the area.

The local job market is one of the things that makes this city great. In fact, when I relocated to this town a few years back, the job opportunities were one of the big reasons why I chose KC. We may not be Silicon Valley, but we have a surprisingly robust tech sector. Healthcare jobs are plentiful, and our central location in the heart of America makes us a shipping, logistics, and agricultural hub. As the Paris of the Plains, we also have a thriving arts and culture scene, which is ideal for creatives who prefer a more relaxed, Midwestern vibe compared to larger, busier cities.

Current Rental Pricing for Apartments in Kansas City

Ready to start your apartment search in KC? Below, I’ll show you some of the top employers that everyone is talking about — and a few great neighborhoods that will put you in close proximity to each one.

Oracle (Formerly Cerner)

Here in KC, Oracle (formerly called Cerner, which is the name most around here will recognize) is famous as one of the biggest employers around. They’re a health information technology provider that employs 13,000 people just at the KC headquarters. Ask a native, and most will nod and agree that there are always a variety of positions available — and many will be able to recount personal experiences or tell you stories from friends and family who work there.

Oracle has three campuses in Kansas City. Two are north of the Missouri River — the World Headquarters, and the Riverport Campus — and the Innovation Center campus is in South KC.

Chouteau Estates

Chouteau Estates is a quiet neighborhood just north of the Missouri River — and that puts it within walking distance of the Buckeye Greenway plus trails along the riverfront itself. Notably, it’s also situated between two of Oracle’s locations: It’s bordered by the World Headquarters to the west and the Riverport Campus to the east.

Cooley Highlands

Cooley Highlands is also super close to both of the campuses that are north of the river. In fact, it’s just to the north of the World Headquarters, which means you can walk to work or walk to one of the many parks that surround this neighborhood.

Colonial Square

A little further to the north, you have the Colonial Square neighborhood. While it’s still super close to both of the Oracle campuses that are north of the River, it’s also a little closer to shopping and other amenities. If you’re looking for somewhere to start out, Colonial Square is likely to have some of the most affordable rentals near Oracle’s northern offices.

Park Farms

If you want to work at the Oracle-Cerner Innovations Campus in South KC, you’ll probably want to skip the neighborhoods above and instead start your search in a place like Park Farms, which is a mile or two north of the Innovation Campus. This area features a diverse selection of rentals: Everything from small, affordable homes and apartments to large single-family homes and luxury apartments for rent.

Marlborough Heights Pride

In the market for a rental home rather than an apartment? Marlborough Heights Pride is a quiet suburb with a great selection of small to midsize homes — and it’s only a couple of miles to the west of the Innovation Campus.

2. Garmin

You’re likely familiar with Garmin: They’re a major producer of GPS-enabled gadgets and wearable tech — and their headquarters happens to be right here in Kansas City. In fact, Garmin has several campuses clustered together on the southwest side of KC, just to the south and west of our largest suburb, Overland Park. Among natives, Garmin has a good reputation as a steady employer with great benefits and a positive work environment — definitely a good place to add to your job search.

Lenexa

If you’re pursing a career with Garmin, definitely check out Lenexa, which is to the north of the company’s facilities (and on the Kansas side of Kansas City). The quality of life is fantastic here, with plenty of affordable housing options plus close proximity to great schools, lots of parks, and convenient shopping, dining, and entertainment destinations.

Oak Park

On the southern border of Lenexa, you’ll find the Oak Park neighborhood. You’ll find even more housing options here, and it’s just as close to amenities like parks, shopping, and dining as Lenexa is. However, this Kansas-side neighborhood is a little more suburban — and it puts you slightly closer to Garmin facilities.

South Overland Park

Next up, we have South Overland Park, which is a big place with a plethora of housing options. It’s a short distance to the northeast of Garmin’s facilities — and it’s ideal for anyone who is looking for a quiet suburban lifestyle.

3. Burns & McDonnell

If you can get hired at Burns & McDonnell, do it! This organization is a large engineering firm that also deals in construction, environmental work, and consulting. There are usually positions available, though some will require specialized skills and education. Even so, they’re known around town for offering some of the best compensation packages you’ll find. Burns & McDonnell has two offices in close proximity to each other in South KC: One on State Line Road, which runs down the Kansas-Missouri border, and the other just a couple of blocks to the east.

Boone Hills

If you’re looking for a quiet suburb that puts you within walking distance of the Burns & McDonnell offices, Boone Hills is where you want to be. Most of the rentals here are single family homes, though you may find a small selection of apartments in adjacent neighborhoods. In addition to the close proximity to Burns, this neighborhood also places you close to groceries and other essentials along State Line Road.

Ward Parkway

Ward Parkway is a little further from Burns, but since this neighborhood is bordered on the west by State Line Road, it’s just a quick trip down the street to get to work, go grocery shopping, or run errands. Housing options are a little more diverse here. It’s still a quiet suburb, but it usually has more available homes and apartments for rent.

Leawood Estates

In the market for upscale homes and apartments to rent? Check out Leawood Estates. This neighborhood is on the Kansas side of the state line, situated a short distance southwest of the Burns offices. It’s within walking distance not only of amenities on State Line Road, but also shopping, entertainment, and other things to do along 103rd Street.

4. St. Luke Health System

If you’re interested in working in the healthcare sector, whether as a provider, an administrator, or in research, Kansas City has several good options to look into. The St. Luke’s Health System is one of the best. It can be a high-pressure setting if you’re a healthcare provider, but despite that, locals report great benefits and compensation as well as an overall positive culture.

Since St. Lukes has hospitals and offices all over the metro, rather than recommending neighborhoods near to any one location, I’ll pick show you a few of the best so that you can find Kansas City rentals near to whatever St. Luke’s location you choose.

The Coves

Situated in the northwestern corner of the KC metro, The Coves is a big neighborhood that offers loads of options for Kansas City rentals. You’ll find everything from beautifully appointed but affordable apartments to small starter homes and even a few high end homes for rent. This happens to be my stomping grounds — and I love it for the quiet suburban vibe that puts me within minutes of groceries and other essentials along with some of the best shopping in the metro.

Downtown KCMO

Downtown KCMO is my former stomping grounds, and I can’t recommend it enough if you’re just getting started in this city. First of all, if you enjoy high-rise living in beautiful apartments, you’ll find no lack of affordable options. This is also a really well-connected city, so if you’re unsure which St. Luke’s location you may find yourself at, Downtown living ensures that you’ll be no more than 20 minutes away from any of them. Lastly, when you’re not at work, Downtown gives you plenty of options to play. Explore boutiques, cafes, a great selection of restaurants, or go out on Friday night to catch one of the live jazz bands that this city is famous for.

Lea Manor

Located just east of Overland Park, but on the Missouri side of the city, Lea Manor is one of the more upscale neighborhoods of Kansas City — but it’s not so trendy that housing is unaffordable. Actually, you’ll find a great selection of apartments in all price ranges, and this neighborhood will put you in close proximity not only to several St. Luke’s hospitals, but also the health system’s corporate office.

Wrapping Up

As I said, the job market and the diversity of industry are some of the largest reasons why I moved to this city. While the employers I’ve mentioned are some of the largest and most talked about, there are many more opportunities to be found throughout the metro.

Even better, our rental market makes it easy to find affordable Kansas City apartments just about anywhere in the metro. No matter where you choose to work, it won’t be difficult to find a nearby neighborhood where you can put down roots.