At the 2005-2007 American Community Survey Estimates, the city's population was 64.5% White (57.6% non-Hispanic White alone), 30.6% Black or African American, 1.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.4% Asian, 0.2% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, 3.6% from some other race and 2.4% from two or more races. 8.8% of the total population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. [1]
As of the census of 2000, there are 441,545 people, 183,981 households, and 107,444 families residing in the city. The population density is 1,408.2 people per square mile (543.7/km²). There are 202,334 housing units at an average density of 249.2 per square mile (645.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city is 54.68% White, 31.23% African American or Black, 0.48% Native American, 1.85% Asian, 0.11% Pacific Islander, 3.21% from other races, and 2.44% from two or more races. 6.93% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 183,981 households out of which 28.1% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.0% are married couples living together, 16.0% have a female householder with no husband present, and 41.6% are non-families. 34.1% of all households are made up of individuals and 9.4% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.35 and the average family size is 3.06.
In the city the population is spread out with 25.4% under the age of 18, 9.7% from 18 to 24, 32.5% from 25 to 44, 20.6% from 45 to 64, and 11.7% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 34 years. For every 100 females there are 93.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 89.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $37,198, and the median income for a family is $46,012. Males have a median income of $35,132 versus $27,548 for females. The per capita income for the city is $20,753. 14.3% of the population and 11.1% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 20.2% are under the age of 18 and 10.5% are 65 or older.
As of February 6, 2009, it was revealed that the US census had underestimated Kansas City's population, and re-released it to be 475,830 [6] with a metro area of over two million.[7]
First, it was at the confluence of the Missouri River and Kansas River and the launching pointing for travelers on the Santa Fe, Oregon, and California trails. Then with the construction of the Hannibal Bridge across the Missouri River it became the central location for 11 trunk railroads. More rail traffic in terms of tonnage still passes through the city than any other city in the country. TWA located its headquarters in the city and had ambitious plans to turn the city into an air hub for the world.
Missouri and Kansas were the first states to start building interstates with Interstate 70. Interstate 435, which encircles the entire city, is the second longest beltway in the nation. Today, Kansas City and its metropolitan area has more miles of limited access highway lanes per capita than any other large metro area in the United States, over 27% more than second-place Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex, over 50% more than the average American metro area and nearly 75% more than the metropolitan area with the least: Las Vegas. The Sierra Club in particular blames the extensive freeway network for excessive sprawl and the decline of central Kansas City. On the other hand, the relatively uncongested freeway network contributes significantly to Kansas City's position as one of America's largest logistics hubs.
Kansas City International Airport was built to the specifications of TWA to make a world hub for the supersonic transport and Boeing 747. Its passenger friendly design in which its gates were 100 feet (30 m) from the street has, since the September 11, 2001 attacks, required a costly overhaul to retrofit it to incorporate elements of a more conventional security system. Recent proposals have suggested replacing the three terminals with a new single terminal situated south of the existing runways, thus allowing the airport to operate during construction and to shave miles off the travel distance from downtown and the southern suburbs.
Charles B. Wheeler Downtown Airport was the original headquarters of Trans World Airlines and houses the Airline History Museum. It is still used for general aviation and airshows.
Like most American cities, Kansas City's mass transit system was originally rail-based. An electric trolley network ran through the city until 1957. The rapid sprawl in the following years led this privately run system to be shut down. The Kansas City Area Transportation Authority (KCATA) was formed with the signing of a Bi-State compact created by the Missouri and Kansas legislatures on December 28, 1965. The compact gives the KCATA responsibility for planning, construction, owning and operating passenger transportation systems and facilities within the seven-county Kansas City metropolitan area. These include the counties of Cass, Clay, Jackson, and Platte in Missouri, and Johnson, Leavenworth, and Wyandotte in Kansas.
In July 2005, the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority (KCATA) launched Kansas City's first Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line called "MAX" (Metro Area Express). MAX links the vibrant River Market, Downtown, Union Station, Crown Center and the Country Club Plaza. This corridor boasts over 150,000 jobs, as well as some of the area's most prestigious real estate and treasured cultural amenities. By design, MAX operates and is marketed more like a rail system than a local bus line. A unique identity was created for MAX, including 13 modern diesel buses and easily identifiable "stations". MAX features state-of-the-art technology to deliver customers a high level of reliability, speed and comfort.
Kansas City does not currently have a subway or light rail system. Several proposals to build one have been rejected by voters in the past. However, the city is currently in the development phase of a starter light rail system. On November 7, 2006, Kansas City voters approved a ballot initiative brought forward by Clay Chastain from Virginia, proposing a city-wide light rail system paid for by a 3/8-cent sales tax that currently funds 40% of Kansas City's bus system. That sales tax, which will expire April 2009, would have been brought to vote for renewal, but the citizen petition for light rail occurred before this could happen. The initiative requires a 27-mile (43 km) light rail line running from the Kansas City Zoo, through the city's urban core, and out to Kansas City International Airport. In addition to the light rail system, the initiative requires a gondola system that will link Kansas City's Union Station with the Liberty Memorial, the purchase of 60 hybrid electric busses and the removal of street access through Penn Valley Park, adjacent to the Liberty Memorial. The KCATA estimates that to build the entire light rail system as written will cost between $1.4 and $1.6 billion. The original price tag presented to voters for the line was just below $800 million. The Chastain Plan was overturned by the City Council and is now in litagation. In August 2007, it was announced by the KCATA that an Alternatives Analysis study of the voter-approved light rail plan had a $415 million funding shortfall, even if the federal government paid half of planned construction costs. This study also revealed that the November 2006 plan had technical problems including issues with bridges, steep inclines, and sharp turns beyond typical tolerances. The City Council repealed the vote in November 2007 and placed an alternative plan on a November 2008 ballot. The KCATA completed its Alternatives Analysis in Spring 2008. The measure was defeated.
Kansas City has a long history with streetcars and trolleys. From 1870-1957 Kansas City's streetcar system was among the top in the country, with over 300 miles (480 km) of track at its peak. Following the decision to scrap the system, many of its former streetcars have been serving other American cities for a long time. In 2007, ideas and plans arose to add normal trolley lines, as well as possibly fast streetcars to the city's Downtown for the first time in decades. These proposals are being seen as possible first steps in implementing a larger mass transit network, that would include light rail.