City comparison
No. Winston Salem's crime index is 203 versus 343 in Kansas City, and its violent crime index is 225 versus 423, using 2024-2025 FBI data.
Winston Salem is cheaper. Median rent is $1,087 a month versus $1,238 in Kansas City.
Safety is where Kansas City and Winston Salem split most clearly. Winston Salem scores 140 points better on the crime index, a gap that shows up in evening walks, parking situations, and insurance rates. Rent runs $1,238 in Kansas City and $1,087 in Winston Salem.
Neither city has a clear overall edge here. Winston Salem costs less and Kansas City pays more: the right call depends on whether you are optimizing for take-home pay or monthly burn rate. Both are defensible choices for different reasons.
The crime gap is citywide. Winston Salem has rougher pockets and Kansas City has quiet ones: the index tells you the average, not your block.
The move
Kansas City and Winston Salem are 811 miles apart in a straight line.
Median rent goes from $1,238 a month in Kansas City to $1,087 a month in Winston Salem, down $151 a month (12%).
Median household income goes from $69,166 in Kansas City to $59,268 in Winston Salem, down $9,898 (14%).
The crime index goes from 343 in Kansas City to 203 in Winston Salem, down 140 points (41%).
The move
Winston Salem and Kansas City are 811 miles apart in a straight line.
Median rent goes from $1,087 a month in Winston Salem to $1,238 a month in Kansas City, up $151 a month (14%).
Median household income goes from $59,268 in Winston Salem to $69,166 in Kansas City, up $9,898 (17%).
The crime index goes from 203 in Winston Salem to 343 in Kansas City, up 140 points (69%).
Kansas City, MO
School quality varies by neighborhood. Check GreatSchools.org for current ratings.
Winston Salem, NC
School quality varies by neighborhood. Check GreatSchools.org for current ratings.
Comparing Kansas City and Winston Salem? Check mortgage rates before you decide where to buy.
Rent
12% cheaper
Winston Salem rent is 12% cheaper than Kansas City
Kansas City
$1,238/mo
Winston Salem
Winner$1,087/mo
Typical rent runs $1,087 a month in Winston Salem versus $1,238 in Kansas City, so Winston Salem is 12% cheaper. A meaningful but not dramatic gap. Factor it into your budget alongside salary differences between the two markets. Over a year the spread is about $1,812, enough to notice in savings, not enough to ignore schools, safety, or pay. Winston Salem still wins on housing cost; just do not let a 10–20% rent edge override a job that only exists in Kansas City.
Planning to buy in Winston Salem? Check mortgage rates before you decide.
Median income
17% higher
Kansas City's median income is 17% higher than Winston Salem
Kansas City
Winner$69,166
Winston Salem
$59,268
Median household income is $69,166 in Kansas City versus $59,268 in Winston Salem, so typical pay runs 17% higher in Kansas City (about $9,898 more household income a year). Higher median income usually signals a stronger local job market and better negotiating leverage on salary. Remote workers should weigh this against cost of living rather than treating it as a direct personal benefit. For people who will actually work in town, Kansas City is the stronger labor market on paper. Winston Salem can still win if housing is cheap enough to offset the weaker median or if your specific role already pays well there.
Crime index
41% lower crime
Winston Salem's crime index is 41% lower than Kansas City
Kansas City
343 (100 = avg)
Winston Salem
Winner203 (100 = avg)
Winston Salem's crime index is 203 versus 343 in Kansas City (100 = national average), so citywide crime runs 41% lower in Winston Salem. That gap is meaningful day-to-day. It affects whether you feel comfortable walking at night, leaving your car on the street, or letting kids play outside unsupervised. Indexes still compress a lot of reality: a calmer city has blocks you would skip, and a higher-crime city has streets that feel neighborly at 10 p.m. On the everyday test of walking from the car to the door, Winston Salem is the easier city. Kansas City can still work if you pick the right pocket. Just budget more diligence before you sign a lease.
Typical weather
7% more comfortable
Kansas City weather is 7% more comfortable than Winston Salem
Kansas City
Winner58°F avg · 66°F highs · comfort 80/100
Winston Salem
56°F avg · 66°F highs · comfort 75/100
Kansas City averages about 58°F (66°F highs); Winston Salem averages about 56°F (66°F highs). Kansas City averages around 58°F, so jackets, heating bills, and shorter outdoor seasons are part of daily life. Winston Salem averages around 56°F, so jackets, heating bills, and shorter outdoor seasons are part of daily life. Kansas City scores 7% closer to the 65-80°F comfort band on this page, so it is the easier default for year-round outdoor errands and evenings. Choose Winston Salem if you already prefer its hotter or cooler pattern and have budgeted for the AC or heating that comes with it.
Fit check
Career-focused movers who want salary upside plus year-round outdoor access
It is also a match for career-focused movers who want salary upside and year-round outdoor access. Median household income runs 17% higher ($69,166), and typical weather is the more comfortable of the two (around 58°F). That pairing is for people who will work hard and then actually use the evenings.
Fit check
Families with young children and retirees who prioritize peace of mind over urban energy
Winston Salem is the clearer landing pad if housing cost is what keeps you up at night. Typical rent is 12% cheaper here at about $1,087 a month. Choose Winston Salem if you are stretching a salary, starting over, or want slack for travel and debt instead of a flashier skyline.
Winston Salem is the better fit for families with young children and retirees who prioritize peace of mind over urban energy. The crime index is 41% lower than Kansas City (203 vs a 100 national average). That gap shows up in how freely you walk at night and how much attention you spend on the car and the deadbolt.
Bottom line
Kansas City carries the heavier crime signal on this page (23/100 safety vs 38/100 in Winston Salem). That 15-point spread matters more than the $151 rent gap when you are choosing where to walk after dark.
Winston Salem rent at $1,087/month is still below Kansas City's $1,238, so cost-sensitive households should weigh the lease before the paycheck.
Typical rent stays $1,087 in Winston Salem and $1,238 in Kansas City.
Winston Salem clears the bar on safety in this dataset. Kansas City deserves a serious look only when you already know the Kansas City block you would live on and the safety gap is acceptable.
Common questions
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Nearby research
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