Chill suburban lifestyle with abundant parks and lakes close to major metro-area amenities
Lee's Summit is a lush, hilly suburban oasis located 20 miles southeast of downtown Kansas City, Missouri. With a population of 106,000, it attracts families and working professionals seeking abundant natural beauty — including expansive green spaces and lakes — an outstanding public school district and a mix of lifestyle options. Residents can choose from Lee’s Summit’s many tranquil suburban neighborhoods or opt to live in its bustling downtown area. The city’s proximity to Interstate 470 and U.S. Highway 50, also makes for easy commutes.
Lee's Summit began as the Town of Strother, with a population of only 100 people in 1865. Three years later, it became the Town of Lee's Summit and was named after a prominent local physician and for being the highest point between Kansas City and St. Louis. Today, Lee's Summit has become one of the fastest-growing communities in the state, with a population that's grown 13 times larger since 1960, and is now known as the sixth most populous city in Missouri. Nowhere is that growth more evident than in the city's vibrant and charming downtown district where revitalization efforts that began in the 1990s continue. New projects such as Green Street, a new mixed-use development with a year-round market and indoor and outdoor event venues, is forthcoming. "They're very good at designing neighborhoods and coordinating that with the commercial efforts to ensure that it is the place people want to go," says Joey Zarrillo, board member for Lee’s Summit’s Chamber of Commerce and a Realtor with Re/Max Heritage." People from cities all around will now go to downtown Lee's Summit for the restaurants and shops because it's just a really cool place to go," And thanks to a relatively wide availability of land, Lee's Summit is poised for continued growth. "There's room to add more neighborhoods, including single-family and multi-family housing and some commercial stuff," Zarrillo says.
"It's definitely a growing, thriving city,” Zarrillo continues. “The economy downtown is one of the best, if not the best, in the area.” The city enjoys a solid employment base, with many public-sector and healthcare jobs. Major employers include the city government, the Lee's Summit R-7 School District, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and healthcare sector employers such as the Lee's Summit Medical Center, Truman Medical Center-Lakewood and Saint Luke's Health Systems. The Lee's Summit Medical Center provides 24/7 emergency care. Saint Luke's East Hospital is another top-rated medical facility that offers primary care and specialty services, including 24-hour on-call service for non-emergency needs.
Town of Lee's Summit was named after a prominent local physician.
Lees Summit attracts families and working professionals seeking abundant natural beauty.
Spring and fall here are mild, while summers can be hot and muggy and winters usually get cold.
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Neighborhoods of every stripe, from downtown charm to Winterset luxury
Residents can choose from various lifestyle feels, from the walkable, urban vibe in the downtown district to spacious, lake-filled neighborhoods with lots of green space. At $375,000, the median home price is lower than the national median price of $416,700.
Entry-level homes here start at around $250,000. "Starting prices used to be around $150,000, but in the last few years, it's just gone crazy. Prices can go up to the millions if you're going to areas like Lakewood or Park Ridge Summit," Zarrillo says. The city offers a variety of architectural styles and price ranges, and its neighborhoods cater to everyone from single professionals to empty-nesters to young families.
Downtown is one of the most desirable areas for those seeking a walkable lifestyle with easy access to shopping, dining and entertainment options. Professionals and first-time buyers tend to look here, where options include bungalows and split-levels, as well as ranch-styles and Craftsman homes. Many of these properties are located near revitalized public spaces that help to retain the area's historic charm.
West of downtown, the Winterset area features six family-friendly neighborhoods with many parks and trails and home prices ranging from $500,000 to $1 million.
East of downtown, Summit Square offers a suburban lifestyle with urban convenience. At the same time, Raintree Lake and Lakewood are popular with those who enjoy waterfront living. Townhouses and single-family homes in Raintree Lake sell for between $350,000 to $650,000. While those in Lakewood, which also has its own golf course and multiple swimming pools, can sell for over $1 million. Longview Farms is within walking distance of coffee shops, restaurants and the Longview Community College, and homes here sell for between $500,000 and $1 million.
Downtown is one of the most desirable areas for those seeking a walkable lifestyle
Lees Summit is home to many golf courses.
Longview Farms is within walking distance of coffee shops and restaurants.
Prices can go up to the millions if you're going to areas like Lakewood or Park.
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Longview Lake and Legacy Park offer splendid locations for water sports and lakeside views
Lee's Summit is home to 31 well-maintained parks that offer everything from fishing to disc golf and pickleball. Lakes are prominently featured in the city's many green spaces and popular spots, like the 700-acre Legacy Park includes a 22-acre lake with a fishing dock at its center. The park also offers a scenic overlook, expansive play areas, trails and sports fields. Longview Lake is another large public lake where people like to squeeze in some Midwestern "beach time," while others opt to boat, fish or swim. Another beach-like option that is especially popular in the summer months is the Summit Waves water park.
One of Zarrillo's favorite spots in Lee's Summit is downtown's Lea McKeegan Park, which features "a really cool skate park," volleyball courts and picnic areas. As with other areas of the city, officials are working to renovate and expand park areas, including the 178-acre Shamrock Hills Golf Club and property to its south. The City Council is also considering a proposal for a $418 million mixed-use recreation and residential project here in the coming years.
Lees Summit is a lake-filled neighborhoods with lots of green space.
Lees Summit includes a 178-acre Shamrock Hills Golf Club.
Legacy Park includes play areas, trails and sports fields.
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Niche ranks Lee's Summit R-7 top school district in Jackson County
Niche rates Lee's Summit R-7 School District as the top school district in Jackson County. Serving nearly 18,000 students from kindergarten through 12th grade, this A-rated district includes three high schools, four middle schools and 18 elementary schools. In addition, the district also offers an alternative secondary school, a secondary technology academy, an early education center and a special education day treatment center.
Private school options here include the Summit Christian Academy, known for its rigorous academic curriculum based on Christian principles. Longview Community College is also nearby and the school recently added a diesel automotive program to prepare students for jobs expected to remain in demand. “They're very innovative," Zarrillo says.
Niche rates Lee's Summit R-7 School District as the top school district in Jackson County.
The city of Lees Summit operates over 30 public parks.
Lees Summit also offers private school options.
Lees Summit school district is serving nearly 18,000 students.
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Growing downtown district offers unique retail and dining options
In 2023, the city opened Downtown Marketplace Plaza, which it expects to become a major regional hub for commerce and community. The plaza has an event space, a farmers' market, and an outdoor performance and event space. The city's vibrant downtown district features a variety of stores, antique shops, restaurants and breweries.
"There's this really cool place, a gourmet coffee shop called Hand in Glove in the morning that turns into a speakeasy called The W at night," Zarrillo says.
Lees Summit has a bustling downtown area.
Growing downtown district offers Lees Summit locals many unique retail and dining options.
Lees Summit attracts many young families.
In 2023, the city opened Downtown Marketplace Plaza.
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A 15-minute drive to where Super Bowl champs the Chiefs play
Lee's Summit offers plenty of activities for residents to enjoy, from farmers' markets to art walks to performances by the Lee's Summit Symphony. Popular seasonal events include Oktoberfest, Shamrock the Block, the Gold Coin Hunt kids' scavenger hunt, father-daughter dances and even Super Smash Bros. video game tournaments.
"We also have great sports teams," Zarrillo says. "You can be at a Chief's game in 10 to 15 minutes." Lee’s Summit is only 13 miles from the Truman Sports Complex, where the 2024 Super Bowl champions — the Kansas City Chiefs — regularly play. Residents can catch a game at GEHA Stadium amidst a sea of red and gold. The 2015 World Series Champions, the Kansas City Royals, also play nearby at Kauffman Stadium. About 20 miles away in Independence, the Kansas City Current, Kansas City's National Women's Soccer League plays at CPKC Stadium. CPKC, which opened in 2024, is the world's only sports stadium designed for professional women athletes.
Lees Summit residents can choose from various lifestyle feels.
Lee's Summit offers activities from farmers' markets to art walks.
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Crime
Lee's Summit officials are proud of the city's standing in terms of public safety. "You aren't going to find a community that's much better as far as the incidence of violent crime is concerned," Lee's Summit Police Department’s public information officer, Sgt. Chris Depue says. "We enjoy a tremendously low incidence of crime. Violent crime is almost non-existent with zero to two homicides a year, if at all." Property crime and retail theft are the department's biggest challenges. According to the FBI Crime Data Explorer, Lee's Summit's crime rate is slightly below the national average, with 2,236 incidents per 100,000 people compared to the national average of 2,324. In 2023, the city reported 176 violent crimes per 100,000 people, compared to the national average of 376 per 100,000 people. Property crimes for that period were 2,098 per 100,000 people, compared to the national average of 1954 per 100,000.
Interstate 470 and U.S. Highway 50 make for easy commute
Interconnected highways and transportation hubs in Lee’s Summit include the downtown Amtrak station and a municipal airport for non-commercial flights. Lee's Summit is close to major highways like Interstate 470 and U.S. Highway 50, both of which connect to downtown Kansas City and beyond.
Denise discovered a passion for real estate when she started buying investment property. Buying and/or selling a home is an important milestone in a person's life and it brings her great joy to help people find that perfect home. Armed with a wealth of experience in advertising and marketing, she can creatively market your home to prospective buyers. And if you're a buyer, she knows how to help you find that house you will love! Denise's husband, Scott, is also a realtor and they work together to bring you the tools you need to make the best real estate decisions. Her promise to you is to always be there for you...buyer, seller or investor...every step of the way and to bring added value to your real estate experience. Denise is a member of the National Association of Realtors (NAR) and is a Certified Real Estate Negotiator, as well as a Senior Real Estate Specialist and Accredited Buyers Representative.
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