Photo: TheCatalyst31 with modifications by Kbh3rd · CC BY-SA 3.0Households in Independence have lower incomes than those in 73% of U.S. towns
Independence grades C+ for jobs and income and B+ for walkability. 15.8% of residents are in poverty, next to 12.6% for Missouri as a whole. About one in seven work in Independence; the top destination outside it is Kansas City (33%, 11 miles).
Census ACS 2020–24, Census LEHD 2023, EPA Smart Location Database. How the two grades are made
Getting to work from Independence, in brief
The figures behind Independence’s Jobs & income grade
On income, poverty, unemployment and job access, Independence is better than 39% of U.S. towns, #120 of 247 in Missouri. Job access by car holds Independence’s grade up (ahead of 87% of U.S. towns); the poverty rate pulls it down.
A fairly firm grade. Within the Census margins of error for income, poverty and unemployment, Independence could be anywhere from C to B−.
How a workday changes Independence
On a workday 44,356 residents head out to work, 8,526 work right here, and 27,396 people come in from elsewhere.
About 105,000 people are in Independence on a workday afternoon, 14% fewer than live here.
0.68 jobs for every working resident, so most people commute out.
Workday population = residents − those who work elsewhere + those who come in (the Census “commuter-adjusted” method). Residents: Census survey; commuters: LEHD 2023, primary jobs.
The places Independence commutes to
Where Independence clocks in
33% of workers
4% of workersLines run between town centers. The top 10 towns each way; “Everywhere else” is the rest, including other states.
A thicker line means more commuters. Switch between where residents work and where the people who work here live.
What work there is in Independence: 35,922 jobs
What kind of work
What it pays
Who does it
Jobs based in Independence, 2013 → 2023: 39,815 → 35,922. Big swings can come from how a large employer reports its locations, not only from real openings or closings.
Primary jobs covered by unemployment insurance (not the self-employed). Pay is monthly earnings. LEHD 2023.
Here is what they are, next to the jobs Independence’s own residents hold wherever they work.
The trip to work from Independence: about 24 minutes
Round trip, about 230 workdays a year: roughly 7.6 full days in the car, bus or train.
Average commute minutes, one way
of Independence workers work from home, vs 13% across Missouri. Their commute is the hallway.
Share of the 49,064 commuters (the 12% who work from home are left out). Across Missouri: 86% drive alone, 1% take transit; U.S.: 81% and 4%. Census ACS 2020–24.
From the Census survey of workers who don’t work from home.
Half of Independence commutes less than 11 miles
Straight-line distance from each worker’s home block to their main job’s block. LEHD 2023.
Every working resident’s trip, home to work, as the crow flies. Roads add to it, so real drives run longer.
For most of Independence, work means a drive
On EPA’s walkability index and the share of commuters who walk, bike or take transit, Independence is more walkable than 69% of U.S. towns, #90 of 247 in Missouri. The street layout scores higher than the way people actually get to work: 1.6% of commuters walk, bike or take transit, below the 3.2% across Missouri.
A firm grade. EPA’s index has no published margin of error; the commuting share comes from a Census survey of 55,971 workers.
How TownRatings grades walkability →
Transit service (shown, not graded). 70% of residents live within a ¾-mile walk of a bus or train stop, 19% within a quarter mile. At the weekday evening rush, about 1.7 trips an hour stop near the typical resident, more than in 66% of the 9,825 U.S. towns with transit data.
Transit at the evening rush trips an hour stopping within ¼ mile of the typical resident, EPA 2020
Households without a car (shown, not graded). 8.1% of Independence households have no vehicle (Missouri 6.6%, U.S. 8.4%). 1% of Independence’s commuters take a bus or train.
These are town averages; neighborhoods differ.
Independence next to U.S. towns of 85,000 to 164,000: 259th of 344 on jobs and income
| # | Town | People | Household income | Poverty | Unemployment | Work in town | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Jordan UT | 87,614 | $134K | 3.7% | 2.4% | 10% | A+ |
| 2 | Carmel IN | 105,634 | $142K | 3.9% | 2.7% | 23% | A+ |
| 3 | Clay Township IN | 104,932 | $142K | 3.9% | 2.7% | 23% | A+ |
| … | |||||||
| 17 | O'Fallon MO | 96,101 | $110K | 5.4% | 2.7% | 15% | A |
| … | |||||||
| 52 | Lee's Summit MO | 107,514 | $103K | 5.7% | 3.8% | 20% | A |
| … | |||||||
| 156 | Columbia MO | 130,851 | $66K | 19.3% | 4.0% | 69% | B |
| … | |||||||
| 257 | Odessa TX | 122,707 | $73K | 16.2% | 5.9% | 43% | C+ |
| 258 | Palm Bay FL | 148,092 | $73K | 11.7% | 6.1% | 19% | C+ |
| 259 | Independence MO | 121,675 | $60K | 15.8% | 5.6% | 16% | C+ |
| 260 | Pompano Beach FL | 117,211 | $67K | 15.2% | 8.0% | 15% | C+ |
| 261 | Athens GA | 129,921 | $54K | 26.0% | 5.2% | 46% | C+ |
| … | |||||||
| 344 | Macon-Bibb County GA | 157,556 | $51K | 24.7% | 8.1% | 53% | D |
Census ACS 2020–24 (income, poverty, unemployment), Census LEHD (work in town), TownRatings Jobs & income grades. Each town links to its Work & commute page.
Ranked on the Jobs & income grade: the towns either side of Independence, the top three, the last and three more from Missouri.
44% of Independence works in a town next door
Average commute minutes, one way
Jobs & commute next door
| Town | Independence workers there | Jobs & income | Walkability | Commute | Household income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independence | – | C+ | B+ | 24 min | $60,339 |
| Blue Springs | 4% | A− | C+ | 26 min | $88,920 |
| Kansas City | 33% | B− | A | 22 min | $69,166 |
| Sugar Creek | under 2% | B− | B | 24 min | $62,165 |
| Lee's Summit | 7% | A | B− | 25 min | $102,531 |
| Blue Summit | under 2% | C | C− | 27 min | $58,813 |
Same-state neighbors only. Commute: average minutes each way, Census ACS 2020–24.
The biggest share goes to Kansas City. Darker towns draw more of Independence’s workers. Tap a town to see its commute.
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Two sources, two years. Trips, distances and jobs based here: Census LEHD 2023, primary jobs, where the employer reports them. Income, poverty, unemployment, commute time and how people travel: Census ACS 2020–24 averages.
- Straight lines, older transit. Miles are as the crow flies. EPA’s walkability and transit files use 2017–20 inputs.
Jobs and commuting in Independence: questions
What is the median household income in Independence?
$60,339 (±$2,199) (Census ACS 2020–24), against $70,702 across Missouri and $80,734 nationally.
What is the poverty rate in Independence?
15.8%, against 12.6% across Missouri and 12.5% nationally (Census ACS 2020–24).
How long is the commute from Independence?
24 minutes each way on average, against 24 across Missouri and 26 nationally. 12% of workers work from home.
Where do people who live in Independence work?
16% work in town. The top destinations elsewhere are Kansas City (33%, 11 mi), Lee's Summit (7%, 12 mi), Blue Springs (4%, 7 mi) (Census LEHD 2023).
Is Independence walkable?
Independence is more walkable than 69% of U.S. towns (Walkability B+): an EPA walkability index of 11.4 out of 20, and 2% of commuters walk, bike or take transit.
Can you get around Independence without a car?
1% of commuters take transit and 8% of households have no car. 19% of residents live within a quarter mile of a stop.
Commuter talk
Getting to work from Independence, from the people who make the trip.
More of Independence
Flows, distances and jobs: U.S. Census Bureau, LEHD Origin-Destination Employment Statistics (LODES 8), 2023, primary jobs. Commute time, working from home and working out of state: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates. Distances are straight lines between home and work; real drives run longer. Walkability index, job access and transit service: U.S. EPA Smart Location Database. The two grades are our own summaries of these figures, not official ratings.