Frederick Krause Mansion · Photo: JERRYE & ROY KLOTZ MD · CC BY-SA 3.0Unemployment in Platte City (2.9%) is lower than in 71% of U.S. towns
6% of workers work from home (Missouri 13%). For jobs and income Platte City is better than 66% of U.S. towns (B+); for walkability it is more walkable than 40% of U.S. towns (C+). Measured by household income, Platte City is behind 56% of U.S. towns.
Census ACS 2020–24, Census LEHD 2023, EPA Smart Location Database. How the two grades are made
What sets Platte City apart on work
Platte City and Kansas City trade workers both ways
Kansas City is the top workplace for Platte City residents (31%) and also where the most people who work in Platte City come from (21% of its jobs). The commute map ↓
A lot of Platte City workers cross into Kansas
19% of Platte City workers work outside Missouri, most of them in Kansas, the Census survey finds. The commute map ↓
Written from the Census figures on this page. Commute flows, distances and jobs are Census LEHD 2023, primary jobs only (the self-employed aren’t counted); commute time and working from home are from the Census American Community Survey.
Where Platte City’s Jobs & income grade comes from
Job access by car holds Platte City’s grade up (ahead of 80% of U.S. towns); household income pulls it down ($71,498, U.S. $80,734). It also does well on unemployment.
A rough placement. Within the Census margins of error for income, poverty and unemployment, Platte City could be anywhere from C+ to A.
31% of working residents work in Kansas City
Where Platte City clocks in
31% of workers
6% 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.
Who leaves Platte City for work, and who comes in
On a workday 2,037 residents head out to work, 280 work right here, and 2,556 people come in from elsewhere.
About 5,400 people are in Platte City on a workday afternoon, 11% more than live here.
About as many jobs as working residents (1.22 per resident).
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 kinds of work in Platte City
2,836 jobs are based in Platte City.
What kind of work
What it pays
Who does it
Jobs based in Platte City, 2013 → 2023: 2,365 → 2,836. 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 Platte City’s own residents hold wherever they work.
How long Platte City spends getting to work: about 22 minutes
Round trip, about 230 workdays a year: roughly 7.1 full days in the car, bus or train.
Average commute minutes, one way
of Platte City workers work from home, vs 13% across Missouri. Their commute is the hallway.
Share of the 2,384 commuters (the 6% 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.
Platte City’s commute, mile by mile
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.
Platte City is a driving town
The street layout scores higher than the way people actually get to work: 0.1% 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 2,542 workers.
How TownRatings grades walkability →
Transit service (shown, not graded). 0% of residents live within a ¾-mile walk of a bus or train stop, 0% within a quarter mile. At the weekday evening rush, about under 0.1 trips an hour stop near the typical resident, more than in 20% 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). 5.9% of Platte City households have no vehicle (Missouri 6.6%, U.S. 8.4%). <1% of Platte City’s commuters take a bus or train.
Platte City places 1,403rd of 3,840 on jobs and income among U.S. towns of 3,400 to 6,600
| # | Town | People | Household income | Poverty | Unemployment | Work in town | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Riverwoods IL | 3,766 | $249K | 0.7% | 0.7% | 2% | A+ |
| 2 | Mission Hills KS | 3,522 | $250K | 1.2% | 0.3% | 2% | A+ |
| 3 | Huntington Woods MI | 6,274 | $190K | 2.2% | 0.9% | 2% | A+ |
| 4 | Glendale MO | 6,060 | $171K | 2.0% | 0.3% | 2% | A+ |
| … | |||||||
| 39 | St. Paul MO | 3,849 | $159K | 0.5% | 0.5% | 1% | A+ |
| … | |||||||
| 136 | Greenwood MO | 6,315 | $107K | 3.2% | 0.9% | 1% | A+ |
| … | |||||||
| 1,401 | Madison Township OH | 3,549 | $77K | 9.3% | 2.2% | 12% | B+ |
| 1,402 | Berkeley IL | 5,141 | $86K | 17.5% | 3.6% | 2% | B+ |
| 1,403 | Platte City MO | 4,911 | $71K | 10.3% | 2.9% | 12% | B+ |
| 1,404 | Baker Township KS | 3,483 | $99K | 6.8% | 3.9% | 3% | B+ |
| 1,405 | Peshtigo WI | 4,087 | $81K | 5.0% | 2.2% | 3% | B+ |
| … | |||||||
| 3,840 | Lake Isabella CA | 4,059 | $27K | 40.7% | 8.6% | 18% | 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 Platte City, the top three, the last and three more from Missouri.
Next door is work for 31% of Platte City
Jobs & commute next door
| Town | Platte City workers there | Jobs & income | Walkability | Commute | Household income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Platte City | – | B+ | C+ | 22 min | $71,498 |
| Kansas City | 31% | B− | A | 22 min | $69,166 |
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 Platte City’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 Platte City: questions
What is the median household income in Platte City?
$71,498 (±$7,151) (Census ACS 2020–24), against $70,702 across Missouri and $80,734 nationally.
What is the poverty rate in Platte City?
10.3%, against 12.6% across Missouri and 12.5% nationally (Census ACS 2020–24).
How long is the commute from Platte City?
22 minutes each way on average, against 24 across Missouri and 26 nationally. 6% of workers work from home.
Where do people who live in Platte City work?
12% work in town. The top destinations elsewhere are Kansas City (31%, 20 mi), St. Joseph (6%, 28 mi), Kansas City (5%, 16 mi) (Census LEHD 2023).
Is Platte City walkable?
Platte City is more walkable than 40% of U.S. towns (Walkability C+): an EPA walkability index of 8.2 out of 20, and <1% of commuters walk, bike or take transit.
Can you get around Platte City without a car?
<1% of commuters take transit and 6% of households have no car. 0% of residents live within a quarter mile of a stop.
Commuter talk
Getting to work from Platte City, from the people who make the trip.
More of Platte City
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.