KC's not much better for a family if you want to actually live in the city. The schools there suck so you'll be paying for private school, housing of more than two bedrooms is rare and (by local standards and considering local wages) very expensive outside of dangerous run-down neighborhoods.

Granted the 'burbs aren't that far away compared to other cities—but our public transit's also terrible (likely too spread out to every have great public transit, no matter what) so you'll always be driving.