Greenwood combines modern suburbia and small-town living
About 30 miles south of Kansas City , Greenwood is located on the rural edge of Jackson County. It's a one-stoplight town where locals can shop for antiques and get around using their golf carts or ATVs. However, with a nearby Walmart and plenty of subdivisions built after 1990, there's also a sense of modern suburbia.
Farmland and forest provide a buffer from the busy suburb of Lee's Summit , but Greenwood families are still a part of that well-rated school system. "You feel like you're away from the hustle and bustle of the whole metropolitan area," says city administrator Stephen Larson. According to him, kids can play in the street and ride scooters around town without parents worrying. "There's a real sense of safety and security here," he says. "Greenwood routinely ranks as one of the top 10 safest cities in Missouri." The city's CAP Index Crime Score is 1 out of 10, lower than the national average of 4.
Split-level and New Traditional homes at a range of price points
Most of Greenwood's suburban neighborhoods are made up of single-family properties from the 1970s to today. Bi-level and split-level homes from the 1990s are by far the most common housing style. Trees tend to be smaller because the area is newer, and many streets feel rustic without curbs or sidewalks. Although some properties with acreage can reach $1 million, most of Greenwood's homes range from $200,000 to $460,000. "It's just a good value in today's housing market," Larson says. "It's a good place to start if you want to get into a nice, secure and safe neighborhood."
Across the train tracks, the upscale Woodland Trails subdivision feels separate from the rest of the city, with a resident-only nature trail and pool. New Traditional homes were built after 2010, with prices ranging from $540,000 to $950,000. According to Larson, buyers often choose Woodland Trails because it has the nicer homes of Lee's Summit without any of the busyness and traffic. "People who are driving back there are the ones who live back there," he says. "So I think it adds to some of the seclusion and privacy."
Greenwood Elementary School is getting a brand-new building
School zoning can vary based on home location, but many kids can attend Greenwood Elementary School before heading to Summit Lakes Middle and Lee's Summit West High. All three schools are rated with an A grade from Niche. The city plans to completely rebuild the outdated Greenwood Elementary by the 2027 to 2028 school year. The new building will be about a mile south of the current location.
Less than 5 miles north, the private Summit Christian Academy serves preschool through 12th grade. Niche gives the school an A-minus grade.
Local parks have pickleball courts, holiday events and hiking trails
The city's parks and recreation options include neighborhood playgrounds, ball fields and ZSports, a large facility with indoor pickleball and soccer. Joel Dean Hitt Park is a center point for the community, not just for its numerous sports courts and well-loved sledding hill, but also for events. There's an Easter egg hunt there in the spring, outdoor movies in the summer, and a fireworks show on the Fourth of July.
Northern Greenwood is surrounded by the forests of James A. Reed Memorial Wildlife Area. Over 3000 acres of preserved land offer miles of hiking trails, hunting grounds, fishing lakes and an archery range. Golfers can also head north to play on the 18-hole course at Shamrock Hills Golf Club.
Retail ranges from antique markets to big-box stores
Greenwood has one of the highest concentrations of antique stores anywhere in the Kansas City area. Among several options, The Porch Swing has a mix of modern and refurbished décor, and Greenwood Vintage Market and Country Tearoom combines an antique mall with an old-school café. Besides a local Mexican restaurant, Barrigas Mexican Grill & Cantina, and a Casey's gas station, there isn't much else in town. But less than 3 miles down Main Street, there are strip malls with Walmart, Cosentino's Price Chopper and several chain restaurants.
Several routes lead into Kansas City, 30 miles north
Downtown Kansas City is less than 30 miles away. A few miles north of Greenwood, several routes connect to the city, including U.S. Route 71 or State Route 350. Locals must pass through the big city to reach Kansas City International Airport, about 45 miles away. A large hospital is much closer, with Lee's Summit Medical Center less than 5 miles north.
Written By
Catherine Lashley
