Unity Village

Ask Unity Village residents why they choose to live here, and the formula is a simple one. “The school district, that is the Lee’s Summit School District, easy access to highways and good prices,” says Lichelle Leapheart, a Realtor with United Real Estate Kansas City, who sells homes in and around Unity Village. Just 22 miles and about a half hour from Kansas City, this is an established, residential suburb. “It’s an older neighborhood. It’s quiet. There are some apartments. It’s a place where families like to raise kids and can do it more affordably than they could in Lee’s Summit," Leapheart says.

Moderately sized homes of about 1,800 square feet sit smartly on efficient lots along wide enough roads to accommodate two-way traffic. Late-century ranch-style homes and two-bedroom homes share close space in the densely but neatly populated area. The median selling price here is around $480,000, with the average listing price exceeding that by about an additional $50,000.

Unity Village students attend Hazel Grove Elementary School and Bernard C. Campbell Middle School. Niche rates both A-minus. They attend Lee’s Summit North High School, which Niche Rates A. The nearly 2,000-student school has a 16 to 1 student-teacher ratio and offers Advanced Placement as well as International Baccalaureate programs. All three schools are in the Lee’s Summit School District, which Niche rates A overall. “It’s a highly sought-after district,” Leapheart says. “I have people who absolutely swear they won’t move out of that district.”

While there are lots of green spaces here, there are no formal parks in Unity Village proper. The nearest one is Little Blue Trace Park, just north and west of here. With ballfields and the Little Blue Trace Trail, visitors won’t have to work too hard to find things to do here. Perhaps you prefer golf to hiking. Unity Village has a course right there at your disposal.

After the hiking and golf work up your appetite, you’ll need to find a good spot to tend to your cravings. And if you drive just south of Unity Village, it won’t take very long before you find a host of eating spots to satisfy your appetite. “You’re probably five minutes from a shopping center where there’s lots of stuff to eat and places to shop,” Leapheart says. “I would probably go to Jack Stack Barbecue. It’s a nice place to dine on special occasions. I like their smoked salmon dip. And they have a rack of lamb rib that’s fall-off-the-bone good.”

As for attractions, practically everyone around here is some sort of sports fan. In these parts, the baseball and football traditions run extremely deep and strong. And with the Royals and Chiefs just a 15-minute drive away, taking in a game is prime entertainment for locals, it’s practically a requirement. Of course, the keyword is “drive.” With hardly any public transportation options, your car or rideshare are mostly how you’ll get around. “If you’re going someplace, you’d have to drive,” Leapheart says. Buses are few and far between. And they’re just to get you to and from the city, not to get you around out here.”

Written By

Jonathan Clarke

Photography Contributed By

John Collins

Video By

Jordan Sain