Leawood () is a city in
Johnson County,
Kansas
Kansas ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the west. Kansas is named a ...
, United States,
and is part of the
Kansas City metropolitan area
The Kansas City metropolitan area is a bi-state metropolitan area anchored by Kansas City, Missouri. Its 14 counties straddle the border between the U.S. states of Missouri (9 counties) and Kansas (5 counties). With and a population of more t ...
. As of the
2020 census, the population of the city was 33,902.
History
19th century
After the 1803
Louisiana Purchase
The Louisiana Purchase () was the acquisition of the Louisiana (New France), territory of Louisiana by the United States from the French First Republic in 1803. This consisted of most of the land in the Mississippi River#Watershed, Mississipp ...
, the area east of present-day Leawood opened for settlement. The
Santa Fe Trail
The Santa Fe Trail was a 19th-century route through central North America that connected Franklin, Missouri, with Santa Fe, New Mexico. Pioneered in 1821 by William Becknell, who departed from the Boonslick region along the Missouri River, the ...
which ran through the area also contributed to the development of the area. The Border Ruffian War (1855-1857), part of a larger conflict known as
Bleeding Kansas
Bleeding Kansas, Bloody Kansas, or the Border War, was a series of violent civil confrontations in Kansas Territory, and to a lesser extent in western Missouri, between 1854 and 1859. It emerged from a political and ideological debate over the ...
, damaged the local economy as pro-
slavery
Slavery is the ownership of a person as property, especially in regards to their labour. Slavery typically involves compulsory work, with the slave's location of work and residence dictated by the party that holds them in bondage. Enslavemen ...
activists from the slave state of
Missouri
Missouri (''see #Etymology and pronunciation, pronunciation'') is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it border ...
attacked settlers, traders, and those traveling along the Santa Fe Trail. Conditions improved with the founding of Oxford, Kansas, the predecessor of Leawood. The township was destroyed by the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...
, and there was little left by 1865.
Leawood was named for Oscar G. Lee, the original land owner of the town site.
20th century
Modern Leawood was established in the 1920s, after Oscar G. Lee, a retired police chief from
Oklahoma
Oklahoma ( ; Choctaw language, Choctaw: , ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Texas to the south and west, Kansas to the north, Missouri to the northea ...
, moved to
Johnson County. He supervised the construction of Lee Boulevard for public use.
In 1948, a housing development by the Kroh Brothers led to the incorporation as a city. On November 30, 1948, Leawood became a city of the third class with a population of less than 2,000. By 1959, it had become a city of the second class. , it is a city of the first class with approximately 32,800 residents.
, it was one of the Kansas City metropolitan area's wealthiest suburbs, alongside
Mission Hills, Kansas, the
Country Club Plaza
The Country Club Plaza (often called The Plaza) is a privately owned regional shopping center in the Country Club District of Kansas City, Missouri, Kansas City, Missouri. Opened in 1923, it is considered to be the first planned large outdoor su ...
neighborhood, and
Olathe, Kansas
Olathe ( ) is the county seat of Johnson County, Kansas, United States. It is the List of cities in Kansas#Highest population listing, fourth-most populous city in both the Kansas City metropolitan area and the state of Kansas, with a 2020 Uni ...
. Particularly the neighborhoods of Hallbrook, Mission Hill Estates, and Tuscany Reserve were all rated in the top 1%, according to a widely cited research professor.
Covenants
The developers of Leawood, the Kroh Brothers (Clifford E. Kroh, Jr., and brother John A. Kroh, Sr.) and their father Clifford E. Kroh, Sr., emulated Kansas City
urban planner
An urban planner (also known as town planner) is a professional who practices in the field of town planning, urban planning or city planning.
An urban planner may focus on a specific area of practice and have a title such as city planner, tow ...
and real estate developer
J. C. Nichols, if not competed and attempted to eclipse him. Nichols developed neighborhoods defined by “large lots, curvilinear streets, uniform architecture, extensive deed restrictions, and homes associations,” according to “Race, Real Estate, And Uneven Development; The Kansas City Experience, 1900-2000” by Kevin Fox Gotham.
The Kroh Brothers for years used restrictive covenants for homeowners similar to those developed by J. C. Nichols, which have come under increasing scrutiny since the
George Floyd Protests
The George Floyd protests were a series of protests, riots, and demonstrations against police brutality that began in Minneapolis in the United States on May 26, 2020. The protests and civil unrest began in Minneapolis as Reactions to the mu ...
of 2020.
For example, on April 4, 1945, John A. Kroh Sr., filed the following language for a subdivision called Leawood Estates: ''“None of said lots or portions of lots shall ever be sold, conveyed, transferred, devised, leased or rented to or used, owned or occupied by any person of Negro blood or by any person who is more than one-fourth of the Semitic race, blood, origin, or extraction, including without limitation in said designation, Armenians, Jews, Hebrews, Turks, Persians, Syrians, and Arabians, excluding, however, from the application of this paragraph partial occupancy by bona fide domestic servants employed thereon.”''
The Kroh Brothers diversified into shopping malls and office buildings, and developed the original
Ward Parkway Shopping Center. Their properties stretched across the country, with more than 100 developments in 13 states. The firm failed in a high-profile bankruptcy in 1987. Clifford Kroh’s grandsons, John A. Kroh Jr. and George P. Kroh, both served time in prison for bank fraud and conspiracy.
Geography
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water.
The city is bordered on three sides by the cities of
Overland Park
Overland Park ( ) is the largest city in Johnson County, Kansas, United States, and the second-most populous city in the state of Kansas. It is one of four principal cities in the Kansas City metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census, the pop ...
and
Prairie Village and on the fourth by
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri, abbreviated KC or KCMO, is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri by List of cities in Missouri, population and area. The city lies within Jackson County, Missouri, Jackson, Clay County, Missouri, Clay, and Pl ...
. The city's land area is approximately 75% developed and growth is expected to continue in the future.
Demographics
2020 census
The
2020 United States census counted 33,902 people, 12,742 households, and 9,974 families in Leawood.
[ The population density was 2,244.3 per square mile (866.5/km). There were 13,484 housing units at an average density of 892.6 per square mile (344.6/km).] The racial makeup was 86.47% (29,316) white
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
or European American
European Americans are Americans of European ancestry. This term includes both people who descend from the first European settlers in the area of the present-day United States and people who descend from more recent European arrivals. Since th ...
(85.58% non-Hispanic white
Non-Hispanic Whites, also referred to as White Anglo Americans or Non-Latino Whites, are White Americans who are classified by the United States census as "White" and not of Hispanic or Latino origin. According to annual estimates from the Unit ...
), 1.51% (512) black
Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...
or African-American
African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from any of the Black racial groups of Africa. ...
, 0.19% (64) Native American or Alaska Native
Alaska Natives (also known as Native Alaskans, Alaskan Indians, or Indigenous Alaskans) are the Indigenous peoples of the Americas, Indigenous peoples of Alaska that encompass a diverse arena of cultural and linguistic groups, including the I ...
, 5.09% (1,724) Asian, 0.02% (7) Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...
or Native Hawaiian
Native Hawaiians (also known as Indigenous Hawaiians, Kānaka Maoli, Aboriginal Hawaiians, or simply Hawaiians; , , , and ) are the Indigenous peoples of Oceania, Indigenous Polynesians, Polynesian people of the Hawaiian Islands.
Hawaiʻi was set ...
, 0.67% (227) from other races, and 6.05% (2,052) from two or more races. Hispanic
The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or Latino of any race was 3.21% (1,088) of the population.
Of the 12,742 households, 33.2% had children under the age of 18; 70.9% were married couples living together; 17.8% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. 19.4% of households consisted of individuals and 11.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[ The average household size was 2.6 and the average family size was 3.0. The percent of those with a bachelor's degree or higher was estimated to be 57.9% of the population.
24.0% of the population was under the age of 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 17.5% from 25 to 44, 29.4% from 45 to 64, and 22.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46.5 years. For every 100 females, there were 106.1 males.][ For every 100 females ages 18 and older, there were 109.7 males.][
The 2016-2020 5-year ]American Community Survey
The American Community Survey (ACS) is an annual demographics survey program conducted by the United States Census Bureau. It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the United States census, decennial census ...
estimates show that the median household income was $156,538 (with a margin of error of +/- $9,441) and the median family income was $194,974 (+/- $22,055). Males had a median income of $116,151 (+/- $13,915) versus $46,187 (+/- $8,762) for females. The median income for those above 16 years old was $76,032 (+/- $4,591). Approximately, 1.0% of families and 1.4% of the population were below the poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...
, including 1.1% of those under the age of 18 and 1.8% of those ages 65 or over.
2010 census
As of the census
A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...
of 2010, there were 31,867 people, 11,781 households, and 9,367 families living in the city. The population density
Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...
was . There were 12,384 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 92.3% White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 1.9% African American
African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 0.1% Native American, 3.8% Asian, 0.4% from other races, and 1.4% from two or more races. Hispanic
The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or Latino of any race were 2.2% of the population.
There were 11,781 households, of which 38.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 72.7% were married couples
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...
living together, 4.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 20.5% were non-families. 18.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.70 and the average family size was 3.09.
The median age in the city was 44.7 years. 28.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 4.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 18% were from 25 to 44; 34.3% were from 45 to 64; and 15.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.5% male and 51.5% female.
The city has become more Democratic in voting since 2016, going from majority conservative to a reliably swing district with near parity in party identification and fundraising. The city is evenly divided 50/50 Democratic-Republican.
2000 census
As of the census
A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...
of 2000, there were 27,656 people, 9,841 households, and 8,118 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 10,129 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 95.19% White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 1.46% African American
African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 0.14% Native American, 2.18% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...
, 0.25% from other races, and 0.77% from two or more races. Hispanic
The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or Latino of any race were 1.30% of the population.
There were 9,841 households, out of which 41.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 76.0% were married couples
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...
living together, 5.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 17.5% were non-families. 15.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.81 and the average family size was 3.14.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 30.2% under the age of 18, 4.2% from 18 to 24, 23.2% from 25 to 44, 29.8% from 45 to 64, and 12.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.3 males.
Religion
Leawood is home to the main campus of the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection, which is the largest church in the Kansas City Metropolitan Area
The Kansas City metropolitan area is a bi-state metropolitan area anchored by Kansas City, Missouri. Its 14 counties straddle the border between the U.S. states of Missouri (9 counties) and Kansas (5 counties). With and a population of more t ...
and the largest Methodist church in the country with 22,000 members and an average weekly attendance of 13,600. In 2017, one of the world's largest stained glass works, costing $3.4 million, was established as part of the church's building, depicting stories of Jesus and Martin Luther King Jr.
Leawood is also home to three Catholic parishes: Church of the Nativity, Curé of Ars and St. Michael the Archangel.
Economy
Top employers
According to Leawood's 2017 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city were:
Shopping centers
Town Center Plaza is home to a number of upscale stores with few or no other locations in the Kansas City area.
Government
Law enforcement
The Leawood Police Department is the main department in the city of Leawood, the Johnson County Sheriff's Office also assists as well. The Leawood Police Department was formed on January 18, 1949. The agency was formed when Robert E. Combs became the city's first chief of police. The first officers hired on were unpaid volunteers who wanted to help their community. By 1971 the city had gradually started paying patrol officers, and in 1986 the agency had reached 26 officers, 6 civilians and 1 dispatcher. Now the agency has around 60 officers. Currently the Leawood Police Department enrolls officers in the Johnson County Regional Police Academy who, following their graduation, join the agency, raising the number of officers hired. Leawood Police Officers have a dark navy blue uniform, dark blue pants, as well as black shoes or boots, and a badge with the department's insignia on it along with the Kansas
Kansas ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the west. Kansas is named a ...
state logo.
The Kansas Highway Patrol rarely patrols the city unless there is a major event. The Leawood police chief is Dale Finger, who has been chief since 2021.
Education
Schools
Two public school districts serve Leawood -- Shawnee Mission School District and Blue Valley USD 229.
Libraries
The Johnson County Library serves the residents of Leawood.
In June 2014, Leawood city officials shut down a Little Free Library
Little Free Library is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that promotes neighborhood book exchanges, usually in the form of a public bookcase. More than 150,000 public book exchanges are registered with the organization and branded as Little Free ...
due to city ordinance prohibiting free-standing structures in the front yards of residential homes. The family of the nine-year-old boy who built the structure created a Facebook page to support amendment of Leawood's city code. Another resident of the city who erected a Little Free Library was threatened with a $25 fine. There are discussions among the city's residents in working with the city to amend its code regarding free-standing structures in residents' front yards.
Notable people
Notable individuals who were born in and/or have lived in Leawood include Saturday Night Live
''Saturday Night Live'' (''SNL'') is an American Late night television in the United States, late-night live television, live sketch comedy variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Michaels and Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC. The ...
comedian Heidi Gardner, co-founder of Garmin
Garmin Ltd. is an American multinational technology company based in Olathe, Kansas. The company designs, develops, manufactures, markets, and distributes GPS-enabled products and other navigation, communication, sensor-based, and information ...
Corporation Min Kao, romance novelist Julie Garwood, U.S. Representative from Missouri
Missouri (''see #Etymology and pronunciation, pronunciation'') is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it border ...
Karen McCarthy, baseball pitcher Dan Quisenberry, founder of Hallmark Cards
Hallmark Cards, Inc. is a Privately held company, privately held, family-owned American company based in Kansas City, Missouri. Founded in 1910 by Joyce Hall, Hallmark is one of the oldest and largest manufacturers of greeting cards in the United ...
Joyce Clyde Hall, and tight end for Kansas City Chiefs Travis Kelce.
Sister cities
* Yilan City
Yilan City (Taiwanese Mandarin, Mandarin pinyin: ''Yílán Shì''; Hokkien Pe̍h-ōe-jī, POJ: ''Gî-lân-chhī'') is a county-administered city and the county seat of Yilan County, Taiwan, Yilan County, Taiwan. The city lies on the north side o ...
, Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...
(1988)
* Gezer Regional Council, Israel
Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...
(2003)
References
Further reading
External links
City of Leawood
Leawood - Directory of Public Officials
Leawood city map
KDOT
{{Authority control
Cities in Kansas
Cities in Johnson County, Kansas
Cities in Kansas City metropolitan area