Does your salary change if you live somewhere else? I have always thought you get your best bang for your buck in college towns. I like Knoxville for example. You still have winter but it'll be more mild. Asheville is also pretty close but I imagine it's full of obnoxious hipsters.
Also depends on what you want to do but why not end your lease in KC, put your stuff in storage, and do month long Airbnb's in a few cities? I know a couple folks that did that and really enjoyed it.