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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Kansas is a genuine bargain: 4 of the 4 cities in this ranking come in below the national cost-of-living average. Wichita leads at an index of 87 — we had to double-check this one — with rent at just $1,125/month — 41% less than the $1,895 national median. Here are the numbers, sourced from federal…
#1 Ranked: Wichita — cost index 87, rent $1,125/mo, income $63,072
4 of 4 cities come in below the national cost-of-living average of 112
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
Kansas is a genuine bargain: 4 of the 4 cities in this ranking come in below the national cost-of-living average. Wichita leads at an index of 87 — we had to double-check this one — with rent at just $1,125/month — 41% less than the $1,895 national median. Here are the numbers, sourced from federal data updated in 2026.
Wichita earns its position at #1 through a combination that's hard to replicate. The 87 cost index sits 25 points below the national baseline, and the $63,072 median income means purchasing power here is amplified by the low cost base. Homes list at $198,074 — $269,296 below the national median — a genuine ownership opportunity. On the cost side, Housing leads the way at 68, while Healthcare trails at 90 (not adjusted for inflation, but still telling).
For all that, there's a counter-signal worth noting: State context matters: Kansas's 4 cities average a 98 cost index with $1,438/month — we had to double-check this one — median rent and $83,761 household income. Plains affordability with steady incomes. Cross-reference this ranking with the state salary page. The overlap is telling. A real contender.
Bottom line: Wichita leads this ranking for clear, data-backed reasons — but the "best" city depends on your priorities. You get the picture. Click into any city below to see the full detail page with 12-month trend charts, profession-specific salary data, and a breakdown of all five cost categories. If you're seriously considering a move, use our salary calculator to model your specific income against these numbers.
396,119 residents · Kansas
Wichita earns its position at #1 through a combination that's hard to replicate. The 87 cost index sits 25 points below the national baseline, and the $63,072 — which, honestly, is lower than you'd expect here — median income means purchasing power here is amplified by the low cost base. Homes list at $198,074 — $269,296 below the national median — a genuine ownership opportunity. On the cost side, Housing leads the way at 68, while Healthcare trails at 90 (that's pre-tax, of course).
125,475 residents · Kansas
Here's Topeka by the numbers — and there's a lot to like (and a little to watch). Cost index: 87. Rent: $1,169/month. Income: $55,902/year. Home price: $186,856. Population: 125,475. The strongest category is Housing at 68; the most expensive is Healthcare at 90. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are saving renters $8,712 per year vs. the national median. In a market where everything is going up, this stands still — in a good way.
197,089 residents · Kansas
A closer look at Overland Park: the cost index of 108 breaks down to a Utilities index of 100 (strongest category) and a Housing index of 120 (weakest). Median rent is $1,666/month — 12% below the national median — while household income sits at $103,838, meaning locals spend about 19% of income on rent. That's a healthy margin by any standard.
147,461 residents · Kansas
Dive into Olathe's numbers: cost index 108 (4 points below national average), rent $1,792/month, income $112,232, and a home price of $425,657. And in practical terms, the city's cost profile isn't flat — Utilities is the cheapest category at 100, while Housing runs 120. With 147,461 residents, it balances mid-size city convenience with manageable costs.
Cities are ranked by their food & groceries cost sub-index within Kansas. Each sub-index is derived from the overall cost of living with regional adjustment factors. All data is sourced from federal agencies and verified research institutions. Cost of living indices are normalized to 100 (national median) using Zillow rent as the primary signal, with sub-category adjustments derived from regional BLS price data. Rankings are updated monthly as new data is released.
Wichita ranks #1 in Kansas for this analysis with a cost index of 87 and median income of $63,072.
Wichita, KS has the lowest food & groceries index at 85, compared to the national average of 100.
Our cost of living index uses real Zillow rent data as the foundation, indexed to 100 (national median). Sub-categories (housing, food, transport, utilities, healthcare) are derived from the overall index with regional adjustments. Data is updated monthly.
Wichita (ranked #1) has a cost index of 87 and rent of $1,125/mo, while Olathe (ranked #4) has a cost index of 108 and rent of $1,792/mo — a 21-point difference in cost of living.
City data is refreshed monthly from Census Bureau population estimates, Zillow rent and home price indices, BLS salary data, and Tax Foundation tax rates. Last updated: 2026.
The median 1-bedroom rent in Wichita is $1,125/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $770 below the national median of $1,895/month.
The median home price in Wichita is $198,074, which is 3.1× the local median income. That's within the standard 3.5× affordability rule for most local earners. The national median home price is $467,370.
Kansas has a 5.7% state income tax rate. Combined state and local sales tax averages 8.7%, and the effective property tax rate is 1.28%.
This ranking was generated using data current as of early 2026. Population and income data comes from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (5-year estimates). Rent and home price data is from Zillow's monthly releases. Tax rates are from the Tax Foundation's 2025 edition. Rankings are refreshed monthly.