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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
In plain English: the numbers are clear: 4 of 4 cities in Kansas beat the national cost-of-living benchmark of 111. Wichita stands out at 66 on the index, with rent of $1,125/month — which, honestly, is lower than you'd expect here — and household income of $63,072. Assembled from 2026 Census, Zill…
#1 Ranked: Wichita — cost index 66, rent $1,125/mo, income $63,072
Wichita rent up 4% over the past year
4 of 4 cities come in below the national cost-of-living average of 111
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
In plain English: the numbers are clear: 4 of 4 cities in Kansas beat the national cost-of-living benchmark of 111. Wichita stands out at 66 on the index, with rent of $1,125/month — which, honestly, is lower than you'd expect here — and household income of $63,072. Assembled from 2026 Census, Zillow, and BLS data. The math checks out.
No sugarcoating: Here's Wichita by the numbers — and there's a lot to like (and a little to watch). And for many people, cost index: 66. Rent: $1,125/month. Income: $63,072/year. Home price: $198,074. Population: 396,119. The strongest category is Housing at 66; the most expensive is Healthcare at 93. It's fine. Not great, not bad. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are saving renters $9,240 per year vs. the national median. This stands out as genuinely impressive (a figure that keeps climbing, by the way).
The housing sub-index is derived from overall cost of living with regional BLS price adjustments. And more often than not, a score of 84 (the top-10 average here) means housing costs are about 16% below the national median. Wichita leads at 66, followed by Topeka (68) and Overland Park (97). Note: a low housing index doesn't guarantee a low overall cost — check the full cost breakdown table below.
Wichita rent up 4% over the past year. Rent in #1-ranked Wichita has increased from $1,085 — for better or worse — to $1,125/mo over the past 12 months — a 4% increase. Rising costs may erode its top ranking over time (and that gap widens if you factor in state taxes).
What's equally notable: Kansas — plains affordability with steady incomes. The 4 cities we track here average a cost index of 84 — which, honestly, is lower than you'd expect here — and median income of $83,761. It's a clear buyer's market compared to national norms. The typical rent runs $1,438/month, which is $457 less than the national median (that's pre-tax, of course).
Bottom line: Wichita leads this ranking for clear, data-backed reasons — but the "best" city depends on your priorities. 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 (that's pre-tax, of course).
396,119 residents · Kansas
Real talk: Here's Wichita by the numbers — and there's a lot to like (and a little to watch). Cost index: 66. Rent: $1,125/month. Income: $63,072/year. Home price: $198,074. Population: 396,119. The strongest category is Housing at 66; the most expensive is Healthcare at 93. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are saving renters $9,240 per year vs. the national median. This is an advantage that compounds over time (not adjusted for inflation, but still telling).
125,475 residents · Kansas
A closer look at Topeka: the cost index of 68 — worth pausing on — breaks down to a Housing index of 68 (strongest category) and a Healthcare index of 94 (weakest). Median rent is $1,169/month — 38% below the national median — while household income sits at $55,902, meaning locals spend about 25% of income on rent. That's within the recommended 30% threshold, though it doesn't leave much room.
197,089 residents · Kansas
Overland Park earns its position at #3 through a combination that's hard to replicate. The 97 cost index sits 14 points below the national baseline, and the $103,838 median income means purchasing power here is genuinely above average. Homes list at $470,417 — $3,047 above the national median, reflecting the local market dynamics. On the cost side, Housing leads the way at 97, while Healthcare trails at 99.
147,461 residents · Kansas
A closer look at Olathe: the cost index of 105 breaks down to a Healthcare index of 101 (strongest category) and a Housing index of 105 (weakest). And as a general rule, median rent is $1,792/month — 5% below the national median — while household income sits at $112,232, meaning locals spend about 19% of income on rent. That's a healthy margin by any standard (more on that below).
Cities are ranked by their housing 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 66 and median income of $63,072.
Wichita, KS has the lowest housing index at 66, 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 66 and rent of $1,125/mo, while Olathe (ranked #4) has a cost index of 105 and rent of $1,792/mo — a 39-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.