Loading
Assembling your view…
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 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.
#1 Ranked: Wichita — cost index 87, 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 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 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.
The #1 spot goes to Wichita, and the breakdown explains why. Renters here pay $1,125/month — saving renters $9,240 per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Housing is the standout at index 68, making it one of the cheapest in the country for that category. The weak spot? Healthcare at 90. At a 21% rent-to-income ratio, there's genuine breathing room in the average household budget.
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.
396,119 residents · Kansas
Why Wichita ranks #1: the numbers tell a clear story. At 87 on the cost index, residents save roughly 25% less than the typical American. Rent sits at $1,125/month while the median household pulls in $63,072/year. The Housing category is particularly strong at 68, though Healthcare (90) lags behind. Home prices average $198,074 — $269,296 below the national median.
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. That adds up much faster than people realize (that's pre-tax, of course).
197,089 residents · Kansas
Here's Overland Park by the numbers — and there's a lot to like (and a little to watch). Cost index: 108. Rent: $1,666/month. Income: $103,838/year. Home price: $470,417. Population: 197,089. The strongest category is Utilities at 100; the most expensive is Housing at 120. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are saving renters $2,748 per year vs. the national median. If two cities have the same income, this cost gap is the tiebreaker.
147,461 residents · Kansas
Dive into Olathe's numbers: cost index 108 — for better or worse — (4 points below national average), rent $1,792/month, income $112,232, and a home price of $425,657. 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 median 1-bedroom rent from Zillow's Observed Rent Index (ZORI). ZORI reflects the median rent across all listed units, not just new leases, providing a more stable and representative figure. 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.
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.