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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Families relocating within Kansas face a complex equation: income, housing costs, healthcare, and quality schools. We ran the numbers on 4 cities. Wichita — index 66 — we had to double-check this one — , rent $1,125/mo, healthcare index 93 — ranks #1 on our family-weighted model.
#1 Ranked: Wichita — cost index 66, rent $1,125/mo, income $63,072
Wichita rent up 4% over the past year
Family-weighted scoring: income $63,072, healthcare index 93, population 396,119 — balancing career, care, and schools
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
Families relocating within Kansas face a complex equation: income, housing costs, healthcare, and quality schools. We ran the numbers on 4 cities. Wichita — index 66 — we had to double-check this one — , rent $1,125/mo, healthcare index 93 — ranks #1 on our family-weighted model.
The #1 spot goes to Wichita, and the breakdown explains why. Renters here pay $1,125/month — which, honestly, is lower than you'd expect here — — saving renters $9,240 per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Housing is the standout at index 66, making it one of the cheapest in the country for that category. The weak spot? Healthcare at 93. At a 21% rent-to-income ratio, there's genuine breathing room in the average household budget.
Our family scoring model prioritizes four dimensions: household income above $60K (supporting a family-sized budget), cost index under 100 (keeping daily expenses manageable), healthcare index under 110 (critical for pediatric care and family premiums), and population above 200K (ensuring access to quality schools and youth programs). Wichita leads because it scores across all four. Overland Park and Olathe follow with different strengths in income and population.
The data doesn't lie, but it does surprise: Wichita rent up 4% over the past year. Rent in #1-ranked Wichita has increased from $1,085 — though some people might weigh that differently — to $1,125/mo over the past 12 months — a 4% increase. Rising costs may erode its top ranking over time. This is worth factoring into any relocation decision.
What's equally notable: The 4 cities we track in Kansas paint a clearly affordable picture. Average cost index: 84. Median rent: $1,438/month. Household income: $83,761. About what you'd guess. Kansas is known for plains affordability with steady incomes — and the data backs that reputation convincingly (more on that below).
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 (not adjusted for inflation, but still telling).
396,119 residents · Kansas
A closer look at Wichita: the cost index of 66 — and that's before you even look at taxes — breaks down to a Housing index of 66 (strongest category) and a Healthcare index of 93 (weakest). And broadly, median rent is $1,125/month — 41% below the national median — while household income sits at $63,072, meaning locals spend about 21% of income on rent. That's a healthy margin by any standard.
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: 97. Rent: $1,666/month. Income: $103,838/year. Home price: $470,417. Population: 197,089. The strongest category is Housing at 97; the most expensive is Healthcare at 99. It lines up with what you'd expect. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are saving renters $2,748 per year vs. the national median. This combination is rare — and valuable.
147,461 residents · Kansas
Dive into Olathe's numbers: cost index 105 — though some people might weigh that differently — (6 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 — Healthcare is the cheapest category at 101, while Housing runs 105. With 147,461 residents, it balances mid-size city convenience with manageable costs.
125,475 residents · Kansas
Why Topeka ranks #4: the numbers tell a clear story. And depending on your situation, at 68 on the cost index, residents save roughly 43% less than the typical American. Rent sits at $1,169/month — a detail that tends to get overlooked — while the median household pulls in $55,902/year. The Housing category is particularly strong at 68, though Healthcare (94) lags behind. Home prices average $186,856 — $280,514 below the national median (not adjusted for inflation, but still telling). The definition of value.
Wichita ranks #1 in Kansas for this analysis with a cost index of 66 and median income of $63,072.
Wichita scores highest for families due to its below-average cost of living, median rent of $1,125/mo, and competitive 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 66 and rent of $1,125/mo, while Topeka (ranked #4) has a cost index of 68 and rent of $1,169/mo — a 2-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.