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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
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 and household income of $63,072. Assembled from 2026 Census, Zillow, and BLS data.
396,119 residents · Kansas
Wichita is one of the cheaper options here. Rent is $1,125/month, which is lower than most cities in this ranking. The cost index is 66. Income sits at $63,072. You get the picture.
197,089 residents · Kansas
Real talk: Overland Park earns its position at #2 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 for the typical household, 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.
125,475 residents · Kansas
Topeka earns its position at #4 through a combination that's hard to replicate. The 68 cost index sits 43 points below the national baseline, and the $55,902 median income means purchasing power here is amplified by the low cost base. Homes list at $186,856 — $280,514 below the national median — a genuine ownership opportunity. On the cost side, Housing leads the way at 68, while Healthcare trails at 94 (and that gap widens if you factor in state taxes).
#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
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 and household income of $63,072. Assembled from 2026 Census, Zillow, and BLS data.
The ranking uses a composite of 2026 data from Census Bureau population/income surveys, Zillow rent and home price indices, BLS salary benchmarks, and Tax Foundation tax rates. Wichita (index 66, rent $1,125); Overland Park (index 97, rent $1,666); Olathe (index 105, rent $1,792). Each city profile below links to the full detail page with 12-month trends, salary breakdowns, and cost category comparisons. One to watch.
Why Wichita ranks #1: the numbers tell a clear story. At 66 on the cost index, residents save roughly 45% 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 66, though Healthcare (93) lags behind. Home prices average $198,074 — $269,296 below the national median. One to watch.
Wichita rent up 4% over the past year. Rent in #1-ranked Wichita has increased from $1,085 to $1,125/mo over the past 12 months — a 4% increase. Rising costs may erode its top ranking over time.
What to do with this data: use the ranking as a shortlist, then dig into the city profiles for trend lines and category breakdowns. The difference between #1 and #5 is often smaller than the difference between "good on paper" and "actually fits my life." Compare your top picks with our calculator to see real take-home numbers.
Cities are ranked by total population from the latest Census estimates. Growing populations typically signal economic opportunity — but also rising costs. We pair population data with affordability metrics for context. 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.
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.