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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Frankly, 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 66 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 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
Frankly, 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 66 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.
A closer look at Wichita: the cost index of 66 breaks down to a Housing index of 66 (strongest category) and a Healthcare index of 93 (weakest). 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.
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.
396,119 residents · Kansas
Wichita earns its position at #1 through a combination that's hard to replicate. The 66 cost index sits 45 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 66, while Healthcare trails at 93.
125,475 residents · Kansas
Here's Topeka by the numbers — and there's a lot to like (and a little to watch). Cost index: 68. 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 94. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are saving renters $8,712 per year vs. the national median. That's the sort of advantage that turns renters into homeowners.
147,461 residents · Kansas
Dive into Olathe's numbers: cost index 105 — this is the part where it gets real — (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.
197,089 residents · Kansas
A closer look at Overland Park: the cost index of 97 — for better or worse — breaks down to a Housing index of 97 (strongest category) and a Healthcare index of 99 (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.
| City | State Tax | Sales Tax | Property Tax | Est. Take-Home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1Wichita | 5.7% | 8.7% | 1.28% | $45,723 |
2Topeka | 5.7% | 8.7% | 1.28% | $45,723 |
3Olathe | 5.7% | 8.7% | 1.28% | $45,723 |
4Overland Park | 5.7% | 8.7% | 1.28% | $45,723 |
We divide median home price by median household income for each city in Kansas. A ratio of 3× means a home costs 3 years of gross income — generally considered affordable. Ratios above 5× signal a stretched market. 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 Overland Park (ranked #4) has a cost index of 97 and rent of $1,666/mo — a 31-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.