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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Dollar for dollar, few states match Kansas's value. 4 out of 4 cities undercut the national cost index of 111. Leading the pack: Wichita at index 66, where median rent of $1,125/month saves renters $9,240/year versus the national median.
#1 Ranked: Wichita — cost index 66, rent $1,125/mo, income $63,072
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
Dollar for dollar, few states match Kansas's value. 4 out of 4 cities undercut the national cost index of 111. Leading the pack: Wichita at index 66, where median rent of $1,125/month saves renters $9,240/year versus the national median.
Real talk: Tax burden isn't just income tax. We combine three layers: state income tax (5.7% in Wichita), combined state+local sales tax (8.7%), and effective property tax (1.28%). At 5.7% state income tax, the real differentiator becomes sales and property tax rates. On a $75,000 salary, the estimated take-home in #1 Wichita is $53,435/year.
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 — for better or worse — 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.
If you're ready to act on this, three things to do next: 1) Click into the city pages for the top 3 and check rent trends — direction matters more than the snapshot. 2) Run your income through the salary calculator for a personalized cost comparison. 3) Compare your top two picks head-to-head on our comparison page. The data is here; the decision is yours (not adjusted for inflation, but still telling).
| City | State Tax | Sales Tax | Property Tax | Est. Take-Home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1Wichita | 5.7% | 8.7% | 1.28% | $45,723 |
2Overland Park | 5.7% | 8.7% | 1.28% | $45,723 |
3Olathe | 5.7% | 8.7% | 1.28% | $45,723 |
4Topeka | 5.7% | 8.7% | 1.28% | $45,723 |
396,119 residents · Kansas
What does daily life actually cost in Wichita? Start with the 21% rent-to-income ratio — that's the kind of margin that lets people build savings. On the category level, Housing (index 66) is where the real savings show up, while Healthcare (index 93) is the line item most likely to surprise newcomers. Income at $63,072 — we had to double-check this one — and homes at $198,074 round out a profile that ranks #1 for clear reasons (that's pre-tax, of course).
197,089 residents · Kansas
Why Overland Park ranks #2: the numbers tell a clear story. And broadly, at 97 on the cost index, residents save roughly 14% less than the typical American. Rent sits at $1,666/month while the median household pulls in $103,838/year. The Housing category is particularly strong at 97, though Healthcare (99) lags behind. Home prices average $470,417 — $3,047 above the national median (that's pre-tax, of course).
147,461 residents · Kansas
Here's Olathe by the numbers — and there's a lot to like (and a little to watch). Cost index: 105. Rent: $1,792/month. Income: $112,232/year. Home price: $425,657. Population: 147,461. The strongest category is Healthcare at 101; the most expensive is Housing at 105. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are saving renters $1,236 per year vs. the national median. Over thirty years of homeownership, the property tax savings alone are staggering.
125,475 residents · Kansas
Dive into Topeka's numbers: cost index 68 — we had to double-check this one — (43 points below national average), rent $1,169/month, income $55,902, and a home price of $186,856. The city's cost profile isn't flat — Housing is the cheapest category at 68, while Healthcare runs 94. With 125,475 residents, it balances mid-size city convenience with manageable costs (not adjusted for inflation, but still telling).
We combine state income tax rate, combined sales tax (state + local), and effective property tax rate into a total tax burden score. Cities are ranked by this combined metric — lower is better for your wallet. 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.