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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Real talk: and here's what ties it all together: State context matters: Kansas's 4 cities average a 84 cost index with $1,438/month median rent and $83,761 household income. And with some exceptions, plains affordability with steady incomes. The linked city profiles go deeper than this ranking ever …
#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
Real talk: and here's what ties it all together: State context matters: Kansas's 4 cities average a 84 cost index with $1,438/month median rent and $83,761 household income. And with some exceptions, plains affordability with steady incomes. The linked city profiles go deeper than this ranking ever could.
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 (your mileage may vary — literally).
The obvious answer isn't always the right one. Exhibit A: Wichita rent up 4% over the past year. Rent in #1-ranked Wichita has increased from $1,085 — which, honestly, is lower than you'd expect here — to $1,125/mo over the past 12 months — a 4% increase. Rising costs may erode its top ranking over time. That's not something you see often in the data (not adjusted for inflation, but still telling).
Wichita is one of the cheaper options here. And broadly, 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.
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.
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.
396,119 residents · Kansas
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 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 (and that gap widens if you factor in state taxes).
197,089 residents · Kansas
Here's Overland Park by the numbers — and there's a lot to like (and a little to watch). And depending on your situation, 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. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are saving renters $2,748 per year vs. the national median. For families with student loans, that cost gap is a second income.
147,461 residents · Kansas
A closer look at Olathe: the cost index of 105 — make of that what you will — breaks down to a Healthcare index of 101 (strongest category) and a Housing index of 105 (weakest). 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 (a figure that keeps climbing, by the way).
125,475 residents · Kansas
Dive into Topeka's numbers: cost index 68 (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.
| 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 |
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.