County housing intelligence
Kansas Housing Market by County
Kansas is not one housing market. Across 105 counties, the median county home value is $124,200 and the median county rent is $780/mo. The useful question is not whether Kansas is cheap. It is which county fits your income, tax tolerance, and buy-versus-rent plan.
County median home value
$124,200
Median of county medians, less distorted by the largest metros.
County median rent
$780/mo
Gross rent includes rent plus utilities where Census reports it.
Counties compared
105
Every county with available ACS housing data in this state.
Fast answers
Start with the housing question.
Market brief
The state-level housing signal
These benchmarks use the median county in the state, not one metro-weighted average. That makes the brief better for county comparison and rural-to-urban screening.
Purchase price
State county median vs national benchmark
Rent
State county median vs national benchmark
Owner cost
State county median vs national benchmark
Income base
State county median vs national benchmark
Tax rate
State county median vs national benchmark
The Kansas Pattern
These are the signals a statewide average hides. Start here before choosing counties to compare.
Price geography
Johnson County, Douglas County, Miami County sit at the top of the purchase market, while Jewell County, Chautauqua County, Stanton County anchor the lower-cost end.
Rent reality
Johnson County, Leavenworth County, Wyandotte County lead on rent, while Ness County, Elk County, Washington County show where monthly lease costs are lowest.
Decision lens
Stanton County, Elk County, Chautauqua County screen best for purchase affordability when home values are measured against local household income.
Best Counties by Housing Goal
Different households need different rankings. Price alone is not enough, so these groups compare rent, income, owner costs, and tax exposure.
Cheapest to buy
Lowest median home values. Useful for purchase-price screening.
- 1. Jewell County
$64,600
- 2. Chautauqua County
$65,500
- 3. Stanton County
$67,800
- 4. Elk County
$68,500
- 5. Comanche County
$69,600
Best buy affordability
Lowest home-value-to-income ratios. Better than price alone.
- 1. Stanton County
0.9x home-value-to-income
- 2. Elk County
1.1x home-value-to-income
- 3. Chautauqua County
1.2x home-value-to-income
- 4. Jewell County
1.2x home-value-to-income
- 5. Comanche County
1.3x home-value-to-income
Cheapest to rent
Lowest median gross rent among counties with ACS rent data.
- 1. Ness County
$538/mo
- 2. Elk County
$552/mo
- 3. Washington County
$562/mo
- 4. Lane County
$590/mo
- 5. Osborne County
$595/mo
Lowest rent burden
Where typical renters spend the smallest share of income on rent.
- 1. Grant County
14.2% rent burden
- 2. Wallace County
14.4% rent burden
- 3. Ness County
14.6% rent burden
- 4. Rawlins County
16.6% rent burden
- 5. Stanton County
17.2% rent burden
Lowest tax-rate signal
Lowest effective property-tax rates in the state data.
- 1. Nemaha County
0.96% effective tax rate
- 2. Kearny County
1.05% effective tax rate
- 3. Crawford County
1.06% effective tax rate
- 4. Doniphan County
1.07% effective tax rate
- 5. Coffey County
1.09% effective tax rate
Owner-cost advantage
Counties where median owner costs are furthest below median rent.
- 1. Hodgeman County
$239/mo cheaper to own than rent
- 2. Hamilton County
$226/mo cheaper to own than rent
- 3. Edwards County
$211/mo cheaper to own than rent
- 4. Ford County
$197/mo cheaper to own than rent
- 5. Wichita County
$181/mo cheaper to own than rent
Income-backed value
Higher-income counties that still hold a reasonable value-to-income profile.
- 1. Stanton County
$71,700 income, 0.9x value-to-income
- 2. Wichita County
$79,063 income, 1.3x value-to-income
- 3. Elk County
$64,609 income, 1.1x value-to-income
- 4. Greeley County
$80,565 income, 1.4x value-to-income
- 5. Trego County
$81,528 income, 1.5x value-to-income
Tradeoffs to Check
The best page is not the one that crowns a winner. It is the one that shows where a county can surprise you after the headline price looks attractive.
| Signal | County | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Cheap price, weaker income base | Jewell County $64,600 home value, $52,634 income | Low purchase prices can still feel tight when local wages are also low. |
| Affordable homes, higher tax rate | Jewell County $64,600 home value, 1.93% tax rate | A low home price can be offset by the annual property-tax bill. |
| Renter pressure | Thomas County $752/mo rent, 32.70% rent burden | Monthly rent alone does not show whether renters can comfortably absorb the cost. |
| Expensive, but income-supported | Johnson County $391,200 home value, $109,208 income | Some high-price counties also have stronger incomes, so affordability depends on both sides of the equation. |
Lowest home values
Best value-to-income
Compare Every Kansas County
Sorted by home-value-to-income ratio so the first rows are not just cheap counties, but counties where purchase prices look smaller relative to local income.
| County | Home Value | Rent | Income | Value/Income | Tax Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stanton County | $67,800 | $705/mo | $71,700 | 0.9x | 2.46% |
| Elk County | $68,500 | $552/mo | $64,609 | 1.1x | 2.03% |
| Chautauqua County | $65,500 | $708/mo | $56,438 | 1.2x | 1.51% |
| Jewell County | $64,600 | $608/mo | $52,634 | 1.2x | 1.93% |
| Comanche County | $69,600 | $692/mo | $54,545 | 1.3x | 2.16% |
| Edwards County | $70,900 | $740/mo | $52,692 | 1.3x | 1.58% |
| Ness County | $89,700 | $538/mo | $68,616 | 1.3x | 1.95% |
| Republic County | $75,600 | $664/mo | $56,833 | 1.3x | 1.79% |
| Wichita County | $99,300 | $942/mo | $79,063 | 1.3x | 1.74% |
| Clark County | $87,600 | $789/mo | $63,043 | 1.4x | 1.94% |
| Greeley County | $115,200 | $794/mo | $80,565 | 1.4x | 1.89% |
| Morton County | $96,100 | $632/mo | $66,447 | 1.4x | 2.08% |
| Osborne County | $86,400 | $595/mo | $63,011 | 1.4x | 1.70% |
| Rooks County | $89,000 | $676/mo | $62,500 | 1.4x | 1.93% |
| Rush County | $83,600 | $711/mo | $59,970 | 1.4x | 1.87% |
| Greenwood County | $88,700 | $715/mo | $60,042 | 1.5x | 1.52% |
| Pawnee County | $93,000 | $795/mo | $63,517 | 1.5x | 2.03% |
| Rawlins County | $103,800 | $817/mo | $67,742 | 1.5x | 1.56% |
| Stafford County | $97,600 | $710/mo | $64,226 | 1.5x | 1.59% |
| Trego County | $120,900 | $720/mo | $81,528 | 1.5x | 1.45% |
| Wilson County | $93,500 | $736/mo | $60,677 | 1.5x | 1.48% |
| Barber County | $97,000 | $830/mo | $61,926 | 1.6x | 1.70% |
| Hamilton County | $115,800 | $909/mo | $70,250 | 1.6x | 1.49% |
| Harper County | $83,800 | $690/mo | $53,488 | 1.6x | 1.78% |
| Logan County | $117,900 | $840/mo | $75,662 | 1.6x | 1.64% |
| Phillips County | $96,500 | $672/mo | $62,123 | 1.6x | 1.80% |
| Rice County | $104,600 | $753/mo | $63,925 | 1.6x | 1.52% |
| Smith County | $94,100 | $635/mo | $59,135 | 1.6x | 1.83% |
| Woodson County | $81,200 | $618/mo | $50,326 | 1.6x | 1.93% |
| Cherokee County | $100,100 | $799/mo | $57,668 | 1.7x | 1.22% |
| Cloud County | $100,000 | $769/mo | $58,770 | 1.7x | 1.70% |
| Decatur County | $89,500 | $676/mo | $53,870 | 1.7x | 1.79% |
| Grant County | $110,300 | $718/mo | $66,476 | 1.7x | 1.51% |
| Hodgeman County | $101,600 | $941/mo | $59,955 | 1.7x | 1.66% |
| Labette County | $94,600 | $746/mo | $56,325 | 1.7x | 1.65% |
| Lincoln County | $96,900 | $634/mo | $57,500 | 1.7x | 1.46% |
| Pratt County | $114,600 | $802/mo | $66,022 | 1.7x | 1.74% |
| Wallace County | $105,000 | $601/mo | $63,207 | 1.7x | 1.34% |
| Allen County | $107,600 | $720/mo | $60,689 | 1.8x | 1.67% |
| Doniphan County | $135,200 | $776/mo | $74,028 | 1.8x | 1.07% |
| Ellsworth County | $114,900 | $708/mo | $65,560 | 1.8x | 1.47% |
| Gove County | $118,400 | $705/mo | $66,029 | 1.8x | 1.46% |
| Graham County | $89,900 | $734/mo | $50,650 | 1.8x | 1.83% |
| Montgomery County | $101,700 | $761/mo | $55,697 | 1.8x | 1.72% |
| Washington County | $117,100 | $562/mo | $65,482 | 1.8x | 1.37% |
| Bourbon County | $113,800 | $752/mo | $59,238 | 1.9x | 1.57% |
| Brown County | $118,100 | $646/mo | $62,233 | 1.9x | 1.24% |
| Chase County | $109,700 | $825/mo | $56,484 | 1.9x | 1.37% |
| Kingman County | $111,100 | $846/mo | $59,842 | 1.9x | 1.74% |
| Marion County | $124,200 | $727/mo | $64,695 | 1.9x | 1.62% |
| Marshall County | $127,700 | $690/mo | $68,419 | 1.9x | 1.23% |
| Norton County | $101,500 | $609/mo | $54,050 | 1.9x | 1.70% |
| Russell County | $119,000 | $805/mo | $62,392 | 1.9x | 1.86% |
| Neosho County | $111,300 | $681/mo | $56,618 | 2.0x | 1.47% |
| Stevens County | $129,300 | $927/mo | $64,178 | 2.0x | 1.88% |
| Barton County | $126,400 | $761/mo | $58,851 | 2.1x | 1.68% |
| Cowley County | $120,900 | $809/mo | $57,878 | 2.1x | 1.65% |
| Dickinson County | $146,800 | $901/mo | $68,417 | 2.1x | 1.47% |
| Ford County | $151,100 | $1,010/mo | $70,781 | 2.1x | 1.52% |
| Kiowa County | $155,300 | $762/mo | $75,539 | 2.1x | 1.11% |
| Meade County | $148,900 | $790/mo | $71,852 | 2.1x | 1.35% |
| Mitchell County | $133,800 | $604/mo | $64,246 | 2.1x | 1.66% |
| Osage County | $156,800 | $785/mo | $74,467 | 2.1x | 1.49% |
| Seward County | $136,500 | $905/mo | $63,827 | 2.1x | 1.67% |
| Sumner County | $135,100 | $825/mo | $63,951 | 2.1x | 1.58% |
| Coffey County | $157,400 | $836/mo | $70,346 | 2.2x | 1.09% |
| Morris County | $129,600 | $724/mo | $58,686 | 2.2x | 1.46% |
| Ottawa County | $166,000 | $809/mo | $74,018 | 2.2x | 1.66% |
| Reno County | $132,500 | $863/mo | $60,645 | 2.2x | 1.63% |
| Sherman County | $136,700 | $913/mo | $61,750 | 2.2x | 1.59% |
| Cheyenne County | $125,900 | $656/mo | $55,429 | 2.3x | 1.30% |
| Kearny County | $200,900 | $1,056/mo | $89,135 | 2.3x | 1.05% |
| Lane County | $127,100 | $590/mo | $54,526 | 2.3x | 1.32% |
| Scott County | $160,000 | $685/mo | $68,839 | 2.3x | 1.65% |
| Sheridan County | $167,200 | $689/mo | $73,750 | 2.3x | 1.49% |
| Wabaunsee County | $177,300 | $780/mo | $76,908 | 2.3x | 1.28% |
| Anderson County | $171,400 | $853/mo | $70,614 | 2.4x | 1.37% |
| Atchison County | $145,700 | $765/mo | $61,112 | 2.4x | 1.32% |
| Clay County | $155,900 | $937/mo | $66,176 | 2.4x | 1.32% |
| Harvey County | $180,300 | $900/mo | $74,368 | 2.4x | 1.51% |
| Thomas County | $172,700 | $752/mo | $71,325 | 2.4x | 1.41% |
| Crawford County | $132,600 | $849/mo | $52,844 | 2.5x | 1.06% |
| Haskell County | $165,100 | $830/mo | $66,162 | 2.5x | 1.45% |
| Lyon County | $150,600 | $817/mo | $59,912 | 2.5x | 1.55% |
| Franklin County | $198,700 | $1,042/mo | $77,207 | 2.6x | 1.41% |
| Gray County | $206,000 | $808/mo | $79,122 | 2.6x | 1.49% |
| Butler County | $217,600 | $956/mo | $81,610 | 2.7x | 1.46% |
| Jefferson County | $216,900 | $835/mo | $81,278 | 2.7x | 1.26% |
| McPherson County | $211,200 | $916/mo | $78,851 | 2.7x | 1.37% |
| Pottawatomie County | $245,900 | $924/mo | $92,325 | 2.7x | 1.14% |
| Saline County | $179,600 | $961/mo | $65,422 | 2.7x | 1.31% |
| Shawnee County | $180,900 | $1,000/mo | $67,104 | 2.7x | 1.50% |
| Wyandotte County | $172,300 | $1,122/mo | $63,631 | 2.7x | 1.46% |
| Finney County | $201,400 | $1,048/mo | $73,009 | 2.8x | 1.44% |
| Jackson County | $207,300 | $814/mo | $75,215 | 2.8x | 1.14% |
| Nemaha County | $217,200 | $774/mo | $77,348 | 2.8x | 0.96% |
| Geary County | $172,700 | $1,104/mo | $59,317 | 2.9x | 1.45% |
| Linn County | $173,600 | $691/mo | $59,069 | 2.9x | 1.16% |
| Sedgwick County | $203,300 | $998/mo | $69,365 | 2.9x | 1.21% |
| Leavenworth County | $282,900 | $1,219/mo | $89,218 | 3.2x | 1.21% |
| Miami County | $287,700 | $1,107/mo | $89,000 | 3.2x | 1.27% |
| Ellis County | $216,300 | $943/mo | $63,084 | 3.4x | 1.24% |
| Johnson County | $391,200 | $1,434/mo | $109,208 | 3.6x | 1.14% |
| Riley County | $237,100 | $1,046/mo | $61,098 | 3.9x | 1.46% |
| Douglas County | $309,400 | $1,099/mo | $69,746 | 4.4x | 1.22% |
Questions This Page Answers
Each answer is generated from the current county dataset, so it changes when the underlying ACS data changes.
What is the typical home value in Kansas by county?
What is the typical rent in Kansas by county?
Which Kansas counties are most affordable to buy in?
Why do cheap counties still need a closer look?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.