Housing decision brief
Barber County, KS Housing Market
Barber County screens as a below-state purchase price, below-state rent, a higher tax-rate signal market. Use the page as a decision brief, not just a price lookup, because local income, taxes, and data confidence change how affordable the county really is.
22nd lowest home value out of 105 Kansas counties with data | 50th lowest rent out of 105
Median home value
$92,700
Purchase-price signal from Census ACS.
Median rent
$743/mo
Gross rent, including utilities where reported.
Monthly owner cost
$700/mo
Owner costs before individual loan terms.
Decision snapshot
Read this county in four signals.
Buy screen
1.6x
Median home value divided by local household income.
Rent burden
26.0%
Below 30% usually screens as less pressured.
Rent vs own
$43/mo
Median owner cost screens below median rent.
Data confidence
3 notes
Home-value estimate has a $20,461 ACS margin of error.
What Works
Lower purchase price
$92,700 median home value is 22% below Kansas county median
Lower rent
$743/mo is 2% below Kansas county median
Rent burden below pressure line
26.00% of renter income goes to rent, below the 30% burden threshold.
Owning screens cheaper than renting
Median owner costs are $43/mo below median rent before individual mortgage terms.
What to Check
Lower income base
$57,615 median income is 9% below Kansas county median
Tax rate needs attention
1.66% effective property-tax rate is 8% above Kansas county median
Water quality cross-check
Water quality grade is F. Review water data before treating housing cost as the full story.
Health context
Health score is 44.6 out of 100, so affordability should be weighed against local health indicators.
Crime data coverage
Crime data coverage is partial. Treat zero or low crime rates as incomplete until you check the source coverage.
Best Fit For
- Buyers comparing homes to local incomes
- Households weighing ownership against renting
- Remote earners or cash buyers looking below the state price line
Poor Fit For
- Households dependent on a deep local wage market
- Buyers focused only on purchase price and ignoring annual property tax
- Buyers who will not investigate local water systems before moving
- Anyone treating reported crime rates as complete without source context
County vs State vs National
The county number only matters after you see the benchmark. These comparisons show where Barber County is genuinely cheap, where it is average, and where the hidden cost may be.
| Metric | County | State | U.S. | Signal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Median home value Lower usually helps affordability. | $92,700 | $118,700 | $281,900 | 22% favorable22% below Kansas county median |
Median gross rent Lower usually helps affordability. | $743 | $758 | $1,163 | Near state median2% below Kansas county median |
Monthly owner cost Lower usually helps affordability. | $700 | $780 | $1,672 | 10% favorable10% below Kansas county median |
Median household income | $57,615 | $63,136 | $74,755 | 9% pressure9% below Kansas county median |
Effective property-tax rate Lower usually helps affordability. | 1.66% | 1.55% | 1.02% | 8% pressure8% above Kansas county median |
Rent burden Lower usually helps affordability. | 26.00% | 24.00% | N/A | 8% pressure26.00% of renter income goes to rent. |
Income Fit
A low price only helps if local income can carry the monthly cost. This panel compares the county income base with rent and owner-cost thresholds.
Rent cushion
+$27,895
Median income minus rent threshold.
Owner cushion
+$27,615
Median income minus owner-cost threshold.
Affordability Advisory
This turns the raw housing numbers into income and buy-versus-rent screens.
Affordability verdict
Barber County offers affordable rental housing at a median of $743/month , about 15.5% of the typical household income here.
Rent vs own
The median rent in Barber County is $743/month, while owner costs run $700/month. Owning saves approximately $43/month.
Income needed
To afford the median rent without exceeding 30% of gross income, a household needs to earn approximately $29,720/year. For owner costs at the 28% rule, the required income is roughly $30,000/year. With a median household income of $57,615, most households can comfortably afford rent here. Notably, 26.0% of renter households in Barber County are cost-burdened, spending more than 30% of income on housing.
Regional context
Within Kansas, Barber County is more affordable than Stanton County by roughly 8% ($743/mo vs $691/mo).
Better Counties to Compare
Similar counties are matched on home value, rent, income, and state context. This is more useful than a simple nearest-price list.
| County | Home Value | Rent | Why compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wilson County, KS | $93,900 | $727/mo | Same-state comparison near $93,900 home value and $727/mo rent. |
| Labette County, KS | $92,100 | $729/mo | Same-state comparison near $92,100 home value and $729/mo rent. |
| Montgomery County, KS | $92,100 | $759/mo | Same-state comparison near $92,100 home value and $759/mo rent. |
| Cloud County, KS | $96,300 | $689/mo | Same-state comparison near $96,300 home value and $689/mo rent. |
| Graham County, KS | $88,800 | $726/mo | Same-state comparison near $88,800 home value and $726/mo rent. |
Data Confidence
- Home-value estimate has a $20,461 ACS margin of error.
- Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
- Water-quality monitoring is based on 2 active sites in recent WQP data.
Next Checks
Housing Questions for Barber County
Is Barber County affordable for buying a home?
Is renting or owning cheaper in Barber County?
How much income do you need for housing in Barber County?
What should I double-check before moving to Barber County?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.