Housing decision brief
Comanche County, KS Housing Market
Comanche 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.
1st lowest home value out of 105 Kansas counties with data | 20th lowest rent out of 105
Median home value
$59,900
Purchase-price signal from Census ACS.
Median rent
$672/mo
Gross rent, including utilities where reported.
Monthly owner cost
$691/mo
Owner costs before individual loan terms.
Decision snapshot
Read this county in four signals.
Buy screen
1.2x
Median home value divided by local household income.
Rent burden
28.0%
Below 30% usually screens as less pressured.
Rent vs own
$19/mo
Median rent screens below owner cost.
Data confidence
3 notes
Home-value estimate has a $13,234 ACS margin of error.
What Works
Lower purchase price
$59,900 median home value is 50% below Kansas county median
Lower rent
$672/mo is 11% below Kansas county median
Rent burden below pressure line
28.00% of renter income goes to rent, below the 30% burden threshold.
Low disaster-risk signal
Risk score is 79.8 out of 100, a stronger cross-check for long-term ownership costs.
What to Check
Lower income base
$49,417 median income is 22% below Kansas county median
Tax rate needs attention
2.29% effective property-tax rate is 48% above Kansas county median
Water quality cross-check
Water quality grade is F. Review water data before treating housing cost as the full story.
Crime data coverage
Crime data coverage is partial. Treat zero or low crime rates as incomplete until you check the source coverage.
Wide home-value margin
The ACS margin of error on home value is $13,234, so exact rankings should be read as directional.
Best Fit For
- Buyers comparing homes to local incomes
- Long-term owners who care about disaster-risk exposure
- 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 Comanche 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. | $59,900 | $118,700 | $281,900 | 50% favorable50% below Kansas county median |
Median gross rent Lower usually helps affordability. | $672 | $758 | $1,163 | 11% favorable11% below Kansas county median |
Monthly owner cost Lower usually helps affordability. | $691 | $780 | $1,672 | 11% favorable11% below Kansas county median |
Median household income | $49,417 | $63,136 | $74,755 | 22% pressure22% below Kansas county median |
Effective property-tax rate Lower usually helps affordability. | 2.29% | 1.55% | 1.02% | 48% pressure48% above Kansas county median |
Rent burden Lower usually helps affordability. | 28.00% | 24.00% | N/A | 17% pressure28.00% 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
+$22,537
Median income minus rent threshold.
Owner cushion
+$19,803
Median income minus owner-cost threshold.
Affordability Advisory
This turns the raw housing numbers into income and buy-versus-rent screens.
Affordability verdict
For renters in Comanche County, the market is affordable. Expect to pay around $672/month in gross rent, with 28.0% of renter households considered cost-burdened.
Rent vs own
Renters in Comanche County pay $672/month on average, compared to $691/month for homeowners. This market favors renters by about 3%.
Income needed
To afford the median rent without exceeding 30% of gross income, a household needs to earn approximately $26,880/year. For owner costs at the 28% rule, the required income is roughly $29,614/year. With a median household income of $49,417, most households can comfortably afford rent here. Notably, 28.0% of renter households in Comanche County are cost-burdened, spending more than 30% of income on housing.
Regional context
Compared to Phillips County where rent averages $621/month, Comanche County is approximately 8% more expensive.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chautauqua County, KS | $63,300 | $713/mo | Same-state comparison near $63,300 home value and $713/mo rent. |
| Jewell County, KS | $62,100 | $591/mo | Same-state comparison near $62,100 home value and $591/mo rent. |
| Edwards County, KS | $70,500 | $732/mo | Same-state comparison near $70,500 home value and $732/mo rent. |
| Decatur County, KS | $78,500 | $695/mo | Same-state comparison near $78,500 home value and $695/mo rent. |
| Republic County, KS | $76,000 | $638/mo | Same-state comparison near $76,000 home value and $638/mo rent. |
Data Confidence
- Home-value estimate has a $13,234 ACS margin of error.
- Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
- Water-quality monitoring is based on 1 active site in recent WQP data.
Next Checks
Housing Questions for Comanche County
Is Comanche County affordable for buying a home?
Is renting or owning cheaper in Comanche County?
How much income do you need for housing in Comanche County?
What should I double-check before moving to Comanche County?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.