Housing decision brief
Decatur County, KS Housing Market
Decatur 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.
11th lowest home value out of 105 Kansas counties with data | 29th lowest rent out of 105
Median home value
$78,500
Purchase-price signal from Census ACS.
Median rent
$695/mo
Gross rent, including utilities where reported.
Monthly owner cost
$579/mo
Owner costs before individual loan terms.
Decision snapshot
Read this county in four signals.
Buy screen
1.5x
Median home value divided by local household income.
Rent burden
22.0%
Below 30% usually screens as less pressured.
Rent vs own
$116/mo
Median owner cost screens below median rent.
Data confidence
1 note
Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
What Works
Lower purchase price
$78,500 median home value is 34% below Kansas county median
Lower rent
$695/mo is 8% below Kansas county median
Rent burden below pressure line
22.00% of renter income goes to rent, below the 30% burden threshold.
Owning screens cheaper than renting
Median owner costs are $116/mo below median rent before individual mortgage terms.
Low disaster-risk signal
Risk score is 88.7 out of 100, a stronger cross-check for long-term ownership costs.
What to Check
Lower income base
$52,030 median income is 18% below Kansas county median
Tax rate needs attention
1.79% effective property-tax rate is 16% above Kansas county median
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
- Renters trying to keep rent below the burden threshold
- Households weighing ownership against renting
- Long-term owners who care about disaster-risk exposure
Poor Fit For
- Households dependent on a deep local wage market
- Buyers focused only on purchase price and ignoring annual property tax
- 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 Decatur 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. | $78,500 | $118,700 | $281,900 | 34% favorable34% below Kansas county median |
Median gross rent Lower usually helps affordability. | $695 | $758 | $1,163 | 8% favorable8% below Kansas county median |
Monthly owner cost Lower usually helps affordability. | $579 | $780 | $1,672 | 26% favorable26% below Kansas county median |
Median household income | $52,030 | $63,136 | $74,755 | 18% pressure18% below Kansas county median |
Effective property-tax rate Lower usually helps affordability. | 1.79% | 1.55% | 1.02% | 16% pressure16% above Kansas county median |
Rent burden Lower usually helps affordability. | 22.00% | 24.00% | N/A | 8% favorable22.00% 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
+$24,230
Median income minus rent threshold.
Owner cushion
+$27,216
Median income minus owner-cost threshold.
Affordability Advisory
This turns the raw housing numbers into income and buy-versus-rent screens.
Affordability verdict
Housing in Decatur County is affordable. The median rent is $695/month against a median household income of $52,030, putting rent at 16.0% of income.
Rent vs own
At $695/month rent versus $579/month in owner costs, owning is roughly $116/month cheaper , a 17% difference.
Income needed
To afford the median rent without exceeding 30% of gross income, a household needs to earn approximately $27,800/year. For owner costs at the 28% rule, the required income is roughly $24,814/year. With a median household income of $52,030, most households can comfortably afford rent here. Notably, 22.0% of renter households in Decatur County are cost-burdened, spending more than 30% of income on housing.
Regional context
Compared to Norton County where rent averages $642/month, Decatur 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harper County, KS | $77,300 | $693/mo | Same-state comparison near $77,300 home value and $693/mo rent. |
| Republic County, KS | $76,000 | $638/mo | Same-state comparison near $76,000 home value and $638/mo rent. |
| Rush County, KS | $79,300 | $700/mo | Same-state comparison near $79,300 home value and $700/mo rent. |
| Graham County, KS | $88,800 | $726/mo | Same-state comparison near $88,800 home value and $726/mo rent. |
| Greenwood County, KS | $82,600 | $710/mo | Same-state comparison near $82,600 home value and $710/mo rent. |
Data Confidence
- Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
Next Checks
Housing Questions for Decatur County
Is Decatur County affordable for buying a home?
Is renting or owning cheaper in Decatur County?
How much income do you need for housing in Decatur County?
What should I double-check before moving to Decatur County?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.