Housing decision brief
Kiowa County, KS Housing Market
Kiowa County screens as a higher purchase price, below-state rent, a manageable 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.
77th lowest home value out of 105 Kansas counties with data | 43rd lowest rent out of 105
Median home value
$152,400
Purchase-price signal from Census ACS.
Median rent
$728/mo
Gross rent, including utilities where reported.
Monthly owner cost
$713/mo
Owner costs before individual loan terms.
Decision snapshot
Read this county in four signals.
Buy screen
2.1x
Median home value divided by local household income.
Rent burden
20.0%
Below 30% usually screens as less pressured.
Rent vs own
$15/mo
Median owner cost screens below median rent.
Data confidence
2 notes
Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
What Works
Lower rent
$728/mo is 4% below Kansas county median
Rent burden below pressure line
20.00% of renter income goes to rent, below the 30% burden threshold.
Owning screens cheaper than renting
Median owner costs are $15/mo below median rent before individual mortgage terms.
Low disaster-risk signal
Risk score is 85.0 out of 100, a stronger cross-check for long-term ownership costs.
What to Check
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
- 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 Kiowa 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. | $152,400 | $118,700 | $281,900 | 28% pressure28% above Kansas county median |
Median gross rent Lower usually helps affordability. | $728 | $758 | $1,163 | Near state median4% below Kansas county median |
Monthly owner cost Lower usually helps affordability. | $713 | $780 | $1,672 | 9% favorable9% below Kansas county median |
Median household income | $73,214 | $63,136 | $74,755 | 16% favorable16% above Kansas county median |
Effective property-tax rate Lower usually helps affordability. | 1.16% | 1.55% | 1.02% | 25% favorable25% below Kansas county median |
Rent burden Lower usually helps affordability. | 20.00% | 24.00% | N/A | 17% favorable20.00% 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
+$44,094
Median income minus rent threshold.
Owner cushion
+$42,657
Median income minus owner-cost threshold.
Affordability Advisory
This turns the raw housing numbers into income and buy-versus-rent screens.
Affordability verdict
Kiowa County offers affordable rental housing at a median of $728/month , about 11.9% of the typical household income here.
Rent vs own
The median rent in Kiowa County is $728/month, while owner costs run $713/month. Owning saves approximately $15/month.
Income needed
To afford the median rent without exceeding 30% of gross income, a household needs to earn approximately $29,120/year. For owner costs at the 28% rule, the required income is roughly $30,557/year. With a median household income of $73,214, most households can comfortably afford rent here. Notably, 20.0% of renter households in Kiowa County are cost-burdened, spending more than 30% of income on housing.
Regional context
Within Kansas, Kiowa County is less affordable than Cowley County by roughly 7% ($728/mo vs $779/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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grant County, KS | $146,200 | $696/mo | Same-state comparison near $146,200 home value and $696/mo rent. |
| Thomas County, KS | $165,900 | $753/mo | Same-state comparison near $165,900 home value and $753/mo rent. |
| Ottawa County, KS | $164,100 | $738/mo | Same-state comparison near $164,100 home value and $738/mo rent. |
| Haskell County, KS | $154,800 | $776/mo | Same-state comparison near $154,800 home value and $776/mo rent. |
| Sheridan County, KS | $152,000 | $663/mo | Same-state comparison near $152,000 home value and $663/mo rent. |
Data Confidence
- 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 Kiowa County
Is Kiowa County affordable for buying a home?
Is renting or owning cheaper in Kiowa County?
How much income do you need for housing in Kiowa County?
What should I double-check before moving to Kiowa County?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.