Housing decision brief
Lane County, KS Housing Market
Lane 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.
55th lowest home value out of 105 Kansas counties with data | 1st lowest rent out of 105
Median home value
$119,000
Purchase-price signal from Census ACS.
Median rent
$497/mo
Gross rent, including utilities where reported.
Monthly owner cost
$583/mo
Owner costs before individual loan terms.
Decision snapshot
Read this county in four signals.
Buy screen
2.2x
Median home value divided by local household income.
Rent burden
22.0%
Below 30% usually screens as less pressured.
Rent vs own
$86/mo
Median rent screens below owner cost.
Data confidence
2 notes
Home-value estimate has a $58,101 ACS margin of error.
What Works
Lower rent
$497/mo is 34% below Kansas county median
Rent burden below pressure line
22.00% of renter income goes to rent, below the 30% burden threshold.
Low disaster-risk signal
Risk score is 97.7 out of 100, a stronger cross-check for long-term ownership costs.
What to Check
Lower income base
$53,042 median income is 16% below 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.
Wide home-value margin
The ACS margin of error on home value is $58,101, so exact rankings should be read as directional.
Best Fit For
- Buyers comparing homes to local incomes
- Renters trying to keep rent below the burden threshold
- 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 Lane 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. | $119,000 | $118,700 | $281,900 | Near state medianAt the Kansas county median |
Median gross rent Lower usually helps affordability. | $497 | $758 | $1,163 | 34% favorable34% below Kansas county median |
Monthly owner cost Lower usually helps affordability. | $583 | $780 | $1,672 | 25% favorable25% below Kansas county median |
Median household income | $53,042 | $63,136 | $74,755 | 16% pressure16% below Kansas county median |
Effective property-tax rate Lower usually helps affordability. | 1.44% | 1.55% | 1.02% | 7% favorable7% below 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
+$33,162
Median income minus rent threshold.
Owner cushion
+$28,056
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 Lane County, the market is affordable. Expect to pay around $497/month in gross rent, with 22.0% of renter households considered cost-burdened.
Rent vs own
Renters in Lane County pay $497/month on average, compared to $583/month for homeowners. This market favors renters by about 15%.
Income needed
To afford the median rent without exceeding 30% of gross income, a household needs to earn approximately $19,880/year. For owner costs at the 28% rule, the required income is roughly $24,986/year. With a median household income of $53,042, most households can comfortably afford rent here. Notably, 22.0% of renter households in Lane County are cost-burdened, spending more than 30% of income on housing.
Regional context
Within Kansas, Lane County is less affordable than Wallace County by roughly 14% ($497/mo vs $578/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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington County, KS | $106,100 | $547/mo | Same-state comparison near $106,100 home value and $547/mo rent. |
| Cheyenne County, KS | $119,300 | $703/mo | Same-state comparison near $119,300 home value and $703/mo rent. |
| Norton County, KS | $106,300 | $642/mo | Same-state comparison near $106,300 home value and $642/mo rent. |
| Morris County, KS | $120,900 | $711/mo | Same-state comparison near $120,900 home value and $711/mo rent. |
| Mitchell County, KS | $109,600 | $653/mo | Same-state comparison near $109,600 home value and $653/mo rent. |
Data Confidence
- Home-value estimate has a $58,101 ACS margin of error.
- Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
Next Checks
Housing Questions for Lane County
Is Lane County affordable for buying a home?
Is renting or owning cheaper in Lane County?
How much income do you need for housing in Lane County?
What should I double-check before moving to Lane County?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.