Housing decision brief
Morton County, KS Housing Market
Morton 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.
27th lowest home value out of 105 Kansas counties with data | 12th lowest rent out of 105
Median home value
$95,600
Purchase-price signal from Census ACS.
Median rent
$637/mo
Gross rent, including utilities where reported.
Monthly owner cost
$698/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
19.0%
Below 30% usually screens as less pressured.
Rent vs own
$61/mo
Median rent screens below owner cost.
Data confidence
2 notes
Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
What Works
Lower purchase price
$95,600 median home value is 19% below Kansas county median
Lower rent
$637/mo is 16% below Kansas county median
Rent burden below pressure line
19.00% of renter income goes to rent, below the 30% burden threshold.
Low disaster-risk signal
Risk score is 95.4 out of 100, a stronger cross-check for long-term ownership costs.
What to Check
Tax rate needs attention
2.04% effective property-tax rate is 32% above Kansas county median
Health context
Health score is 35.6 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
- Renters trying to keep rent below the burden threshold
- Long-term owners who care about disaster-risk exposure
- Remote earners or cash buyers looking below the state price line
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 Morton 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. | $95,600 | $118,700 | $281,900 | 19% favorable19% below Kansas county median |
Median gross rent Lower usually helps affordability. | $637 | $758 | $1,163 | 16% favorable16% below Kansas county median |
Monthly owner cost Lower usually helps affordability. | $698 | $780 | $1,672 | 11% favorable11% below Kansas county median |
Median household income | $65,625 | $63,136 | $74,755 | Near state median4% above Kansas county median |
Effective property-tax rate Lower usually helps affordability. | 2.04% | 1.55% | 1.02% | 32% pressure32% above Kansas county median |
Rent burden Lower usually helps affordability. | 19.00% | 24.00% | N/A | 21% favorable19.00% 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
+$40,145
Median income minus rent threshold.
Owner cushion
+$35,711
Median income minus owner-cost threshold.
Affordability Advisory
This turns the raw housing numbers into income and buy-versus-rent screens.
Affordability verdict
Morton County offers affordable rental housing at a median of $637/month , about 11.6% of the typical household income here.
Rent vs own
Renters in Morton County pay $637/month on average, compared to $698/month for homeowners. This market favors renters by about 9%.
Income needed
To afford the median rent without exceeding 30% of gross income, a household needs to earn approximately $25,480/year. For owner costs at the 28% rule, the required income is roughly $29,914/year. With a median household income of $65,625, most households can comfortably afford rent here. Notably, 19.0% of renter households in Morton County are cost-burdened, spending more than 30% of income on housing.
Regional context
Within Kansas, Morton County is less affordable than Cloud County by roughly 8% ($637/mo vs $689/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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stafford County, KS | $96,700 | $613/mo | Same-state comparison near $96,700 home value and $613/mo rent. |
| Phillips County, KS | $94,700 | $621/mo | Same-state comparison near $94,700 home value and $621/mo rent. |
| Ness County, KS | $85,400 | $653/mo | Same-state comparison near $85,400 home value and $653/mo rent. |
| Rooks County, KS | $90,000 | $679/mo | Same-state comparison near $90,000 home value and $679/mo rent. |
| Wallace County, KS | $94,200 | $578/mo | Same-state comparison near $94,200 home value and $578/mo rent. |
Data Confidence
- 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 Morton County
Is Morton County affordable for buying a home?
Is renting or owning cheaper in Morton County?
How much income do you need for housing in Morton County?
What should I double-check before moving to Morton County?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.