Housing decision brief
Norton County, KS Housing Market
Norton County screens as a below-state 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.
39th lowest home value out of 105 Kansas counties with data | 14th lowest rent out of 105
Median home value
$106,300
Purchase-price signal from Census ACS.
Median rent
$642/mo
Gross rent, including utilities where reported.
Monthly owner cost
$688/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
37.0%
At or above the 30% burden threshold.
Rent vs own
$46/mo
Median rent screens below owner cost.
Data confidence
2 notes
Home-value estimate has a $32,207 ACS margin of error.
What Works
Lower purchase price
$106,300 median home value is 10% below Kansas county median
Lower rent
$642/mo is 15% below Kansas county median
Low disaster-risk signal
Risk score is 80.2 out of 100, a stronger cross-check for long-term ownership costs.
What to Check
Lower income base
$50,305 median income is 20% below 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 $32,207, 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 Norton 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. | $106,300 | $118,700 | $281,900 | 10% favorable10% below Kansas county median |
Median gross rent Lower usually helps affordability. | $642 | $758 | $1,163 | 15% favorable15% below Kansas county median |
Monthly owner cost Lower usually helps affordability. | $688 | $780 | $1,672 | 12% favorable12% below Kansas county median |
Median household income | $50,305 | $63,136 | $74,755 | 20% pressure20% below Kansas county median |
Effective property-tax rate Lower usually helps affordability. | 1.49% | 1.55% | 1.02% | Near state median4% below Kansas county median |
Rent burden Lower usually helps affordability. | 37.00% | 24.00% | N/A | 54% pressure37.00% 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
+$24,625
Median income minus rent threshold.
Owner cushion
+$20,819
Median income minus owner-cost threshold.
Affordability Advisory
This turns the raw housing numbers into income and buy-versus-rent screens.
Affordability verdict
Norton County offers affordable rental housing at a median of $642/month , about 15.3% of the typical household income here.
Rent vs own
At $642/month rent versus $688/month in owner costs, renting is roughly $46/month cheaper , a 7% difference.
Income needed
To afford the median rent without exceeding 30% of gross income, a household needs to earn approximately $25,680/year. For owner costs at the 28% rule, the required income is roughly $29,486/year. With a median household income of $50,305, most households can comfortably afford rent here. Notably, 37.0% of renter households in Norton County are cost-burdened, spending more than 30% of income on housing.
Regional context
Compared to Harper County where rent averages $693/month, Norton County is approximately 7% less 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neosho County, KS | $101,200 | $650/mo | Same-state comparison near $101,200 home value and $650/mo rent. |
| Russell County, KS | $106,400 | $722/mo | Same-state comparison near $106,400 home value and $722/mo rent. |
| Mitchell County, KS | $109,600 | $653/mo | Same-state comparison near $109,600 home value and $653/mo rent. |
| Chase County, KS | $106,200 | $758/mo | Same-state comparison near $106,200 home value and $758/mo rent. |
| Brown County, KS | $111,100 | $675/mo | Same-state comparison near $111,100 home value and $675/mo rent. |
Data Confidence
- Home-value estimate has a $32,207 ACS margin of error.
- Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
Next Checks
Housing Questions for Norton County
Is Norton County affordable for buying a home?
Is renting or owning cheaper in Norton County?
How much income do you need for housing in Norton County?
What should I double-check before moving to Norton County?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.