Housing decision brief
Trego County, KS Housing Market
Trego 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.
49th lowest home value out of 105 Kansas counties with data | 28th lowest rent out of 105
Median home value
$115,400
Purchase-price signal from Census ACS.
Median rent
$694/mo
Gross rent, including utilities where reported.
Monthly owner cost
$637/mo
Owner costs before individual loan terms.
Decision snapshot
Read this county in four signals.
Buy screen
1.6x
Median home value divided by local household income.
Rent burden
27.0%
Below 30% usually screens as less pressured.
Rent vs own
$57/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 purchase price
$115,400 median home value is 3% below Kansas county median
Lower rent
$694/mo is 8% below Kansas county median
Rent burden below pressure line
27.00% of renter income goes to rent, below the 30% burden threshold.
Owning screens cheaper than renting
Median owner costs are $57/mo below median rent before individual mortgage terms.
Low disaster-risk signal
Risk score is 97.3 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
- Households weighing ownership against renting
- 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 Trego 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. | $115,400 | $118,700 | $281,900 | Near state median3% below Kansas county median |
Median gross rent Lower usually helps affordability. | $694 | $758 | $1,163 | 8% favorable8% below Kansas county median |
Monthly owner cost Lower usually helps affordability. | $637 | $780 | $1,672 | 18% favorable18% below Kansas county median |
Median household income | $73,375 | $63,136 | $74,755 | 16% favorable16% above Kansas county median |
Effective property-tax rate Lower usually helps affordability. | 1.46% | 1.55% | 1.02% | 6% favorable6% below Kansas county median |
Rent burden Lower usually helps affordability. | 27.00% | 24.00% | N/A | 13% pressure27.00% 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
+$45,615
Median income minus rent threshold.
Owner cushion
+$46,075
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 Trego County is affordable. The median rent is $694/month against a median household income of $73,375, putting rent at 11.3% of income.
Rent vs own
Renters in Trego County pay $694/month on average, compared to $637/month for homeowners. This market favors buyers by about 8%.
Income needed
To afford the median rent without exceeding 30% of gross income, a household needs to earn approximately $27,760/year. For owner costs at the 28% rule, the required income is roughly $27,300/year. With a median household income of $73,375, most households can comfortably afford rent here. Notably, 27.0% of renter households in Trego County are cost-burdened, spending more than 30% of income on housing.
Regional context
Compared to Norton County where rent averages $642/month, Trego 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marshall County, KS | $119,500 | $670/mo | Same-state comparison near $119,500 home value and $670/mo rent. |
| Ellsworth County, KS | $116,300 | $705/mo | Same-state comparison near $116,300 home value and $705/mo rent. |
| Logan County, KS | $116,600 | $796/mo | Same-state comparison near $116,600 home value and $796/mo rent. |
| Doniphan County, KS | $121,200 | $801/mo | Same-state comparison near $121,200 home value and $801/mo rent. |
| Marion County, KS | $114,400 | $727/mo | Same-state comparison near $114,400 home value and $727/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 Trego County
Is Trego County affordable for buying a home?
Is renting or owning cheaper in Trego County?
How much income do you need for housing in Trego County?
What should I double-check before moving to Trego County?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.