Housing decision brief
Wichita County, KS Housing Market
Wichita 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.
30th lowest home value out of 105 Kansas counties with data | 48th lowest rent out of 105
Median home value
$98,700
Purchase-price signal from Census ACS.
Median rent
$738/mo
Gross rent, including utilities where reported.
Monthly owner cost
$717/mo
Owner costs before individual loan terms.
Decision snapshot
Read this county in four signals.
Buy screen
1.4x
Median home value divided by local household income.
Rent burden
16.0%
Below 30% usually screens as less pressured.
Rent vs own
$21/mo
Median owner cost screens below median rent.
Data confidence
3 notes
Home-value estimate has a $52,329 ACS margin of error.
What Works
Lower purchase price
$98,700 median home value is 17% below Kansas county median
Lower rent
$738/mo is 3% below Kansas county median
Rent burden below pressure line
16.00% of renter income goes to rent, below the 30% burden threshold.
Owning screens cheaper than renting
Median owner costs are $21/mo below median rent before individual mortgage terms.
Low disaster-risk signal
Risk score is 91.9 out of 100, a stronger cross-check for long-term ownership costs.
What to Check
Health context
Health score is 30.8 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.
Wide home-value margin
The ACS margin of error on home value is $52,329, 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
- 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 Wichita 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. | $98,700 | $118,700 | $281,900 | 17% favorable17% below Kansas county median |
Median gross rent Lower usually helps affordability. | $738 | $758 | $1,163 | Near state median3% below Kansas county median |
Monthly owner cost Lower usually helps affordability. | $717 | $780 | $1,672 | 8% favorable8% below Kansas county median |
Median household income | $71,282 | $63,136 | $74,755 | 13% favorable13% above Kansas county median |
Effective property-tax rate Lower usually helps affordability. | 1.47% | 1.55% | 1.02% | 5% favorable5% below Kansas county median |
Rent burden Lower usually helps affordability. | 16.00% | 24.00% | N/A | 33% favorable16.00% 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
+$41,762
Median income minus rent threshold.
Owner cushion
+$40,553
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 Wichita County is affordable. The median rent is $738/month against a median household income of $71,282, putting rent at 12.4% of income.
Rent vs own
Renters in Wichita County pay $738/month on average, compared to $717/month for homeowners. This market favors buyers by about 3%.
Income needed
To afford the median rent without exceeding 30% of gross income, a household needs to earn approximately $29,520/year. For owner costs at the 28% rule, the required income is roughly $30,729/year. With a median household income of $71,282, most households can comfortably afford rent here. Notably, 16.0% of renter households in Wichita County are cost-burdened, spending more than 30% of income on housing.
Regional context
Compared to Allen County where rent averages $685/month, Wichita 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bourbon County, KS | $107,600 | $784/mo | Same-state comparison near $107,600 home value and $784/mo rent. |
| Rice County, KS | $105,500 | $717/mo | Same-state comparison near $105,500 home value and $717/mo rent. |
| Rawlins County, KS | $99,400 | $823/mo | Same-state comparison near $99,400 home value and $823/mo rent. |
| Pawnee County, KS | $102,400 | $806/mo | Same-state comparison near $102,400 home value and $806/mo rent. |
| Logan County, KS | $116,600 | $796/mo | Same-state comparison near $116,600 home value and $796/mo rent. |
Data Confidence
- Home-value estimate has a $52,329 ACS margin of error.
- 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 Wichita County
Is Wichita County affordable for buying a home?
Is renting or owning cheaper in Wichita County?
How much income do you need for housing in Wichita County?
What should I double-check before moving to Wichita County?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.