Wichita, KS Relocation Guide (2026)
Cost of living, housing, and income data for Wichita, sourced from the US Census Bureau.
Salary needed to live in Wichita →
Source: US Census Bureau ACS 5-Year (2022). Last updated July 2026.
Roughly 395,951 people call Wichita, Kansas home. Household income runs $60,712 at the median, below what we see across the broader set of cities (-16%).
Housing costs are a defining factor for anyone relocating to Wichita. The median home value sits at $166,400 (below the multi-city median at -49%), while renters pay a median of $915 per month. Buyers should weigh current mortgage rates and local property taxes against these figures before committing.
Wichita's home-price-to-income ratio of about 2.7× puts it in affordable territory — income here stretches further toward a home purchase than in many cities we track. Year-over-year, home values around Wichita are up 3.25%, a pace in line with a healthy, unremarkable market. FEMA classifies Wichita's hazard risk as Relatively High. That elevated rating is a major driver of home insurance premiums in the area.
Personal Affordability Check
Renting at $915/mo in Wichita would take 18.1% of your income.
$603/mo under the 30% guideline.
Buying the median home ($166,400) would take 17.6% of your income toward principal & interest.
$528/mo under the 28% guideline.
Cost of housing in Wichita
Median home value is $166,400 and median gross rent is $915/month. For buyers, monthly costs depend heavily on current mortgage rates — worth checking before you commit.
FHFA's county-level home price index for Sedgwick rose 3.25% over the past year (as of 2025).
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom unit in the surrounding county is $1,099/month.
Climate & home insurance
FEMA rates Wichita's overall natural-hazard risk as Relatively High. Risk level is a major driver of home insurance premiums.
Safety
Wichita reported a violent crime rate of 1210 per 100,000 residents in 2025, per FBI data.
Moving to Wichita
Planning a move to Wichita? Compare licensed movers and get quotes based on your origin and move date.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the cost of living in Wichita, KS?
- For a quick read on Wichita: homes carry a median value of $166,400, rent runs a median $915 monthly, and household income is a median $60,712, all from the US Census Bureau ACS 5-Year (2022).
- How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Wichita?
- Comfortably affording rent in Wichita — where the median runs $915/month — typically means earning about $36,600 a year, per the standard 30%-of-income benchmark. See the full salary breakdown (renting and buying) for Wichita.
- Is it better to rent or buy in Wichita?
- Wichita's median rent of $915/month translates to about $36,600 a year needed to rent comfortably, versus roughly $38,071 a year for principal and interest on the $166,400 median home (20% down, 30-year fixed, today's rates). How long you'll stay is usually the deciding factor.
- Is Wichita safe?
- In 2025, Wichita reported 1210 violent crimes per 100,000 residents, according to FBI data.
See the full salary breakdown for Wichita →
Cities with a similar cost of living
Matched on median rent and household income within 15% of Wichita's.