State profile
Kansas Cost of Living Comparison
Kansas's 2024 price level is 90.068, 9.93% below the national level, and its price-adjusted income is essentially level with the U.S. average.
Updated
90.068Kansas all-items price level, U.S. = 100 · rank 10 of 51, lowest first
| Measure | Kansas | Nebraska | First − second |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-items price level | 90.068 | 90.103 | −0.035 points |
| Rent price level | 71.156 | 75.174 | −4.018 points |
| Home value | $217,200±$1,343 | $238,600±$1,365 | −$21,400 |
| Two-bedroom gross rent | $1,042±$9 | $1,083±$9 | −$41 |
| Household income | $74,275±$475 | $76,475±$633 | −$2,200 |
| Real estate taxes paid | $2,798±$18 | $3,549±$22 | −$751 |
$4,000 of monthly spending in Kansas scales to $4,002 in Nebraska at the 2024 all-items price ratio.
BEA 2024 and ACS 2020–2024; ± marks the Census 90% margin. How to read a gap
Kansas: cheap services, average real income, Colorado next door
Services are where Kansas saves most. Other services, at 93.816, are the fifth-cheapest in the country and goods (94.027) the sixth; rents, at 71.156, rank 12th-lowest. Utilities are closer to the middle at 88.438.
Real income is right on the national line. Real per capita personal income, adjusted for Kansas prices, is $59,172, essentially level with the U.S. figure of $59,195 and rank 21, although the median household income of $74,275 ranks 35th. Renters spend 27.1% of income on gross rent, rank 48, one of the lightest burdens anywhere, against a two-bedroom median of $1,042.
Owners face more tax than the home values suggest. The median real estate tax paid is $2,798 a year, rank 24, on homes with a median value of $217,200 (rank 42). At the state level property tax is a visible line too: 7.1% of fiscal 2025 collections, $313 per resident, alongside individual income tax (35.6%) and general sales (32.6%). Total collections were $4,406 per resident, rank 21.
Kansas has become relatively cheaper: 92.251 in 2020, a low of 89.609 in 2022 and 90.068 in 2024, a net fall of 2.183 points.
The western border is a cliff. Colorado's price level is 103.052, its rent parity 127.359, its two-bedroom median $1,782 and its median home value $539,400, so a move across that line changes almost every number on the board. The other three neighbours look like Kansas: Missouri (90.817), Oklahoma (87.843) and Nebraska (90.103), which is also Kansas's closest price level nationally.
Category price levels in Kansas
| Category | Parity | Rank, low first | vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All items | 90.068 | 10 | 9.93% below |
| Goods | 94.027 | 6 | 5.97% below |
| Housing (rents) | 71.156 | 12 | 28.84% below |
| Utilities | 88.438 | 23 | 11.56% below |
| Other services | 93.816 | 5 | 6.18% below |
| Real income per person, 2017 $ | $59,172 | 21 | U.S. $59,195 |
All items by year: 2020 92.251 · 2021 91.270 · 2022 89.609 · 2023 89.908 · 2024 90.068 (−2.183 since 2020). How to read categories and trends
Monthly housing costs
- Owners with a mortgage
- $1,689±$10 · rank 32, high first
- Owners without a mortgage
- $641±$4 · rank 23
- Renters: gross rent / income
- 27.1%±0.4 · rank 48
Kansas state tax collections, FY2025
$13.12 billion in total, $4,406 per resident. Scope of these figures
| Tax | FY2025 | Share | Per resident |
|---|---|---|---|
| Individual income | $4.68 billion | 35.6% | $1,571 |
| General sales | $4.28 billion | 32.6% | $1,438 |
| Property | $932.5 million | 7.1% | $313 |
| Motor fuel | $462.7 million | 3.5% | $155 |
| Other selective sales | $907.7 million | 6.9% | $305 |
| Corporate income | $1.36 billion | 10.4% | $458 |
| Licenses | $461.1 million | 3.5% | $155 |
| Severance | $36.8 million | 0.3% | $12 |
| Other taxes | not levied | ||
Kansas beside its neighbours
Before you budget a move
A Kansas comparison should start with the location on each employment and housing document. For a move involving the Kansas City area, do not assume that similarly named destinations share residence, taxing jurisdiction or commute requirements. The state statistics distinguish Kansas from Missouri but do not prepare a cross-border return.
Price an actual rental or purchase plan before converting the broad price ratio into a budget. A household changing from apartment living to home ownership adds financing and maintenance inputs absent from the median gross-rent measure. Keep transaction cash, annual taxes and recurring living costs in separate columns.
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