Cost of Living in Wichita, KS
Wichita, KS — prices, rents and what jobs really pay here after taxes.
Salary comparison calculator
What would you need to earn in Wichita, KS to keep the same lifestyle — after taxes — as in another city?
How expensive is Wichita, KS?
With a price level of 88.9 (U.S. average = 100), Wichita, KS is one of the most affordable places in the country. In detail, housing costs are 34% below average; everyday goods are 6% below average; utilities are 12% below average; other services such as healthcare and dining are 6% below average. The biggest difference from the national average is in housing.
Prices in Wichita, KS vs. the U.S. average
| Category | Index (U.S. = 100) | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| All items | 88.9 | −11.1% |
| Housing | 66.2 | −33.8% |
| Goods | 94.0 | −6.0% |
| Utilities | 88.5 | −11.5% |
| Other services | 93.8 | −6.2% |
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
Rent in Wichita, KS
| Unit | Monthly rent | Income needed (30% rule) |
|---|---|---|
| Studio | $781 | $31,240/yr |
| 1 bedroom | $848 | $33,920/yr |
| 2 bedrooms | $1,098 | $43,920/yr |
| 3 bedrooms | $1,438 | $57,520/yr |
| 4 bedrooms | $1,771 | $70,840/yr |
HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2026, population-weighted across the metro's counties.
Salary needed to live in Wichita, KS
To keep the same standard of living as in an average-priced U.S. city, you would need to earn roughly:
| Salary in an average U.S. city | Equivalent in Wichita, KS | Take-home here |
|---|---|---|
| $40,000 | $35,600 | $29,597 |
| $60,000 | $53,400 | $42,907 |
| $80,000 | $71,200 | $55,746 |
| $100,000 | $88,900 | $67,210 |
| $150,000 | $133,400 | $95,801 |
Scaled by the BEA price level (pre-tax). Take-home: single filer, Kansas 2026 taxes. For a tax-aware comparison with a specific city, use the calculator above.
A monthly budget on the median wage
A single worker earning Wichita, KS's median wage of $47,630 takes home about $3,216 a month. A typical one-bedroom rents for $848, which is 26% of take-home pay — within the 30% guideline that financial planners suggest. That leaves about $2,368 a month for everything else.
Take-home pay in Wichita, KS
- Federal income tax$3,536
- Social Security (6.2%)$2,953
- Medicare (1.45%)$691
- Kansas income tax$1,858
- Take-home pay$38,593
Marginal rate: 12% federal + 5.58% state
Highest-paying jobs in Wichita, KS
*In U.S.-average dollars after adjusting for local prices.
Pay and living costs in Kansas cities
Half of Kansas’s 1,437,520 workers earn less than $48,010 a year and half earn more; the middle 50% earn $35,880–$72,280 (BLS, May 2025). Prices vary a lot within the state: Topeka, KS stretches a paycheck furthest, while Manhattan, KS is the costliest.
| Metro area | Median pay | Price level | 1-BR rent | Rent share | Left after rent / mo | Buying power* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas City, MO | $50,820 | 92.5 | $1,193 | 35% | $2,222 | $44,280 |
| Wichita, KS | $47,630 | 88.9 | $848 | 26% | $2,368 | $43,389 |
| Topeka, KS | $49,540 | 88.8 | $820 | 25% | $2,515 | $45,058 |
| Joplin, MO | $44,980 | 85.7 | $756 | 25% | $2,295 | $42,711 |
| St. Joseph, MO | $47,350 | 86.4 | $832 | 26% | $2,367 | $44,434 |
| Manhattan, KS | $45,900 | 90.2 | $868 | 28% | $2,240 | $41,369 |
| Lawrence, KS | $47,390 | 90.2 | $1,006 | 31% | $2,195 | $42,566 |
*Yearly take-home pay (on each metro’s median wage, single filer) in U.S.-average dollars. Price level: BEA RPP 2024 (U.S. = 100). Rent: HUD FY2026 one-bedroom fair market rent.
Wichita, KS vs. similar-size cities
| Metro area | Price level | 1-BR rent | Median wage | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wichita, KS | 88.9 | $848 | $47,630 | 308,570 |
| Cape Coral, FL | 102.3 | $1,638 | $46,780 | 304,790 |
| Provo, UT | 98.2 | $1,265 | $48,010 | 304,660 |
| Colorado Springs, CO | 100.7 | $1,461 | $52,710 | 316,060 |
| Syracuse, NY | 95.7 | $1,123 | $52,990 | 300,130 |
| Akron, OH | 93.4 | $985 | $48,840 | 319,560 |
| McAllen, TX | 85.9 | $847 | $35,830 | 296,700 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Wichita, KS expensive to live in?
According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, overall prices in the Wichita, KS metro area are 88.9% of the U.S. average, with housing at 66.2%. It is the #313 most expensive of 387 metro areas we track.
What salary do you need to live in Wichita, KS?
To match the buying power of a $60,000 salary in an average-priced U.S. city you would need about $53,368 in Wichita, KS (before tax differences). The median wage across all jobs here is $47,630.
Can you afford Wichita, KS on the median wage?
A single worker on the $47,630 median wage takes home about $3,216 a month after 2026 taxes; a one-bedroom at $848 would take 26% of that.
How much is rent in Wichita, KS?
HUD’s FY2026 fair market rents for Wichita, KS are $781 for a studio, $848 for one bedroom, $1,098 for two bedrooms and $1,438 for three bedrooms, including utilities.
Top salaries by field in Wichita, KS
Management Occupations
- General and Operations Manager — $85,230
Business and Financial Operations Occupations
- Accountant and Auditor — $79,270
Educational Instruction and Library Occupations
- Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education — $58,640
- Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary — $30,870
Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations
- Registered Nurse — $76,540
Healthcare Support Occupations
- Nursing Assistant — $37,290
- Home Health and Personal Care Aide — $30,600
Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations
- Waiter and Waitress — $37,300
- First-Line Supervisor of Food Preparation and Serving Workers — $36,420
- Cooks, Restaurant — $34,510
- Fast Food and Counter Worker — $27,420
Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance Occupations
Sales and Related Occupations
- Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel — $59,110
- Retail Salesperson — $30,760
- Cashier — $28,430
Office and Administrative Support Occupations
- First-Line Supervisor of Office and Administrative Support Workers — $62,280
- Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks — $46,500
- Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive — $41,480
- Customer Service Representative — $39,330
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Occupations
- Industrial Machinery Mechanic — $83,540
- Maintenance and Repair Workers, General — $47,150
Production Occupations
- Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers — $63,030
- Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers — $59,850
- Miscellaneous Assembler and Fabricator — $44,090
Transportation and Material Moving Occupations
- Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Driver — $57,930
- Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand — $37,750
- Stocker and Order Filler — $34,510