Cost of living in Parsons research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Parsons is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Kansas, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Parsons is 79, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Parsons is 0.8x lower than the national average.
Parsons ranks as the #4 cheapest in Kansas out of 64.
Parsons ranks as the #76 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Parsons is $77,650.
The median income in Parsons is $50,838.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Parsons has an overall cost of living index of 79, which is 0.8x lower than the national index of 100.
Compared to Kansas, Parsons has a cost of living index that's 0.9x lower than Kansas's index of 87.
The standard of living in Parsons ranks as #4 most affordable out of the 64 places we measured in Kansas. By definition, that implies Parsons ranks as the #60 most expensive place in the Sunflower State.
For more reading on life in Parsons, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Parsons. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Parsons is 87.
The Groceries index in Parsons is 93.
The Health index in Parsons is 87.
The Housing index in Parsons is 47.
The Transportation index in Parsons is 87.
The Utilities index in Parsons is 106.
| Living Expense | Parsons | Kansas | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 79 | 87 | 100 | |
| Services | 87 | 93 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 93 | 98 | 100 | |
| Health | 87 | 98 | 100 | |
| Housing | 47 | 78 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 87 | 88 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 106 | 109 | 100 | |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Kansas, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2019-2023. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Parsons is $77,650.
The Median Rent in Parsons is $743.
The Median Income in Parsons is $50,838.
The Home Value To Income in Parsons is 1.5x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Parsons is 0.18x.
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Parsons. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Joplin, MO has a cost of living index of 88, 1.1x Parsons.
Miami, OK has a cost of living index of 83, 1.1x Parsons.
Independence, KS has a cost of living index of 80, 1.0x Parsons.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Parsons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joplin, MO | 52,218 | 88 | 1.1x |
| Miami, OK | 12,960 | 83 | 1.1x |
| Independence, KS | 8,469 | 80 | 1.0x |
| Carl Junction, MO | 8,257 | 95 | 1.2x |
| Iola, KS | 5,368 | 80 | 1.0x |
| Vinita, OK | 5,229 | 83 | 1.1x |