Cost of living in Wichita 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 Wichita 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 Wichita is 93, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Wichita is 0.9x lower than the national average.
Wichita ranks as the #36 cheapest in Kansas out of 64.
Wichita ranks as the #1,658 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Wichita is $198,019.
The median income in Wichita is $63,072.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Wichita has an overall cost of living index of 93, which is 0.9x lower than the national index of 100.
Compared to Kansas, Wichita has a cost of living index that's 1.1x higher than Kansas's index of 87.
The standard of living in Wichita ranks as #36 most affordable out of the 64 places we measured in Kansas. By definition, that implies Wichita ranks as the #28 most expensive place in the Sunflower State.
For more reading on life in Wichita, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Wichita. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Wichita is 97.
The Groceries index in Wichita is 98.
The Health index in Wichita is 96.
The Housing index in Wichita is 78.
The Transportation index in Wichita is 94.
The Utilities index in Wichita is 104.
| Living Expense | Wichita | Kansas | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 93 | 87 | 100 | |
| Services | 97 | 93 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 98 | 98 | 100 | |
| Health | 96 | 98 | 100 | |
| Housing | 78 | 78 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 94 | 88 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 104 | 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 Wichita is $198,019.
The Median Rent in Wichita is $960.
The Median Income in Wichita is $63,072.
The Home Value To Income in Wichita is 3.1x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Wichita is 0.18x.
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Wichita. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Derby, KS has a cost of living index of 98, 1.1x Wichita.
Andover, KS has a cost of living index of 107, 1.2x Wichita.
Haysville, KS has a cost of living index of 90, 1.0x Wichita.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Wichita |
|---|---|---|---|
| Derby, KS | 25,801 | 98 | 1.1x |
| Andover, KS | 15,508 | 107 | 1.2x |
| Haysville, KS | 11,117 | 90 | 1.0x |
| Valley Center, KS | 8,937 | 97 | 1.0x |
| Bel Aire, KS | 8,654 | 101 | 1.1x |
| Maize, KS | 5,990 | 97 | 1.0x |
| Mulvane, KS | 5,829 | 91 | 1.0x |
| Goddard, KS | 5,361 | 97 | 1.0x |