Before you decide to relocate to Kansas, it’s important to research the exact cost of living around the state. And that’s what we’re going to help you do.
These are the places in Kansas that cost a pretty penny — the most expensive cities in the state.
We used Saturday Night Science to compare the 2018-2022 American Community Survey on cost of living for the 62 places in Kansas with more than 5,000 people.
After we saved up for months and could finally afford it, we landed on this list of the ten most expensive cities in Kansas for 2024.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 10 Most Expensive Places To Live In Kansas For 2024
What’s the most expensive place to live in Kansas? Well, HomeSnacks crunched the numbers and discovered that Leawood is the most expensive place to live in Kansas.
Concordia (the cheapest place to live in Kansas) can show these guys how to live on a budget in the coming years. Read on for how these places had costs rise faster than inflation.
And if you already knew these places were expensive, check out some more reading about Kansas and the most expensive cities in the country:
The 10 Most Expensive Places To Live In Kansas For 2024
/10
Population: 33,784
Cost Of Living Index: 124
Median Income: $174,779
Average Home Price: $681,534
Home Price To Income Ratio: 3.9x
More on Leawood: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
The overall cost of living in Leawood is 124. The median income in Leawood comes in at $174,779 and the average home value is $681,534 for 2024.
/10
Population: 22,922
Cost Of Living Index: 103
Median Income: $99,691
Average Home Price: $422,365
Home Price To Income Ratio: 4.2x
More on Prairie Village: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
The overall cost of living in Prairie Village is 103. The median income in Prairie Village comes in at $99,691 and the average home value is $422,365 for 2024.
/10
Population: 196,676
Cost Of Living Index: 102
Median Income: $100,876
Average Home Price: $423,348
Home Price To Income Ratio: 4.2x
More on Overland Park: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
The overall cost of living in Overland Park is 102. The median income in Overland Park comes in at $100,876 and the average home value is $423,348 for 2024.
/10
Population: 57,497
Cost Of Living Index: 102
Median Income: $101,074
Average Home Price: $421,663
Home Price To Income Ratio: 4.2x
More on Lenexa: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
The overall cost of living in Lenexa is 102. The median income in Lenexa comes in at $101,074 and the average home value is $421,663 for 2024.
/10
Population: 15,460
Cost Of Living Index: 100
Median Income: $113,538
Average Home Price: $302,362
Home Price To Income Ratio: 2.7x
More on Andover: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
The overall cost of living in Andover is 100. The median income in Andover comes in at $113,538 and the average home value is $302,362 for 2024.
/10
Population: 54,287
Cost Of Living Index: 98
Median Income: $55,316
Average Home Price: $252,470
Home Price To Income Ratio: 4.6x
More on Manhattan: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
The overall cost of living in Manhattan is 98. The median income in Manhattan comes in at $55,316 and the average home value is $252,470 for 2024.
/10
Population: 67,671
Cost Of Living Index: 97
Median Income: $100,649
Average Home Price: $374,543
Home Price To Income Ratio: 3.7x
More on Shawnee: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
The overall cost of living in Shawnee is 97. The median income in Shawnee comes in at $100,649 and the average home value is $374,543 for 2024.
/10
Population: 25,551
Cost Of Living Index: 96
Median Income: $79,581
Average Home Price: $258,532
Home Price To Income Ratio: 3.2x
More on Derby: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
The overall cost of living in Derby is 96. The median income in Derby comes in at $79,581 and the average home value is $258,532 for 2024.
/10
Population: 11,254
Cost Of Living Index: 95
Median Income: $100,863
Average Home Price: $286,136
Home Price To Income Ratio: 2.8x
More on Lansing: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
The overall cost of living in Lansing is 95. The median income in Lansing comes in at $100,863 and the average home value is $286,136 for 2024.
/10
Population: 7,004
Cost Of Living Index: 95
Median Income: $100,608
Average Home Price: $401,427
Home Price To Income Ratio: 4.0x
More on Basehor: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
The overall cost of living in Basehor is 95. The median income in Basehor comes in at $100,608 and the average home value is $401,427 for 2024.
Methodology: How We Determined The Most Expensive Places To Live In The Sunflower State For 2024
The two most important things to think about when it comes to being able to afford a city in Kansas are:
- How much money do I make?
- How much do I have to spend to live there?
You need to understand your costs in the context of how much money you make.
For example, if the median household earns $100,000 and spends $40,000 on housing, it’s actually cheaper to live there than a place with a median income of $50,000 and housing costs of $21,000. You might spend more on housing, but you have more money overall to play with.
With that example in mind, we derived several statistics from the latest Census American Community Survey 2018-2022 around incomes and costs. They are:
- Overall Cost Of Living Index
- Median Home Price / Median Income (lower is better)
- Median Income / Median Rent (Higher is better)
- Median Home Price
You can then compare these metrics in each of the places in Kansas to figure out which is the most expensive.
You are left with a “Cost of Living Index” by taking the average rank of each of these metrics for each city.
So we used that cost of living index to rank all of the 62 places in Kansas that have more than 5,000 people.
The place with the highest cost of living in Kansas according to the data is Leawood. We updated this article for 2024. This article is our tenth time ranking the most expensive places to live in Kansas.
Summary: Taking A Chunk Out Of Your Paycheck In Kansas For 2024
Well, there you have it, the places in Kansas that have the highest cost of living, with Leawood ranking as the most expensive city in the Sunflower State.
The most expensive cities in Kansas are Leawood, Prairie Village, Overland Park, Lenexa, Andover, Manhattan, Shawnee, Derby, Lansing, and Basehor.
Here’s a look at the most affordable cities in Kansas according to the data:
- Concordia
- Fort Scott
- Coffeyville
For more Kansas reading, check out:
- Best Places To Live In Kansas
- Cheapest Places To Live In Kansas
- Most Dangerous Places In Kansas
- Safest Places In Kansas
- Worst Places To Live In Kansas
Most Expensive Cities In Kansas
| Rank | City | Cost Of Living | Population | Median Income | Average Home Price | Home/Income Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Leawood | 124 | 33,784 | $174,779 | $681,534 | 3.9x |
| 2 | Prairie Village | 103 | 22,922 | $99,691 | $422,365 | 4.2x |
| 3 | Overland Park | 102 | 196,676 | $100,876 | $423,348 | 4.2x |
| 4 | Lenexa | 102 | 57,497 | $101,074 | $421,663 | 4.2x |
| 5 | Andover | 100 | 15,460 | $113,538 | $302,362 | 2.7x |
| 6 | Manhattan | 98 | 54,287 | $55,316 | $252,470 | 4.6x |
| 7 | Shawnee | 97 | 67,671 | $100,649 | $374,543 | 3.7x |
| 8 | Derby | 96 | 25,551 | $79,581 | $258,532 | 3.2x |
| 9 | Lansing | 95 | 11,254 | $100,863 | $286,136 | 2.8x |
| 10 | Basehor | 95 | 7,004 | $100,608 | $401,427 | 4.0x |
| 11 | Olathe | 94 | 142,114 | $108,077 | $384,085 | 3.6x |
| 12 | Junction City | 94 | 22,738 | $60,709 | $170,280 | 2.8x |
| 13 | Hays | 94 | 21,111 | $55,349 | $233,644 | 4.2x |
| 14 | Valley Center | 94 | 8,448 | $70,531 | $235,417 | 3.3x |
| 15 | Roeland Park | 94 | 6,848 | $84,848 | $294,697 | 3.5x |
| 16 | De Soto | 94 | 6,248 | $102,685 | $375,929 | 3.7x |
| 17 | Maize | 94 | 6,071 | $88,075 | $277,240 | 3.1x |
| 18 | Gardner | 93 | 23,488 | $91,232 | $320,799 | 3.5x |
| 19 | Bel Aire | 92 | 8,341 | $91,979 | $258,410 | 2.8x |
| 20 | Merriam | 91 | 11,070 | $69,414 | $290,519 | 4.2x |
| 21 | Haysville | 91 | 10,891 | $66,382 | $189,870 | 2.9x |
| 22 | Bonner Springs | 91 | 7,770 | $82,208 | $271,621 | 3.3x |
| 23 | Wichita | 90 | 395,951 | $60,712 | $183,706 | 3.0x |
| 24 | Garden City | 90 | 27,933 | $67,500 | $226,734 | 3.4x |
| 25 | Eudora | 90 | 6,025 | $111,840 | $290,892 | 2.6x |
| 26 | Mulvane | 90 | 6,003 | $67,766 | $215,120 | 3.2x |
| 27 | McPherson | 89 | 13,955 | $69,807 | $196,232 | 2.8x |
| 28 | Mission | 89 | 9,894 | $78,915 | $290,183 | 3.7x |
| 29 | Augusta | 89 | 9,253 | $59,536 | $195,681 | 3.3x |
| 30 | Spring Hill | 89 | 8,279 | $105,194 | $400,863 | 3.8x |
| 31 | Tonganoxie | 89 | 5,484 | $71,333 | $344,779 | 4.8x |
| 32 | Newton | 88 | 18,527 | $66,528 | $152,576 | 2.3x |
| 33 | Park City | 88 | 7,703 | $70,583 | $200,922 | 2.8x |
| 34 | Leavenworth | 87 | 37,193 | $67,360 | $225,494 | 3.3x |
| 35 | Lawrence | 86 | 95,103 | $59,834 | $292,989 | 4.9x |
| 36 | Hutchinson | 86 | 39,995 | $55,265 | $129,629 | 2.3x |
| 37 | Colby | 86 | 5,403 | $62,937 | $164,226 | 2.6x |
| 38 | Pratt | 85 | 6,588 | $61,117 | $93,082 | 1.5x |
| 39 | Ulysses | 85 | 5,834 | $62,138 | $139,251 | 2.2x |
| 40 | Paola | 85 | 5,742 | $69,420 | $334,271 | 4.8x |
| 41 | Dodge City | 84 | 27,721 | $66,932 | $191,789 | 2.9x |
| 42 | Liberal | 84 | 19,099 | $55,602 | $134,994 | 2.4x |
| 43 | El Dorado | 84 | 12,882 | $52,921 | $145,347 | 2.7x |
| 44 | Kansas City | 83 | 155,438 | $56,120 | $177,140 | 3.2x |
| 45 | Salina | 83 | 46,734 | $56,945 | $164,317 | 2.9x |
| 46 | Great Bend | 83 | 14,725 | $53,885 | $109,069 | 2.0x |
| 47 | Winfield | 83 | 11,804 | $55,850 | $120,353 | 2.2x |
| 48 | Wellington | 83 | 7,710 | $48,333 | $96,412 | 2.0x |
| 49 | Abilene | 82 | 6,489 | $54,948 | $133,296 | 2.4x |
| 50 | Atchison | 81 | 10,834 | $50,344 | $136,676 | 2.7x |
| 51 | Pittsburg | 80 | 20,610 | $42,371 | $119,185 | 2.8x |
| 52 | Independence | 79 | 8,556 | $48,514 | $95,797 | 2.0x |
| 53 | Iola | 79 | 5,395 | $46,351 | $72,294 | 1.6x |
| 54 | Ottawa | 78 | 12,615 | $61,927 | $196,371 | 3.2x |
| 55 | Chanute | 78 | 8,713 | $52,608 | $86,204 | 1.6x |
| 56 | Topeka | 77 | 126,431 | $54,052 | $174,701 | 3.2x |
| 57 | Emporia | 77 | 24,118 | $49,661 | $149,266 | 3.0x |
| 58 | Arkansas City | 77 | 11,997 | $49,177 | $83,337 | 1.7x |
| 59 | Parsons | 77 | 9,564 | $48,990 | $67,778 | 1.4x |
| 60 | Coffeyville | 76 | 8,842 | $41,220 | $49,965 | 1.2x |
| 61 | Fort Scott | 75 | 7,569 | $45,206 | $108,652 | 2.4x |
| 62 | Concordia | 75 | 5,080 | $45,000 | $101,201 | 2.2x |
