Cost of Living in Kansas
What it costs to live in Kansas, how much tax you'll pay, and what common jobs keep after rent and everyday costs.
- Population
- 2,970,606
- Median household income
- $75,514
- State income tax
- Up to 5.6%
- Cost of living (US = 100)
- 90.1
What a typical paycheck keeps in Kansas
The typical Kansas worker earns $48,010 (BLS). After taxes, a statewide 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs, $10,128 is left. Pick a city for local rents and pay.
- Typical salary
- $48,010
- Federal income tax
- −$3,581
- Payroll taxes
- −$3,673
- State income tax
- −$1,879
- Rent, 1-bedroom
- −$12,048
- Everyday costs
- −$16,701
a year, or $844 a month
Pay: BLS OEWS statewide median. Rent: HUD FY2027, population-weighted across Kansas.
Cost of living in Kansas
Prices across Kansas run 10% below the US average (BEA, 2024).
- Housing29% below the US average
- Goods (food, clothing, cars)6% below the US average
- Utilities12% below the US average
- Other services (healthcare and more)6% below the US average
- All items10% below the US average
Monthly budget for one person
| Cost | Monthly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bedroom | $1,004 | $12,048 |
| Food | $464 | $5,568 |
| Transportation | $367 | $4,404 |
| Healthcare | $330 | $3,960 |
| Utilities | $230 | $2,760 |
| Total before taxes | $2,395 | $28,740 |
Rent is the statewide average of county fair market rents, weighted by population. City rents differ.
Kansas taxes
State income tax, single filer (2026)
| Taxable income over | Rate |
|---|---|
| $0 | 5.2% |
| $23,000 | 5.6% |
Taxes on the median household income
$75,514 of wages, one single filer (Census 2024 median).
| Federal income tax | −$7,783 |
| Payroll taxes | −$5,777 |
| State income tax | −$3,414 |
| Effective tax rate | 22.5% |
Cities in Kansas
What a typical worker keeps after taxes, rent and everyday costs in each Kansas city we cover.
What common jobs keep in Kansas
The 15 jobs that keep the most: statewide median pay, and what's left after taxes, a statewide 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs.
| Job | Median pay | You keep |
|---|---|---|
| Pharmacist | $137,800 | $69,813 |
| Nurse practitioner | $126,650 | $62,815 |
| Physician assistant | $125,640 | $62,181 |
| Software engineer | $113,420 | $54,343 |
| Veterinarian | $107,080 | $50,236 |
| Lawyer | $106,650 | $49,958 |
| Lineman | $101,620 | $46,700 |
| Project manager | $100,010 | $45,657 |
| Occupational therapist | $99,170 | $45,113 |
| Physical therapist | $98,290 | $44,543 |
| Data scientist | $98,130 | $44,439 |
| Civil engineer | $96,880 | $43,630 |
| Mechanical engineer | $86,260 | $36,751 |
| Financial analyst | $84,860 | $35,844 |
| Speech-language pathologist | $80,120 | $32,775 |
Salary pages in Kansas, A–Z
Pay range, what’s kept and the best cities for each job.
- Accountant
- Auto mechanic
- Carpenter
- Civil engineer
- Data scientist
- Diesel mechanic
- Electrician
- Financial analyst
- Firefighter
- HVAC technician
- Lawyer
- Licensed practical nurse
- Lineman
- Mechanical engineer
- Medical assistant
- Nurse practitioner
- Nursing assistant
- Occupational therapist
- Paralegal
- Paramedic
- Pharmacist
- Pharmacy technician
- Physical therapist
- Physician assistant
- Plumber
- Police officer
- Project manager
- Radiologic technologist
- Registered nurse
- Respiratory therapist
- Social worker
- Software engineer
- Speech-language pathologist
- Teacher
- Truck driver
- Veterinarian
- Welder
Top-paying jobs in Kansas
Median pay, jobs with at least 1,000 workers (BLS OEWS). Linked jobs have a salary page.
| Job | Median pay |
|---|---|
| Physicians, All Other | $221,540 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | $164,830 |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | $160,150 |
| Sales Managers | $159,990 |
| Financial Managers | $159,380 |
| Chief Executives | $158,100 |
| Marketing Managers | $154,510 |
| Pharmacists | $137,800 |
| Human Resources Managers | $134,470 |
| Managers, All Other | $131,710 |
| Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products | $130,850 |
| Aerospace Engineers | $130,330 |
| Nurse Practitioners | $126,650 |
| Industrial Production Managers | $125,750 |
| Construction Managers | $120,810 |
Living in Kansas
Kansas against the US (Census Bureau, ACS 2024).
| Measure | Kansas | US |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $238,700 | $360,600 |
| Median rent paid | $1,079 | $1,487 |
| Unemployment rate | 3.7% | 4.6% |
| Living below the poverty line | 10.9% | 12.2% |
| Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher | 36.1% | 36.9% |
| Average commute, one way | 20 minutes | 27.2 minutes |
| Working from home | 10.3% | 13.3% |
Nearby states
Compare Kansas with another state or city: what a job keeps in each, side by side.
Questions people ask
What is the cost of living in Kansas?
Prices in Kansas are 10% below the US average (BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024). The statewide fair market rent for a 1-bedroom is $1,004 a month (HUD, FY2027), and everyday costs for one person come to about $1,392 a month.
Does Kansas have a state income tax?
Yes. Kansas's income tax rate is up to 5.6%. On a typical wage of $48,010, a single filer pays about $1,879 a year in state income tax.
How much do you need to earn to live in Kansas?
A single person renting a 1-bedroom at the statewide fair market rent needs about $34,500 a year before tax to cover taxes, rent and everyday costs. The typical worker in Kansas earns $48,010 and keeps $10,128 after those costs.
Where in Kansas does a paycheck go furthest?
Of the Kansas cities we cover, a typical worker keeps the most in Topeka ($12,035 a year after taxes, rent and everyday costs) and the least in Wichita ($11,523).
What jobs pay the most in Kansas?
Among jobs with at least 1,000 workers, the highest median pay in Kansas goes to Physicians, All Other ($221,540); Computer and Information Systems Managers ($164,830); Architectural and Engineering Managers ($160,150) (BLS OEWS).
Sources and method
Everyday costs: BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey 2024 (one-person households) × CPI-U to August 2026 × BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. Taxes assume a single filer with the standard deduction and wage income only.
- Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates
- BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
- HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2027
- BLS Consumer Expenditure Surveys 2024, Table 1400 (size of consumer unit)
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI-U)
- BEA Regional Price Parities by state, 2024
Data compiled October 13, 2026. How we calculate