Kansas · Census, HUD and BEA figures · Updated

Cost of Living in Kansas City, KS

Prices around Kansas City, KS run 7.5% below the U.S. average (BEA, the metro area). The typical household there earns $62,401 a year, and HUD puts a two-bedroom at $1,358 a month. Keeping that rent under 30% of income takes about $54,320 a year.

Kansas City, KS at a glance

Median household income

$62,401$5,200 per month · U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year
2-bedroom rent$1,358HUD FY2026 Fair Market Rent
Price level (U.S. = 100)92.5-7.5% · BEA, the metro area
Electricity15.7¢per kWh · EIA Residential KS
Population155,135Census ACS 5-year estimate

How much rent can you afford in Kansas City, KS?

HUD’s fair market rent for each size, against what a typical household here earns. Change the income to see yours.

Affordable (< 30% of income)
HUD Fair Market Rent$1,358Monthly market rent
Share of gross income26.1%Recommended max: 30%
Annual income needed$54,320To meet the 30% standard
Max affordable rent$1,560At 30% of $62,401
0%30% (Affordability standard)100%
Compare against:

How much is rent in Kansas City, KS? By bedroom, 2026

HUD's fiscal 2026 Fair Market Rents for Kansas City, MO-KS HUD Metro FMR Area, with the income each one takes if rent stays under 30% of it.

HUD Fair Market Rent in Kansas City, KS, fiscal 2026
Unit SizeMonthly RentAnnual Rent30% Rule Min. Income% of Median Income
Studio / Efficiency$1,095$13,140$43,80021.1%
1-Bedroom Apartment$1,197$14,364$47,88023%
2-Bedroom ApartmentBenchmark$1,358$16,296$54,32026.1%
3-Bedroom Home$1,769$21,228$70,76034%
4-Bedroom Home$2,103$25,236$84,12040.4%

Rent in Kansas City, KS, with the wage each unit needs →

What a typical income covers in Kansas City, KS

The 50/30/20 rule applied to the local median of $62,401 a year ($5,200 a month before tax).

Needs (50%)$2,600/moRent ($1,358 2-BR), utilities (~$141/mo), groceries, transit
Wants (30%)$1,560/moEating out, travel, subscriptions and the rest
Savings and debt (20%)$1,040/moEmergency fund, retirement, paying down loans

What $62,401 leaves after Kansas taxes

Federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare and Kansas tax on the local median income. Change the salary to see yours.

$62,401
$20,000$125,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$62,401
Net 80%
Fed 9%
KS 4%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$49,637After all taxes
Monthly deposit$4,136Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,909Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate20.5%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$5,308 / yr
Kansas state income tax$2,682 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$4,774 / yr

Living in Kansas City, KS: common questions

What is the median household income in Kansas City, KS?

According to the latest U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year survey, the median household income in Kansas City, KS is $62,401 per year (approximately $5,200 per month).

What is the average rent in Kansas City, KS?

The closest official figure is HUD's Fair Market Rent for 2026: $1,095 for a studio, $1,197 for one bedroom, $1,358 for two, $1,769 for three and $2,103 for four, utilities included.

It is not an average of listings. HUD sets it at the rent 40% of recent movers paid or less for a standard unit, so a new lease on a nicer place will usually cost more.

Is Kansas City, KS expensive to live in?

Prices there run 7.5% below the U.S. average. BEA's regional price parity for the metro area is 92.5, where the U.S. is 100. Rent moves the number most: housing is where places differ, while goods cost about the same everywhere.

How much do you need to earn to comfortably afford rent in Kansas City, KS?

To keep a $1,358 two-bedroom under 30% of gross income, a household needs about $54,320 a year, or $4,527 a month. That is 87% of what the typical household in Kansas City, KS earns.

How much do you need to live comfortably in Kansas City, KS?

On the local median income of $62,401 ($5,200 a month before tax), the 50/30/20 rule leaves $2,600 a month for needs like rent, utilities and groceries, $1,560 for everything else and $1,040 for savings or debt. A two-bedroom at $1,358 takes 52% of the needs share.

How much is the electric bill in Kansas City, KS?

Homes in Kansas paid 15.7¢ per kWh on average (EIA). At 900 kWh a month, a typical use, that is about $141. Your bill depends mostly on heating and cooling.