Kansas · Census, HUD and BEA figures · Updated

Cost of Living in Shawnee County, KS

Prices around Shawnee County, KS run 11.2% below the U.S. average (BEA, the metro area). The typical household there earns $67,104 a year, and HUD puts a two-bedroom at $1,057 a month. Keeping that rent under 30% of income takes about $42,280 a year.

Shawnee County, KS at a glance

Median household income

$67,104$5,592 per month · U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year
2-bedroom rent$1,057HUD FY2026 Fair Market Rent
Price level (U.S. = 100)88.8-11.2% · BEA, the metro area
Electricity15.7¢per kWh · EIA Residential KS
Population178,025Census ACS 5-year estimate

How much rent can you afford in Shawnee County, 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$1,057Monthly market rent
Share of gross income18.9%Recommended max: 30%
Annual income needed$42,280To meet the 30% standard
Max affordable rent$1,678At 30% of $67,104
0%30% (Affordability standard)100%
Compare against:

How much is rent in Shawnee County, KS? By bedroom, 2026

HUD's fiscal 2026 Fair Market Rents for Topeka, KS MSA, with the income each one takes if rent stays under 30% of it.

HUD Fair Market Rent in Shawnee County, KS, fiscal 2026
Unit SizeMonthly RentAnnual Rent30% Rule Min. Income% of Median Income
Studio / Efficiency$792$9,504$31,68014.2%
1-Bedroom Apartment$820$9,840$32,80014.7%
2-Bedroom ApartmentBenchmark$1,057$12,684$42,28018.9%
3-Bedroom Home$1,392$16,704$55,68024.9%
4-Bedroom Home$1,411$16,932$56,44025.2%

Rent in Shawnee County, KS, with the wage each unit needs →

What a typical income covers in Shawnee County, KS

The 50/30/20 rule applied to the local median of $67,104 a year ($5,592 a month before tax).

Needs (50%)$2,796/moRent ($1,057 2-BR), utilities (~$141/mo), groceries, transit
Wants (30%)$1,678/moEating out, travel, subscriptions and the rest
Savings and debt (20%)$1,118/moEmergency fund, retirement, paying down loans

What $67,104 leaves after Kansas taxes

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

$67,104
$25,000$135,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$67,104
Net 79%
Fed 9%
KS 4%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$53,093After all taxes
Monthly deposit$4,424Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$2,042Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate20.9%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$5,933 / yr
Kansas state income tax$2,945 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$5,133 / yr

Living in Shawnee County, KS: common questions

What is the median household income in Shawnee County, KS?

According to the latest U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year survey, the median household income in Shawnee County, KS is $67,104 per year (approximately $5,592 per month).

What is the average rent in Shawnee County, KS?

The closest official figure is HUD's Fair Market Rent for 2026: $792 for a studio, $820 for one bedroom, $1,057 for two, $1,392 for three and $1,411 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 Shawnee County, KS expensive to live in?

Prices there run 11.2% below the U.S. average. BEA's regional price parity for the metro area is 88.8, 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 Shawnee County, KS?

To keep a $1,057 two-bedroom under 30% of gross income, a household needs about $42,280 a year, or $3,523 a month. That is 63% of what the typical household in Shawnee County, KS earns.

How much do you need to live comfortably in Shawnee County, KS?

On the local median income of $67,104 ($5,592 a month before tax), the 50/30/20 rule leaves $2,796 a month for needs like rent, utilities and groceries, $1,678 for everything else and $1,118 for savings or debt. A two-bedroom at $1,057 takes 38% of the needs share.

How much is the electric bill in Shawnee County, 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.