Rent Trends / KS
Rent Trends in Kansas: 2015 to 2026
Yearly Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI) for 34 cities in Kansas. The average across tracked cities is $1,512/month in 2026, up from $821 in 2015 (+84.2%). That sits $453 below (-23.1% vs) the U.S. typical rent of $1,965.
Last updated: July 19, 2026
Source: Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI) · Jan snapshots for 2015–2025; 2026 column = June 2026 release · U.S. typical rent $1,965 (June 2026)
What the Kansas rent trend shows
This page follows market rents in Kansas from 2015 through mid-2026 using the same Zillow ZORI vintage for every city in the table. State figures below are simple averages of the tracked cities — useful for comparing places inside Kansas and stacking the state against the published U.S. typical rent ($1,965/month in June 2026, up from $1,362 in January 2019 on our national series).
Since 2023, the tracked-city average in Kansas has risen from about $1,236 to $1,512 (+22.3%). That is the post-spike path — not a full reset to mid-2010s rents. The latest year step (2025 → 2026) is +14.4% ($1,322 → $1,512).
Within the state, long-run winners and losers split by city. The largest percentage increase from the earliest reading to 2026 is Kansas City (+94.5%, $678 → $1,319). 5 of 34 tracked cities are higher than their 2015 (or earliest) level.
For the national rent story, see the Rent Index. Statewide maps live on Rent by State. Full city database: Rent by City.
City-level breakdown in Kansas
Lowest 2026 rents
- Hutchinson — $848
- Emporia — $860
- Pittsburg — $931
- El Dorado — $975
- Salina — $1,026
Highest 2026 rents
- Roeland Park — $2,326
- Prairie Village — $2,283
- Fairway — $2,075
- Merriam — $2,043
- Leawood — $2,024
Full list with every year from 2015–2026 is in the sortable table below.
All Kansas cities — yearly rent table
| City | Metro | '15 | '16 | '17 | '18 | '19 | '20 | '21 | '22 | '23 | '24 | '25 | '26 | % Chg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wichita | $723 | $735 | $741 | $756 | $765 | $799 | $837 | $913 | $983 | $1,037 | $1,073 | $1,146 | +58.5% | |
| Overland Park | $1,011 | $1,073 | $1,104 | $1,146 | $1,177 | $1,244 | $1,247 | $1,413 | $1,520 | $1,596 | $1,689 | $1,800 | +78.0% | |
| Topeka | $715 | $730 | $740 | $772 | $792 | $824 | $851 | $957 | $1,046 | $1,101 | $1,166 | $1,283 | +79.4% | |
| Kansas City | $678 | $717 | $776 | $793 | $819 | $856 | $930 | $1,026 | $1,102 | $1,165 | $1,241 | $1,319 | +94.5% | |
| Olathe | — | — | $1,174 | $1,222 | $1,234 | $1,294 | $1,372 | $1,490 | $1,630 | $1,695 | $1,778 | $1,900 | +61.8% | |
| Lawrence | — | — | $780 | $812 | $838 | $865 | $891 | $964 | $1,038 | $1,112 | $1,206 | $1,288 | +65.1% | |
| Shawnee | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,263 | $1,424 | $1,501 | $1,610 | $1,734 | $1,796 | +42.2% | |
| Manhattan | $979 | $970 | $972 | $993 | $1,011 | $1,010 | $1,015 | $1,057 | $1,089 | $1,148 | $1,211 | $1,293 | +32.1% | |
| Lenexa | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,170 | $1,320 | $1,441 | $1,496 | $1,568 | $1,685 | +44.0% | |
| Salina | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $901 | $929 | $1,026 | +13.9% | |
| Hutchinson | — | — | — | $554 | $559 | $574 | $600 | $639 | $679 | $738 | $762 | $848 | +53.1% | |
| Leavenworth | — | — | — | — | $845 | $848 | $876 | $962 | $1,045 | $1,119 | $1,184 | $1,269 | +50.2% | |
| Leawood | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,946 | $2,024 | +4.0% | |
| Derby | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,355 | $1,425 | $1,485 | $1,582 | +16.8% | |
| Junction City | — | $828 | $830 | $849 | $861 | $874 | $909 | $953 | $1,019 | $1,061 | $1,122 | $1,261 | +52.3% | |
| Emporia | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $754 | $811 | $860 | +14.1% | |
| Pittsburg | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $827 | $931 | +12.6% | |
| Gardner | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,223 | $1,332 | $1,404 | $1,482 | $1,569 | +28.3% | |
| Newton | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $931 | $1,051 | +12.9% | |
| Prairie Village | — | — | — | $1,310 | $1,389 | $1,429 | $1,529 | $1,635 | $1,758 | $1,851 | $2,046 | $2,283 | +74.3% | |
| El Dorado | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $975 | +0.0% | |
| Andover | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,828 | +0.0% | |
| Ottawa | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,245 | +0.0% | |
| Spring Hill | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $2,002 | +0.0% | |
| Merriam | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $2,043 | +0.0% | |
| Mission | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,479 | $1,570 | $1,709 | +15.6% | |
| Bel Aire | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,679 | +0.0% | |
| Louisburg | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,734 | +0.0% | |
| Park City | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,340 | +0.0% | |
| Roeland Park | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $2,326 | +0.0% | |
| Lansing | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,350 | +0.0% | |
| De Soto | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,563 | +0.0% | |
| Maize | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,313 | +0.0% | |
| Fairway | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $2,075 | +0.0% |
Click any column header to sort · % Chg uses earliest available year → 2026
Frequently asked questions — Kansas rent
Is Kansas cheap to rent in 2026?
Yes — relative to the national market. The average rent across 34 tracked Kansas cities is about $1,512/month, which is $453 below (-23.1% vs) the U.S. typical rent of $1,965. That is a city-average in our sample, not a single statewide ZORI print, but it is a clear signal that Kansas screens cheaper than the U.S. typical $1,965.
What city in Kansas has the cheapest rent?
Among cities in our ZORI sample, Hutchinson is the lowest at about $848/month (2026). Other lower-rent cities include Emporia ($860), Pittsburg ($931), El Dorado ($975).
What city in Kansas has the most expensive rent?
Roeland Park leads our sample at about $2,326/month in 2026, followed by Prairie Village ($2,283) and Fairway ($2,075).
How much have rents in Kansas changed since 2015?
Across tracked cities, the average moved from about $821 in 2015 to $1,512 in 2026 (+84.2%). 5 of 34 cities are higher than their earliest reading in this series; the largest percentage jump is Kansas City (+94.5%).
Are rents in Kansas still rising year over year?
From 2025 to 2026, the average across tracked Kansas cities went from about $1,322 to $1,512 (+14.4%). Since 2023 ($1,236), that is +22.3%. Individual cities can diverge — sort by % Chg or compare the '25 and '26 columns.
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