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 $1,444/month in 2026, up from $828 in 2015 (+74.4%). That sits $518 below (-26.4% vs) the U.S. typical rent of $1,962.
Last updated: September 14, 2026
Source: Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI) · Jan snapshots for 2015–2025; 2026 column = June 2026 release · U.S. typical rent $1,962 (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 ($1,962/month in June 2026, up from $1,357 in January 2019 on our national series).
Since 2023, the tracked-city average in Kansas has risen from about $1,226 to $1,444 (+17.8%). That is the post-spike path — not a full reset to mid-2010s rents. The latest year step (2025 → 2026) is +11.0% ($1,301 → $1,444).
Within the state, long-run winners and losers split by city. The largest percentage increase from the earliest reading to 2026 is Kansas City (+96.5%, $685 → $1,346). 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
- Great Bend — $758
- Hutchinson — $834
- Emporia — $890
- Pittsburg — $914
- El Dorado — $949
Highest 2026 rents
- Prairie Village — $2,267
- Roeland Park — $2,159
- Merriam — $2,097
- Spring Hill — $2,016
- Fairway — $2,007
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 | $725 | $739 | $743 | $758 | $767 | $801 | $839 | $916 | $987 | $1,041 | $1,077 | $1,158 | +59.7% | |
| Overland Park | $1,007 | $1,069 | $1,100 | $1,142 | $1,173 | $1,238 | $1,242 | $1,405 | $1,512 | $1,585 | $1,678 | $1,794 | +78.2% | |
| Topeka | $715 | $730 | $741 | $773 | $793 | $825 | $853 | $959 | $1,046 | $1,101 | $1,166 | $1,287 | +80.0% | |
| Kansas City | $685 | $724 | $784 | $801 | $827 | $861 | $941 | $1,038 | $1,113 | $1,178 | $1,258 | $1,346 | +96.5% | |
| Olathe | — | — | $1,142 | $1,187 | $1,201 | $1,259 | $1,335 | $1,451 | $1,586 | $1,651 | $1,730 | $1,855 | +62.4% | |
| Lawrence | — | — | $817 | $851 | $878 | $906 | $933 | $1,009 | $1,086 | $1,165 | $1,266 | $1,365 | +67.1% | |
| Shawnee | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,149 | $1,295 | $1,359 | $1,460 | $1,569 | $1,577 | +37.2% | |
| Manhattan | $1,010 | $1,000 | $1,002 | $1,024 | $1,043 | $1,042 | $1,047 | $1,092 | $1,125 | $1,184 | $1,252 | $1,332 | +31.9% | |
| Lenexa | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,172 | $1,326 | $1,449 | $1,502 | $1,571 | $1,712 | +46.1% | |
| Salina | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $849 | $877 | $966 | +13.8% | |
| Hutchinson | — | — | — | $542 | $546 | $561 | $586 | $624 | $665 | $719 | $746 | $834 | +53.9% | |
| Leavenworth | — | — | — | — | $832 | $836 | $863 | $948 | $1,031 | $1,105 | $1,168 | $1,255 | +50.8% | |
| Leawood | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,786 | $1,849 | +3.5% | |
| Derby | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,307 | $1,379 | $1,437 | $1,523 | +16.5% | |
| Junction City | — | $825 | $828 | $847 | $859 | $873 | $908 | $950 | $1,016 | $1,052 | $1,117 | $1,265 | +53.3% | |
| Emporia | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $794 | $855 | $890 | +12.1% | |
| Pittsburg | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $800 | $914 | +14.2% | |
| Gardner | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,247 | $1,359 | $1,432 | $1,513 | $1,624 | +30.2% | |
| Newton | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $942 | $1,084 | +15.1% | |
| Prairie Village | — | — | — | $1,305 | $1,384 | $1,422 | $1,523 | $1,627 | $1,752 | $1,843 | $2,032 | $2,267 | +73.7% | |
| Liberal | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,000 | +0.0% | |
| Great Bend | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $758 | +0.0% | |
| El Dorado | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $949 | +0.0% | |
| Andover | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,779 | +0.0% | |
| Augusta | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $950 | +0.0% | |
| Spring Hill | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $2,016 | +0.0% | |
| Merriam | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $2,097 | +0.0% | |
| Goddard | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,698 | +0.0% | |
| Mission | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,399 | $1,482 | $1,634 | +16.8% | |
| Eudora | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,138 | +0.0% | |
| Bel Aire | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,674 | +0.0% | |
| Roeland Park | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $2,159 | +0.0% | |
| Maize | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,350 | +0.0% | |
| Fairway | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $2,007 | +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 $1,444/month, which is $518 below (-26.4% vs) the U.S. typical rent of $1,962. 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 $1,962.
What city in Kansas has the cheapest rent?
Among cities in our ZORI sample, Great Bend is the lowest at about $758/month (2026). Other lower-rent cities include Hutchinson ($834), Emporia ($890), Pittsburg ($914).
What city in Kansas has the most expensive rent?
Prairie Village leads our sample at about $2,267/month in 2026, followed by Roeland Park ($2,159) and Merriam ($2,097).
How much have rents in Kansas changed since 2015?
Across tracked cities, the average moved from about $828 in 2015 to $1,444 in 2026 (+74.4%). 5 of 34 cities are higher than their earliest reading in this series; the largest percentage jump is Kansas City (+96.5%).
Are rents in Kansas still rising year over year?
From 2025 to 2026, the average across tracked Kansas cities went from about $1,301 to $1,444 (+11.0%). Since 2023 ($1,226), that is +17.8%. Individual cities can diverge — sort by % Chg or compare the '25 and '26 columns.
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