Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Wichita, Kansas
A $180,000 home here costs
$1,562per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $925. The real number is $636 higher every month — 69% more than the payment most buyers budget for.
Where every dollar goes
Only the first line is a mortgage payment. Change any assumption above and every figure below recalculates.
Wichita against Sedgwick County and Kansas
| Measure | Wichita | Sedgwick County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $179,500 | $190,700 |
| Median property tax | $2,122 | $2,345 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.182% | 1.230% |
| Median gross rent | $960 | $977 |
| Population | 396,488 | 524,810 |
The weather behind that power bill
Wichita sits in Sedgwick County, which averages a high of 92.6°F in its hottest month and a low of 22.5°F in its coldest, with 34.31" of precipitation a year and 41% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 1,774 cooling and 4,414 heating degree days, which is what sets the $136 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Sedgwick County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Sedgwick County
Full Sedgwick County cost breakdown · Every county in Kansas
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Wichita?
A $180,000 home in Wichita, Kansas costs approximately $1,562 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $925 principal and interest, $177 property tax, $105 homeowners insurance, $204 utilities and $150 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Wichita?
Wichita has an effective property tax rate of 1.182%, based on a median home value of $179,500 and median real estate taxes of $2,122. That is lower than the Sedgwick County average of 1.230%.
What is the average home price in Wichita?
The median owner-occupied home value in Wichita, Kansas is $179,500, against $190,700 across Sedgwick County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Wichita?
Median gross rent in Wichita is $960 a month, against $1,562 to own the median home all in. Renting costs less month to month here, though renting builds no equity.
Sources & methodology
- Median home value, real estate taxes, gross rent and population for Wichita — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Kansas.
- Electricity price — EIA Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A.
- Mortgage rate — Freddie Mac PMMS, refreshed weekly.
- Maintenance (1%/yr) and water and sewer ($68/mo) are national estimates. Every assumption above is editable.