Olathe, KS — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

All states·Kansas·Olathe

Johnson County · Kansas City · population 149,035

Olathe, KS
Image: Wikipedia · Olathe, Kansas
OverviewCost of livingMoving guide
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75
Rising
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Olathe stands

At or near all-time high. home values up 4.5% in the last year. rents up 5.1% in the last year.

Median home $437,785
1-year +4.5%
5-yr CAGR +5.8%
vs 5-yr peak +0.0%
Population +1.3%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2026-04$438k$222k$300k$378k$455k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
40/100
Car-dependent
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
30/100
Minimal transit
Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.
💻
Remote work fit
79/100
Strong remote-work fit
Composite of city size, housing cost, state tax structure, and region's remote-work track record.

Scores are heuristic estimates from population density, state, and known transit/walkable cities. Not based on a paid Walk Score / Transit Score API — see methodology for the formula.

Rent trajectory · last 5 years

Zillow ZORI · monthly
$1,874/mo$1,341$1,664$1,987202220242026

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)
Home valueRent132131100120202220242026

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 19.5
Lean buy

At a 19.5 price-to-rent ratio, Olathe is in the 'depends on horizon' zone. Buy if you'll be there 5+ years and value flexibility on the home; rent if you might move, want zero maintenance friction, or expect rates to drop.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →
Home YoY
73 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
68 · w22%
Distance from peak
90 · w18%
Population growth
70 · w16%
Rent YoY
79 · w12%
Home 10-yr CAGR
69 · w10%
Long thesis

Olathe has held up across the cycle: home values at $437,785 with +5.8% 5-year CAGR. The bull case is structural — population, location, employer base — and holds even if next year's print is soft.

Short thesis

Olathe's bear case is the boring one: the cycle is real and any market that's run hard can stall. Watch for slowing population growth, rising days-on-market, or builder discounts as the early warning signals.

About Olathe

Olathe is a city in Johnson County, Kansas, with an estimated population of 149,035. It anchors the Kansas City metro area. The population grew 1.3% annually from 2020 to 2024, a moderate gain. The median home value in Olathe is $437,785 as of 2026-04, up 4.5% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +5.8% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Olathe average $1,874 per month, up 5.1% year-over-year. The composite momentum score is 75 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

▲ Bull case

●Healthy 5-year run: +5.8% annualized over 5 years, outpacing US inflation.
●Quiet strength: +4.5% over the trailing year — not a melt-up, but the market is bid.
●Net positive migration: population up 1.3% per year — demand fundamentals are intact.
●Held the highs: currently +0.0% from the 5-year peak — this market refused to give back gains.
●Hot rental market: rents up 5.1% YoY — landlords have pricing power, supports new investment math.

▼ Bear case

○Local nuance: city-level data smooths over neighborhood differences. School zones, HOA rules, and street-level character matter — visit before deciding.

About Olathe (Wikipedia)

Olathe is a city in and the county seat of Johnson County, Kansas, United States. It is the fourth-most populous city in both the Kansas City metropolitan area and the state of Kansas, with a 2020 population of 141,290.

Source: Wikipedia · this summary is contributed and licensed under CC-BY-SA.

City facts

MayorJohn Bacon
Area62.39 sq mi
Elevation1037 ft
Founded1857
Densityauto/sq mi

Extracted from the Wikipedia infobox. Values may be slightly out of date relative to the latest sources.

Playbook

Buyer

You're not in a frenzy but you're not getting bargains either. Make a competitive offer with normal inspection terms. Don't lowball — the listing will move with or without you.

Seller

Price at fair market value; expect movement in 30-45 days. Don't get clever with terms (rent-back, contingencies) — buyers in a Rising market have options.

Investor

Appreciation tailwind exists but cash flow requires discipline on price. Run the numbers conservatively and confirm rent comps before committing.

Local safety & alerts

No active National Weather Service alerts for Johnson County right now.

NWS active alerts (KS)Kansas Emergency ManagementHow to prepare (NWS)

Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. Johnson County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.

Neighborhoods of Olathe

113 tracked · ranked by median home value
1Mill Creek Farms$847,239+7.2%
2Cedar Creek$765,735-0.9%
3Highlands of Kensington$711,429+1.4%
4Woodland Meadows North$700,350+8.0%
5Harmony View West$696,363+7.4%
6Fairfield at Heritage Park$689,784+3.5%
7Forest View$683,985+2.9%
8Prairie Point$663,251+5.6%
9Prairie Brook$657,410+3.6%
10Stonebridge$637,201+6.5%
11Nottingham Reserve$619,157+2.8%
12Brightons Landing$609,515+4.4%
13Quailwood Estates$609,375+4.6%
14Avignon$600,092+4.4%
15Forest Hills Estates$598,336+5.5%
16Woodland Estates$594,145+6.1%
17Coffee Creek Meadows$590,206+10.3%
18Prairie Farms$567,605+5.2%
19Whitetail$564,662+5.0%
20Prairie Highlands$560,936+3.1%
21Lakeshore$555,654+4.9%
22Arbor Creek$551,017+6.5%
23Nottington Creek$545,198+2.4%
24Bradford Meadows$540,598+3.8%

See the full neighborhood ranking →

Cities like Olathe

Shawnee, KS71 · RisingOverland Park, KS72 · RisingLenexa, KS70 · RisingLawrence, KS73 · Rising

Run the numbers for Olathe

ToolCan I afford Olathe?Income → city shortlistToolROI on a Olathe rentalCap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCRToolCompare Olathe to anywhereSide-by-side up to 3 citiesToolOlathe cost-of-livingEquivalent income elsewhere

Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.

Climate & natural-disaster risk

Winter (Jan)
41° / 21°
avg high / low
Summer (Jul)
89° / 66°
avg high / low
Sunny days/yr
230
~63% of year
Annual precip
30″ rain
15″ snow
Disaster risk (1=very low, 5=very high)
Hurricane
Very low
Tornado
Very high
Wildfire
Low
Earthquake
Very low
Flood
Moderate

State-level averages from NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020) and FEMA National Risk Index. City-level conditions can vary significantly within a state.

Local sports teams

Major professional teams the Kansas City area cheers for. Detailed stats, schedules, and player pages on intherafters.com.

Current weather

Loading current conditions…

7-day forecast on weather.gov →

Find rentals & listings

Open current Olathe listings on the major real-estate sites.

Links open the live search on the destination site — results are always current.

Local news & community

Updated 2026-05-21 from Google News + Reddit RSS. Headlines link to original sources.

Local economy & environment

Humidity
65%
Moderate climate
Median household income
$69,700
Kansas state median
Top industries (state-level)
Aerospace (Wichita)AgricultureHealthcare

Humidity is annual average relative humidity (NOAA). Income is Census ACS 5-year estimate. Industries are largest employment sectors statewide (BLS); the local mix in a given city may vary.

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