Cost of living in Olathe, KS — Housing, Rent & Index

All states·Kansas·Olathe·Cost of living

Housing, rent, and a comparison to the US average.

$437,785
Median home value
$1,874/mo
Median rent
123
Cost index (US=100)
+4.5%
Home YoY change

The median home value in Olathe, KS is $437,785 as of 2026-04. That places Olathe above the US average for housing cost, with a cost index of approximately 123 versus a national baseline of 100.

Over the past 12 months, the median home value in Olathe has climbed 4.5%, and over the past five years it has averaged +5.8% annual growth. The current price sits +0.0% from its 5-year peak in 2026-04.

Renters pay a median of $1,874 per month in Olathe. Rents have changed +5.1% over the last year and averaged +5.6% per year over five years.

Beyond housing, day-to-day costs in Olathe are shaped by state and local taxes, utility rates, transportation, and groceries. This page focuses on the housing component, which is the largest single line in most household budgets and the easiest to compare across cities using consistent national data.

Housing

Median home value$437,785
1-year change+4.5%
5-year price growth+5.8%
10-year price growth+6.1%
vs 5-year peak+0.0%

Source: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI).

How Olathe compares

Cost index123 (above US)
Median home vs US (~$355k)+23.3%
Population149,035
Momentum score75 (Rising)

Cost index is currently a housing-only proxy; full BLS basket coming with ACS pull.

Affordability reality

Prices only mean something against local pay. Here’s how Olathe’s housing lines up with what people here actually earn.

Median rent vs income20% of local median income
Home price-to-income3.8× local median income

At $1,874/mo, rent eats about 20% of the local median household income of $114,009 — within the 30% rule of thumb for affordable housing.

The median home runs about 3.8× the local median income (stretched).

Daily life in Olathe

Climate

89°/66° summer41°/21° winter230 sunny days15″ snow/yr30″ rain/yr

Summers run warm (highs near 89°F) and winters are chilly (highs near 41°F), with about 15″ of snow a year.

Natural-hazard & insurance risk

Flood: moderateTornado: very highHurricane: very lowWildfire: lowEarthquake: very low

Insurance heads-up: in Olathe, flood damage isn’t covered by standard home insurance — budget for a separate NFIP/private flood policy and check the FEMA flood zone for the exact address.

Getting around

The average commute is 22 min — shorter than the US average of ~27 min; 21% of workers are remote; 75% own their home.

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