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

All states·Kansas·Wichita

Sedgwick County · Wichita · population 400,991

First-time buyersBig-city amenities
Wichita, KS
Image: Wikipedia · Wichita, Kansas
OverviewCost of livingMoving guide
View watchlist →
71
Rising
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Wichita stands

At or near all-time high. rents up 5.2% in the last year.

Median home $204,104
1-year +2.8%
5-yr CAGR +6.7%
vs 5-yr peak +0.0%
Population +0.2%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2026-04$204k$102k$138k$175k$212k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
40/100
Car-dependent
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
38/100
Minimal transit
Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.
💻
Remote work fit
82/100
Excellent for remote work
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
$1,118/mo$793$989$1,185202220242026

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)
Home valueRent138133100120140202220242026

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 15.2
Lean buy

At a 15.2 price-to-rent ratio, Wichita 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
64 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
73 · w22%
Distance from peak
90 · w18%
Population growth
49 · w16%
Rent YoY
80 · w12%
Home 10-yr CAGR
71 · w10%
Long thesis

Wichita has held up across the cycle: home values at $204,104 with +6.7% 5-year CAGR. The bull case is structural — population, location, employer base — and holds even if next year's print is soft.

Short thesis

Wichita'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 Wichita

Wichita is a city in Sedgwick County, Kansas, with an estimated population of 400,991. The median home value in Wichita is $204,104 as of 2026-04, up 2.8% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +6.7% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Wichita average $1,118 per month, up 5.2% year-over-year. The composite momentum score is 71 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

▲ Bull case

●Affordable AND rising: median home $204,104 with positive recent direction — rare combination most of the country can’t offer.
●Healthy 5-year run: +6.7% annualized over 5 years, outpacing US inflation.
●Quiet strength: +2.8% over the trailing year — not a melt-up, but the market is bid.
●Held the highs: currently +0.0% from the 5-year peak — this market refused to give back gains.
●Hot rental market: rents up 5.2% 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 Wichita (Wikipedia)

Wichita is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Sedgwick County. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 397,532, and the Wichita metropolitan area had a population of 647,610. It is located in south-central Kansas along the Arkansas River.

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

City facts

MayorLily Wu (L)
Area166.52 sq mi
Elevation1303 ft
Founded1868
Density2454.05/sq mi
Named forWichita people

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 Sedgwick County right now.

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

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

Neighborhoods of Wichita

74 tracked · ranked by median home value
1Brookhollow$382,010+1.4%
2Village$344,823+1.9%
3Maple Hills$317,050+5.5%
4Forest Hills$294,998+0.1%
5Calfskin$293,392+3.8%
6College Hill$278,559+2.1%
7Crestview Heights$247,806+4.1%
8Harrison Park Rk$246,973+4.5%
9Crown Heights$246,464+0.9%
10Westlink$241,041+3.6%
11Lambsdale$236,804+4.8%
12Chisholm Creek$236,677+2.7%
13Cottonwood Village$234,405+3.0%
14Sherwood Glen$233,753+3.6%
15Crown Heights South$222,765+1.7%
16Park Meadows$220,790+2.9%
17Indian Hills Riverbend$220,310+3.5%
18Pleasant Valley$217,601-0.1%
19Benjamin Hills$211,666+5.4%
20Sleepy Hollow$206,964+1.4%
21Northeast Heights$206,624+2.9%
22Comotara Mainsgate Villa$205,796+1.9%
23Riverside$202,362+4.0%
24Courtland$197,916+5.4%

See the full neighborhood ranking →

Cities like Wichita

Lawrence, KS73 · RisingKansas City, KS68 · RisingLeavenworth, KS71 · RisingOlathe, KS75 · Rising

Run the numbers for Wichita

ToolCan I afford Wichita?Income → city shortlistToolROI on a Wichita rentalCap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCRToolCompare Wichita to anywhereSide-by-side up to 3 citiesToolWichita 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.

Current weather

Loading current conditions…

7-day forecast on weather.gov →

Find rentals & listings

Open current Wichita 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 sports teams

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

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.

Cities similar to Wichita

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