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Wichita, KS

Wichita, KS

The skyline of downtown Wichita, the largest city in Kansas with a metro-area... · Photo: Quintin Soloviev, CC BY 4.0

Augusta is part of the Wichita area. This page covers the whole metro.

Everyday life
Shops, cafes, and daily routines
Hobbies & activities
Trails, parks, and pastimes
Nearby scenery
Lakes, overlooks, and drives

Photos and reviews come from Google Maps and show single places, not the whole area. Reviews are the most relevant ones Google returns for each place. We show the longest highly rated review under 400 characters and, when there is one, the longest low-rated review. Google doesn't verify reviews but removes fake ones when it finds them.

Around Wichita

Aerial view of Downtown Wichita, Riverfront Stadium in foreground
Aerial view of Downtown Wichita, Riverfront Stadium in foreground · Photo: Popcorn700, CC BY-SA 4.0
The skyline of downtown Wichita, the largest city in Kansas with a metro-area...
The skyline of downtown Wichita, the largest city in Kansas with a metro-area... · Photo: Quintin Soloviev, CC BY 4.0
This is a photograph of The Exploration Place
This is a photograph of The Exploration Place · Photo: 04stx, CC BY-SA 3.0
Carey House, in Wichita, Kansas
Carey House, in Wichita, Kansas · Photo: UNOBUDO, CC BY-SA 3.0
Darius Sales Munger House
Darius Sales Munger House · Photo: UNOBUDO, CC BY-SA 3.0
The Wichita Art Museum
The Wichita Art Museum · Photo: FUBAR007, CC BY-SA 3.0
Boeing Plant in Wichita, Kansas
Boeing Plant in Wichita, Kansas · Photo: mhowry/Matt Howry, CC BY 2.0
Wichita's former Union Station
Wichita's former Union Station · Photo: Ty Nigh from Wichita, KS, USA, CC BY 2.0
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Where it is
Wichita
Wichita in Kansas
Kansas in the U.S.
State outlines: U.S. Census Bureau.

What's nearby

Within 5 miles of the center of the Wichita area.

34
grocery stores
121
restaurants
21
coffee shops
107
parks
97
playgrounds
9
libraries
4
movie theaters
5
live theaters
17
museums
14
bookstores
1
comic shop
4
gyms
20
bars
13
pharmacies
6
hospitals

Counts from OpenStreetMap, a volunteer map, so small or new places can be missing. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Biking and trails

Within 5 miles of the center of the Wichita area.

Bike lanes and bike paths
62 miles
more than almost all U.S. towns
Walking and hiking trails
748 miles
more than almost all U.S. towns

Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Counts depend on how well local volunteers have mapped the area, so treat them as a rough guide.

What rent costs

Of about 85,549 rented homes in the Wichita area, 96% rent for under $2,000 a month and 99% for under $3,000.

Under $1,000: 54%
$1,000 to $1,499: 34%
$1,500 to $1,999: 9%
$2,000 to $2,499: 2%
$2,500 to $2,999: 0%
$3,000 or more: 1%

Census American Community Survey 2019 to 2023 (table B25063). Gross rent includes utilities the renter pays. Today's asking rents for open apartments usually run higher.

What moving costs

Hiring movers

Average cost: $1,946

From a 2025 survey of 1,000 people who hired movers. This Old House. Your quote depends on your stuff, stairs and the time of year.

Moving in as a renter

The middle rented home in the Wichita area rents for under $1,000 a month. Before you get the keys, expect about under $2,000 for first month plus a deposit, or up to under $3,000 where landlords also ask for last month.

Many landlords want your income to be about 3 times the rent. For rent under $1,000, that's a yearly income of about under $36,000.

Estimate from Census rent data (2019 to 2023, rent plus tenant-paid utilities). Deposits and fees vary by landlord and state law.

Moving to Kansas: before and after

  • Forward your mail: USPS change of address. It costs about $1 online to confirm who you are.
  • Switch your driver's license and car registration. Each state sets its own deadline, often somewhere between 10 days and a few months after you move. Find the Kansas DMV.
  • Register to vote at your new address: Kansas voter registration.
  • Set up power, gas, water and trash. Some cities bill water and trash together, and some ask new customers for a deposit.
  • Update your address with your bank, employer, insurance and the IRS (Form 8822 if you're not filing soon).
  • Find a doctor and dentist early. New-patient waits can be weeks, even in big cities.

Public schools

10 public school districts in this county, with about 83,110 students in all. Which one serves a home depends on its address.

Wichita · Wichita
46,796 students · 10.5 students per teacher · 88 schools · grades Pre-K to 12
Maize · Maize
7,999 students · 12.7 students per teacher · 12 schools · grades Pre-K to 12
Derby · Derby
7,285 students · 14.2 students per teacher · 13 schools · grades Pre-K to 12
Goddard · Goddard
6,310 students · 11.8 students per teacher · 12 schools · grades Pre-K to 12
Haysville · Haysville
5,788 students · 15.4 students per teacher · 9 schools · grades Pre-K to 12

NCES Common Core of Data 2022-23, National Center for Education Statistics. Varro doesn't rate or rank schools. For test results and programs, see each district's site and your state's school report card.

Childcare and colleges

Daycare and preschool

Kansas keeps an official list of licensed childcare, with inspection reports and openings in many states. In a lot of towns, infant spots fill up months ahead, so it helps to get on waitlists before you move.

Typical full-time prices in this county (2022)
AgeDaycare centerHome daycare
Infant (under 2)$157/week
about $8,200 a year
$120/week
about $6,200 a year
Toddler (2)$148/week
about $7,700 a year
Preschool (3 to 4)$138/week
about $7,200 a year
$98/week
about $5,100 a year
School-age$85/week
about $4,400 a year

For an infant at a center: $157/week here, $157 across KS, $259 across the U.S.. Full-time infant care at a center here costs about 10% of a typical family's income. These are 2022 prices, the newest the government has published by county, and prices have gone up since.

U.S. Department of Labor, National Database of Childcare Prices, 2022. Middle (median) price for full-time care. State and U.S. figures average the county prices, weighted by population (Census 2024).
Search licensed childcare in Kansas →
Link via childcare.gov (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services).

8 colleges in the county and the wider metro around Wichita. Prices are yearly tuition and fees for full-time undergrads, before financial aid.

Wichita State University · Wichita
Public, 4-year · 16,741 students · $9,322 in-state, $19,240 out-of-state
Wichita State University-Campus of Applied Sciences and Technology · Wichita
Public, 2-year (community college) · 5,655 students · $6,018 in-state, $6,928 out-of-state
Newman University · Wichita
Private nonprofit, 4-year · 2,787 students · $35,500 a year
Friends University · Wichita
Private nonprofit, 4-year · 1,927 students · $32,748 a year
Kansas Health Science Center · Wichita
Private nonprofit, 4-year · 227 students

Moving for school? Public colleges charge state residents much less, and community colleges often charge even less to people who live in their district. Most states want you to have lived there about 12 months, for reasons other than school, before you count as a resident for tuition. The rules differ by state, so check with the college's registrar.

IPEDS 2023-24, National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS). Degree-granting public and nonprofit schools with 100+ students. Varro doesn't rank colleges.

The facts behind it
Typical home value
$224,280
What a typical home sells for across the Wichita area.
Source: Zillow Home Value Index, August 2026
Average commute
20 minutes one way
How long residents' trips to work take on average, counting every job and way of getting there. U.S. average: about 27 minutes.
Source: U.S. Census (American Community Survey), 2023
Homeowners insurance
About $5,260 a year
The statewide average for a typical policy in KS. Your own quote will depend on the home.
Source: Statewide estimate, 2026
Natural disaster risk
Relatively High
FEMA's overall rating for the county, covering floods, storms, wildfire, earthquakes and more.
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025
Hail risk
Relatively High
Hail is a real cost here: roof claims are common and some insurers charge a separate, higher deductible for wind and hail. Covered parking helps protect a car.
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025
Hospitals nearby
6 within 5 miles
Hospitals mapped within 5 miles of the center. Emergency and specialty care vary, so check which ones fit your needs.
Source: OpenStreetMap (ODbL)
Drug overdose deaths (county)
28.4 per 100,000 people a year
152 deaths in the 12 months ending March 2026. KS average: 16.1 per 100,000. U.S.: 19.9. Counts are by where people lived, and recent months may still be updated.
Source: CDC National Center for Health Statistics, provisional counts through March 2026; Census population estimates 2024
People without housing (local count)
About 13.7 per 10,000 residents
HUD's one-night count in January 2025 found 736 people without housing in the Wichita/Sedgwick County area: 541 in shelters and 195 outside, up from 691 in 2024. KS: 8.9 per 10,000. U.S.: 21.9. One-night counts miss people, and how areas count differs.
Source: HUD Point-in-Time Count, January 2025 (HUD, 2025 report to Congress); Census population estimates 2024
Median household income
$67,675
Half of households in the county earn more than this, half earn less.
Source: U.S. Census (American Community Survey), 2023
Property tax
1.23% of home value a year
About $1,230 a year for every $100,000 of home value.
Source: U.S. Census (American Community Survey), 2023
State income tax
Graduated, up to 5.58%
KS's state income tax. Some cities and counties add their own.
Source: 2026

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