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Living in Kansas · 2026

Is $48,000 enough to live in Kansas?

Single adult · KS · 2026 tax brackets · Real cost-of-living data

Statewide verdict:Comfortable

Monthly take-home

$3,200

Avg monthly expenses

$2,057

Avg monthly surplus

$1,143

Savings potential

~36%

After-tax take-home in Kansas

Gross salary$48,000
Federal income tax− $3,654
State income tax− $2,279
Social Security− $2,976
Medicare− $696
Annual take-home$38,395
Effective tax rate20.01%

How $48,000 feels in Kansas cities

Rent: HUD FMR 2026 · Food: USDA Low-Cost Plan × COL · Transport/Utilities/Healthcare: BLS CES × COL

Wichita

COL index: 0.85× national avg

Comfortable
Rent (1BR)
$950
Food
$387
Transport
$149
Utilities
$140
Healthcare
$170
Total: $1,796/mo
Surplus: $1,404/mo
Rent burden: 29.7% — Manageable (25–35%)
Full Wichita analysis →

Overland Park

COL index: 1.05× national avg

Comfortable
Rent (1BR)
$1,350
Food
$449
Transport
$184
Utilities
$173
Healthcare
$210
Total: $2,366/mo
Surplus: $834/mo
Rent burden: 42.2% — High (35–50%)
Full Overland Park analysis →

Kansas City

COL index: 0.96× national avg

Comfortable
Rent (1BR)
$1,200
Food
$418
Transport
$168
Utilities
$158
Healthcare
$192
Total: $2,136/mo
Surplus: $1,064/mo
Rent burden: 37.5% — High (35–50%)
Full Kansas City analysis →

Topeka

COL index: 0.83× national avg

Comfortable
Rent (1BR)
$900
Food
$378
Transport
$145
Utilities
$137
Healthcare
$166
Total: $1,726/mo
Surplus: $1,474/mo
Rent burden: 28.1% — Manageable (25–35%)
Full Topeka analysis →

Olathe

COL index: 1.03× national avg

Comfortable
Rent (1BR)
$1,300
Food
$440
Transport
$180
Utilities
$170
Healthcare
$206
Total: $2,296/mo
Surplus: $904/mo
Rent burden: 40.6% — High (35–50%)
Full Olathe analysis →

Lawrence

COL index: 0.93× national avg

Comfortable
Rent (1BR)
$1,100
Food
$418
Transport
$163
Utilities
$153
Healthcare
$186
Total: $2,020/mo
Surplus: $1,180/mo
Rent burden: 34.4% — Manageable (25–35%)
Full Lawrence analysis →

50 / 30 / 20 Budget Planner

Based on your monthly take-home of $3,200 ($38,400/yr)

Needs 50%Wants 30%Savings 20%
Needs50%

$1,600

per month

  • ›Rent / mortgage
  • ›Groceries
  • ›Utilities
  • ›Insurance
  • ›Minimum debt payments
  • ›Transportation
Wants30%

$960

per month

  • ›Dining out
  • ›Streaming services
  • ›Gym
  • ›Hobbies
  • ›Travel
  • ›Shopping
Savings20%

$640

per month

  • ›Emergency fund
  • ›401(k) / IRA
  • ›Investments
  • ›Down payment fund
  • ›Debt payoff (extra)

Needs / year

$19,200

Wants / year

$11,520

Savings / year

$7,680

Salary Intelligence

Moderate salary in Wichita

Rent takes 30% of take-home income, which is above the ideal 25% but still manageable. Savings will be limited; consider lower-cost housing to improve your financial position.

Lifestyle score: 7.3/10 (Very Good)

Lifestyle Assessment

A $48,000 salary comfortably supports a very good single lifestyle in Wichita, Kansas, with approximately $1,404/month (~44% of take-home) available for savings — meeting or exceeding the recommended 20% savings rate.

Purchasing Power

Due to Wichita's low cost of living (index: 0.85), $48,000 here has the purchasing power of roughly $104,471 in San Francisco or $110,118 in New York City. Your dollar goes significantly further here.

State & National Benchmark

$48,000 is slightly above the Kansas individual median of $40,500 (+19%). The state household median is $69,747.

State individual median

$40,500

+19%

State household median

$69,747

-31%

Tax reduction strategies

Maximize 401(k) Contributions — Up to $5,170 in federal tax (22% bracket)
Contribute to a Traditional IRA — Up to $1,540 in federal tax (22% bracket)

$48,000 vs. Kansas income benchmarks

Individual median (Kansas)

$40,500

+19% vs. this salary

Household median (Kansas)

$69,747

-31% vs. this salary

Source: US Census Bureau ACS 2023

Related salary insights

Explore other salary levels in Kansas

$40,000$60,000$100,000$150,000$200,000$300,000
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Reviewed by

Finance Editor

CPA, 10+ years in personal finance

Data Sources

Data updated monthly using government datasets.