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Living in Wichita, KS

Known as "Doo-Dah" to locals, people love living in Wichita for its low cost of living and above average public schools. If you're thinking about moving to Wichita, Kansas, read on to learn more about what it's like to live in the area.

Key Points

  • Top industries in Wichita include aviation and health care.
  • White Castle was born in Wichita, but you won't find any White Castle locations there (HQ moved to Ohio in 1933).
  • Wichita is known as the "Air Capital of the World."
  • Pollution index in Wichita is 95% better than the national average.

Museums

Number of museums: 16

Parks

Number of parks: 139

Breweries

Number of breweries: 11

Music Venues

Number of music venues: 26

Hiking Trails

Number of hiking trails: 13

Libraries

Number of libraries: 10
Population iconPopulation409,656
Average home price iconAvg Home Price$256,299
Median rent iconAvg Rent Price$755
Average salary iconAvg Salary$40,610.00
Cost of living iconCost of Living-9.1%
Average commute time iconAvg Commute Time19.7 min
Hospital rankings iconHospital Rankings--
State income tax iconState Income Tax5.70%

Culture & Entertainment

Looking for fun things to do in Wichita? Explore the area’s top attractions and local hangouts to discover everything Wichita has to offer.

Wichita at a glance

  • Star iconTop industries in Wichita include aviation and health care.
  • Star iconWhite Castle was born in Wichita, but you won't find any White Castle locations there (HQ moved to Ohio in 1933).
  • Star iconWichita is known as the "Air Capital of the World."
  • Star iconPollution index in Wichita is 95% better than the national average.

MYMOVE cost of living calculator

MYMOVE helps you compare the cost of living in two cities.

How do I compare cities to find the best places to live?

The first step to figuring out where to live is research. Whether you have your heart set on moving to a particular place or are just curious about different cities, getting insider knowledge on a new area can help you determine if you could see yourself thriving there.

Using MYMOVE’s city guides, you can learn much-needed information about a prospective area. Basic facts like the cost of living and top industries show you what it’s like to live and work in the city. More in-depth information like the number of parks, music venues, and breweries paint a picture of the fun you could have there.

So, how do these city guides work?

We’ve compiled a varied list of data sources all in one place. Simply search for a specific city above, or explore the top metro areas in each state (and Puerto Rico). View our city guides to learn the basics, like population, weather, and housing prices, and the fun stuff, like culture and entertainment options.

How do I decide where to live?

Lots of factors go into choosing the location of your next life chapter. Does your company have an office in a city that excites you? Does the industry you work in have a presence in that metro area?

If you have family or friends in the area, that's another major factor to consider when moving. Think about your personal priorities and what would make you feel most at home.

Do you want to own a car, or is walkability high on your priority list? Are you a museum buff, an avid hiker, or a music lover?

Sit down and make a checklist of your city must-haves. Then, create a list of general areas that pique your interest. Search for MYMOVE’s guides for those cities, and use those city guides as a starting point to decide where to live next.

Where does the data for our city guides come from?

We sourced our core cost of living data from the Council for Community and Economic Research’s Cost of Living Index (COLI). The COLI is updated quarterly, using data collected at the local level for over 60 goods and services. Learn more about COLI research methodology.

Population data is sourced from the U.S. Census. The average salaries and housing prices were compiled from TownCharts.

We sourced weather data from various resources, including but not limited to the National Centers for Environmental Information and The Weather Channel

Data for each city’s average commute time was pulled from the U.S. Census, Data USA and MarketWatch.

We compiled hospital data from Healthgrades, and sales tax data was sourced from the Tax Foundation.

Various sources were used to collect culture and entertainment data, including but not limited to The Trust for Public Land, Wikipedia, USA Zoos, ultimaterollercoaster.com, Indie on the Move, and publiclibraries.com

Livability score provided by Areavibes. The Livability Score is a score out of 100 that was designed to help evaluate the quality of an area. The score analyzes dozens of data points across seven key categories: amenities, cost of living, crime, employment, housing, schools, and user ratings.