Moving to Kansas from Maryland

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What to Expect

Everything you need to know before relocating from Maryland to Kansas — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.

If you moved from Maryland to Kansas, you would find that Kansas is 21.4% cheaper than Maryland. A $75,000 salary in Maryland would need to be roughly $59,000 in Kansas to maintain the same lifestyle. Baltimore and Wichita are about 1,100 mi apart.

Is Kansas cheaper than Maryland?

Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day

Restaurants

pay 8.5% less

Groceries

pay 4.8% less

Transportation

pay 19.3% less

Housing

pay 31.6% less

Childcare

pay 54.2% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 8.4% less

See full cost of living breakdown

Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.

What salary do you need in Kansas?

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 → $59,000

To maintain the same standard of living in Kansas

Calculate with your salary →

Cost of living by city

Cost of living varies a lot by city. Each figure is a city's overall cost of living as a percentage of New York City (the priciest, = 100%).

On average, cities in Kansas cost about 18% less than cities in Maryland.

Compare cities head-to-head

Key Indicator Comparison

Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Maryland to Kansas.

Is it safe?

Violent crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

MD
420
KS
424
Property crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

MD
2043
KS
2068

Maryland performs better than Kansas across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Uninsured rate US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of people without health insurance

MD
6.0%
KS
8.6%
Adult obesity rate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

MD
33.4%
KS
36.8%

Maryland generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Kansas leads in diabetes rate.

What about housing?

Median home value US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical price of a home

MD
$397,700
KS
$203,400
Median rent US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

MD
$1,662
KS
$1,029

Kansas generally does better on what about housing?, though Maryland leads in homeownership rate.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet access US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of households with internet

MD
91.6%
KS
89.5%
Average commute US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

MD
32 min
KS
20 min

Maryland generally does better on infrastructure, though Kansas leads in average commute.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

MD
3.7%
KS
3.4%
GDP per capita Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

MD
$69,127
KS
$60,996

Maryland generally does better on employment & economy, though Kansas leads in unemployment rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy OECD Regional Demography, 2020

average years of life at birth

MD
76.8 yrs
KS
76.4 yrs
Bachelor's degree or higher US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of adults with a 4-year college degree

MD
29%
KS
23%

Maryland performs better than Kansas across all family life metrics.

Weather in Kansas vs Maryland

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Baltimore Rain: 42.4 in/yr (1078 mm)
70° / 53°F

Avg. annual high / low

Wichita Rain: 32.6 in/yr (829 mm)
68° / 46°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Baltimore Wichita
Jan–Mar 51°/35°F (11°/2°C) 49°/28°F (10°/-2°C)
Apr–Jun 79°/61°F (26°/16°C) 77°/55°F (25°/13°C)
Jul–Sep 88°/71°F (31°/22°C) 89°/66°F (32°/19°C)
Oct–Dec 60°/44°F (16°/7°C) 57°/35°F (14°/2°C)
View all months
Month Baltimore Wichita
Jan 46°/32°F (8.0°/-0.1°C) 42°/22°F (5.8°/-5.6°C)
Feb 49°/34°F (9.5°/1.2°C) 48°/26°F (9.0°/-3.3°C)
Mar 59°/40°F (14.8°/4.5°C) 58°/35°F (14.4°/1.7°C)
Apr 69°/51°F (20.8°/10.4°C) 68°/44°F (19.8°/6.9°C)
May 79°/61°F (26.3°/16.1°C) 77°/55°F (24.8°/12.9°C)
Jun 89°/71°F (31.6°/21.5°C) 87°/65°F (30.4°/18.3°C)
Jul 92°/75°F (33.4°/23.9°C) 92°/70°F (33.5°/21.0°C)
Aug 90°/73°F (32.2°/22.8°C) 91°/69°F (32.9°/20.4°C)
Sep 83°/65°F (28.1°/18.5°C) 83°/60°F (28.1°/15.3°C)
Oct 71°/54°F (21.9°/12.3°C) 70°/47°F (20.9°/8.3°C)
Nov 60°/44°F (15.8°/6.4°C) 56°/35°F (13.4°/1.4°C)
Dec 50°/35°F (9.8°/1.6°C) 44°/24°F (6.4°/-4.4°C)

Data: National Weather Service National Weather Service

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in Kansas than Maryland?

Yes — Kansas is on average about 21% cheaper than Maryland. City-level variation can be significant.

How much money do I need to move to Kansas?

Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $14,750 in Kansas on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit).

Is Kansas safe?

Maryland performs better than Kansas across all safety metrics.

How is healthcare in Kansas compared to Maryland?

Maryland generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Kansas leads in diabetes rate.

What's the weather like in Kansas compared to Maryland?

The average high temperature in Wichita is 68°F, compared to 70°F in Baltimore. Wichita receives around 32.6 in of rainfall per year, while Baltimore gets 42.4 in.

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