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 18.7% cheaper than Maryland. A $75,000 salary in Maryland would need to be roughly $58,394 in Kansas to maintain the same lifestyle.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

What to expect for your wallet after moving from Maryland to Kansas.

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $58,394

To maintain the same standard of living in Kansas

Calculate with your salary →

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

Restaurants

pay 10.2% less

Groceries

pay 23.7% less

Transportation

pay 20.4% less

Housing

pay 12.0% less

Childcare

pay 46.8% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 9.8% 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.

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 11% less than cities in Maryland.

Maryland

Bethesda 71%

Kansas

Lawrence 57%

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.

Data: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, OECD Regional Demography, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey)

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Annapolis Rain: 47.3 in/yr (1201 mm)
68° / 50°F

Avg. annual high / low

Topeka Rain: 38.9 in/yr (989 mm)
66° / 43°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Annapolis Topeka
Jan–Mar 50°/33°F (10°/0°C) 46°/25°F (8°/-4°C)
Apr–Jun 77°/57°F (25°/14°C) 75°/53°F (24°/12°C)
Jul–Sep 86°/69°F (30°/20°C) 86°/63°F (30°/17°C)
Oct–Dec 59°/42°F (15°/6°C) 54°/32°F (12°/0°C)
View all months
Month Annapolis Topeka
Jan 44°/29°F (6.9°/-1.6°C) 39°/19°F (4.1°/-7.3°C)
Feb 48°/31°F (9.0°/-0.5°C) 44°/23°F (6.9°/-5.1°C)
Mar 57°/38°F (13.7°/3.5°C) 56°/32°F (13.4°/0.1°C)
Apr 68°/47°F (20.1°/8.6°C) 66°/43°F (19.1°/5.9°C)
May 77°/57°F (25.0°/13.7°C) 75°/53°F (24.1°/11.8°C)
Jun 86°/67°F (29.8°/19.2°C) 84°/63°F (28.9°/17.0°C)
Jul 89°/71°F (31.9°/21.9°C) 90°/68°F (32.2°/19.9°C)
Aug 87°/71°F (30.8°/21.4°C) 89°/65°F (31.6°/18.6°C)
Sep 81°/64°F (27.2°/17.6°C) 80°/55°F (26.7°/13.0°C)
Oct 69°/52°F (20.7°/10.9°C) 67°/44°F (19.6°/6.6°C)
Nov 59°/42°F (14.9°/5.3°C) 54°/32°F (12.3°/0.2°C)
Dec 48°/33°F (9.1°/0.4°C) 41°/21°F (4.9°/-5.9°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 22% 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 $14,598 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 Topeka is 66°F, compared to 68°F in Annapolis. Topeka receives around 38.9 in of rainfall per year, while Annapolis gets 47.3 in.

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