Moving to Kansas from Massachusetts

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What to Expect

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

If you moved from Massachusetts to Kansas, you would find that Kansas is 21.3% cheaper than Massachusetts. A $75,000 salary in Massachusetts would need to be roughly $54,058 in Kansas to maintain the same lifestyle.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

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

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $54,058

To maintain the same standard of living in Kansas

Calculate with your salary →

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

Restaurants

pay 18.8% less

Groceries

pay 16.1% less

Transportation

pay 19.1% less

Housing

pay 28.4% less

Childcare

pay 43.2% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 18.3% 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 23% less than cities in Massachusetts.

Massachusetts

Cambridge 85%
Worcester 73%

Kansas

Lawrence 57%

Compare cities head-to-head

Key Indicator Comparison

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

Is it safe?

Violent crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

MA
308
KS
424
Property crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

MA
1077
KS
2068

Massachusetts 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

MA
2.6%
KS
8.6%
Adult obesity rate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

MA
28.8%
KS
36.8%

Massachusetts performs better than Kansas across all health & wellbeing metrics.

What about housing?

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

typical price of a home

MA
$525,800
KS
$203,400
Median rent US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

MA
$1,687
KS
$1,029

Kansas performs significantly better than Massachusetts across all what about housing? metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

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

share of households with internet

MA
91.9%
KS
89.5%
Average commute US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

MA
29 min
KS
20 min

Massachusetts 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

MA
4.7%
KS
3.4%
GDP per capita Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

MA
$87,892
KS
$60,996

Massachusetts 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

MA
79.0 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

MA
32%
KS
23%

Massachusetts 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.

Boston Rain: 43.8 in/yr (1112 mm)
59° / 44°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Boston Topeka
Jan–Mar 40°/26°F (4°/-3°C) 46°/25°F (8°/-4°C)
Apr–Jun 66°/50°F (19°/10°C) 75°/53°F (24°/12°C)
Jul–Sep 78°/62°F (25°/17°C) 86°/63°F (30°/17°C)
Oct–Dec 51°/38°F (11°/3°C) 54°/32°F (12°/0°C)
View all months
Month Boston Topeka
Jan 36°/22°F (2.1°/-5.4°C) 39°/19°F (4.1°/-7.3°C)
Feb 39°/25°F (3.7°/-4.1°C) 44°/23°F (6.9°/-5.1°C)
Mar 45°/31°F (7.4°/-0.5°C) 56°/32°F (13.4°/0.1°C)
Apr 56°/41°F (13.1°/4.8°C) 66°/43°F (19.1°/5.9°C)
May 66°/50°F (18.9°/9.9°C) 75°/53°F (24.1°/11.8°C)
Jun 76°/60°F (24.4°/15.3°C) 84°/63°F (28.9°/17.0°C)
Jul 81°/65°F (27.4°/18.6°C) 90°/68°F (32.2°/19.9°C)
Aug 80°/65°F (26.4°/18.1°C) 89°/65°F (31.6°/18.6°C)
Sep 72°/57°F (22.4°/14.1°C) 80°/55°F (26.7°/13.0°C)
Oct 61°/47°F (16.3°/8.1°C) 67°/44°F (19.6°/6.6°C)
Nov 51°/38°F (10.8°/3.3°C) 54°/32°F (12.3°/0.2°C)
Dec 41°/28°F (5.1°/-2.1°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 Massachusetts?

Yes — Kansas is on average about 28% cheaper than Massachusetts. 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 $13,514 in Kansas on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit).

Is Kansas safe?

Massachusetts performs better than Kansas across all safety metrics.

How is healthcare in Kansas compared to Massachusetts?

Massachusetts performs better than Kansas across all health & wellbeing metrics.

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

The average high temperature in Topeka is 66°F, compared to 59°F in Boston. Topeka receives around 38.9 in of rainfall per year, while Boston gets 43.8 in.

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